Welcome to Bishop Auckland & District u3a
Membership is open to everyone who is no longer in full-time work. u3a gives retired/semi-retired people a unique opportunity to do something different and offers people like us the chance to make new friends, develop new skills, have new experiences, and really get out and enjoy retirement. Membership includes free admission to the monthly meeting plus our quarterly LINK magazine and also a quarterly copy of Third Age Matters, the national u3a magazine. You also have access to our own interest group activities as well as those of the wider u3a.
Latest Notices
Link Summer deadline 20th June
Why join Bishop Auckland & District u3a?
- A variety of local activities
- Lots of lovely new people to meet
- Share varied interests with like-minded people
- Learn new things and try out new activities
- Enjoy at least one monthly talk from a knowledgeable speaker
- Keep body and brain fit and active
- Use your knowledge and skills to help others
- You teach me today and I'll teach you tomorrow
- It beats daytime TV!

More about our u3a and where to find information
- On the third Tuesday of the month there is an open meeting for all members at the Town Hall with a guest speaker. Visitors are welcome to come and see what we do.
- You can join our u3a or renew your annual membership by mail or online.
- Once you have joined the main group you can join as many interest/activity groups as you wish. These provide a wide range of opportunities to come together to learn for fun. Members enjoy exploring new ideas, skills, and activities together.
- As well as the monthly Town Hall speaker, there are regular group activities and a series of Events throughout the year including talks, outings, and social events. Plan your time using our calendar of all activities.
- Our committee, and other members who support our u3a, can be found on our Contacts page.
- Bishop Auckland & District u3a was established in 2000 and has grown to a current membership of approximately 280. We are one of over 1,000 u3as around the UK with a total membership well in excess of 400,000. Each u3a is unique and is an independent charity with its own constitution and policies.
- Bishop Auckland is a vibrant market town and items of local interest that our members are involved with or are interested in are shared in the group.
The wider u3a

When you join u3a you join a local group but you also become a member of the wider u3a family with regional and national events and activities.
u3a was originally founded by Pierre Vellas in Toulouse in 1973 and variations rapidly spread around the world. It reached the UK in 1982 and there are now over 1,000 instances of u3a in the UK providing an opportunity for members to come together to share their skills and learn for fun.
The u3a movement has almost half a million UK members and is non-religious and non-political. We believe in Life Long Learning. No qualifications are sought or offered. Learning is for its own sake, with enjoyment being the prime motive, not qualifications or awards.
You can learn much more about National and Regional events and activities on their respective websites.
If you have any comments or would like to point out any errors related to this website or broken links please send them to the Web Editor
Page last modified