I thought I’d take this chance to introduce myself as the new Interest Groups Co-ordinator. My role is to be the link between the Committee and the many (28 at the last count) interest groups across our u3a. Over 80% of you belong to at least one of our interest groups, and all of us members appreciate the work that our group leaders put in to make them so successful.

However, we’re conscious that around half of our interest groups are currently not in a position to welcome new members – generally for reasons of limited space. At our Group Leaders’ meeting on 25th April we spent some time talking about this, and agreed that we will try to find ways to address it, including by trying to set up new groups. For my part, I’ll be contacting those members who we think have expressed an interest in joining the groups that are currently full, so that we have an up-to-date picture of which groups are in most demand.

Also, my apologies to members who have joined quite recently that I haven’t yet been in touch to welcome you and find out whether we can help you find groups that you’re interested in. I’ve been caught up in other u3a business but I hope to catch up with these important conversations soon!

Pete Wardle