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It always feels like there's a special community spirit in December - people attending festive parties, celebrating Hannukah and Christmas, and enjoying the fairy lights.

As 2025 comes to an end, it's a fitting time to look back on my first full year as CEO of the Third Age Trust. I've been welcomed by so many of you to summer schools, anniversaries and monthly meetings. I've had lots of conversations about u3a - why it's important now and where it might be going in the future.

So really, I want to say a big thank you for your involvement with u3a, whether that's going to your local u3a interest group or just receiving this newsletter out of interest. It's great to see what u3as get up to all across the movement and to share that with you too. We've included member's 2025 highlights throughout this newsletter and, at the end, you can watch a video showcasing u3a stories from throughout the year. The stories and photos highlight the impact that u3a makes to individual members and communities.

I'm looking forward to 2026 with the new ventures and challenges it will bring. A question for you to end the year - what are you looking forward to doing with u3a in 2026?

With very best wishes

Iain Cassidy

CEO of the Third Age Trust