Here is the latest u3a news. Just scroll on down or use the table of contents (just click on the item you want to read and that will take you to just below where the item is). For other news items, some great offers, non-u3a news and further information and advertisements please take a look at our new News Extra section
Our next Monthly Meeting - Thursday 16 July
Our next Monthly Meeting is on Thursday 16 July when Sam Bridgewater will be talking to us about "Local Seascape Reclamation". This will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Exmouth at 10.30 am. Refreshments can be purchased before.
The schedule for our Monthly Meetings for the first few months of 2026 is in our Monthly Meetings section - Monthly Meetings. Owing to the fact that The Ocean is having refurbishments done, the venue and dates of the first seven meetings in 2026 have been altered. The meetings up to and including September will be in Holy Trinity Church a week later than originally planned, so the July meeting is on Thursday 16 July (see above). The committee apologises for any inconvenience caused but hopes you will be able to come along to these meetings as usual.
Our latest u3a Newsletter
Our latest u3a Newsletter (the July/August edition) was published on 26 June 2026. The public edition is in the Newsletter section. The members' edition was sent direct to members and is also in the members-only view of the Newsletter section on this website - members need to be logged in to see this.
Our latest u3a Groups List and latest Group news
Our latest u3a Groups List was sent direct to members on 2 July 2026 and members can also see this by logging in and clicking on the Groups List in the members view of the Newsletter section on this website. We try to ensure that any changes shown in it are reflected in the Groups list shown in the Groups section of this website. If Group Organisers need to change or update anything, please let us know via the Groups link in the Contact Us section. Recent news about groups is in the latest edition (July/August) of our newsletter - Newsletter
Our Social Outings
Our next trip will be an evening cruise with fish & chips aboard Stuart Line on September 4th. Further details of our social outings are in our Social Events section.
Looking to the future, on 28 June an email was sent to all members about our Christmas lunch at The Belmont Hotel Sidmouth. This year we have managed to secure two dates - Thursday 3rd and Friday 11th December. If members would like to go they are asked to reply to that email with their preferred date.
New members meetings
The next meetings will be on Wednesday 15 July, Monday 10 August and Wednesday 9 September, starting at 10.00 am and ending by 11.30 at The Wings Bar, 33-35 Imperial Road, Exmouth EX8 1DB. The venue does not charge the u3a for its facilities and so members are asked to purchase a drink from the bar on arrival. I look forward to meeting new members who wish to find our more about the groups, social hubs and trips that our volunteers offer in addition to the popular monthly meeting, as well as meeting other new members in an informal friendly setting.
Pippa Gibbs, New Members Co-ordinator
Our AGM - Thursday 21 May
Our AGM was held this year at Holy Trinity Church, Exmouth on 21st May. An email was sent to all members on 13 April attaching the advance notifications about this. A further email was sent to all members on 12 May with all the other papers for the AGM. All of these papers are also in the Members-only view of the Documentation part of the About section on this website, together with the draft minutes of the AGM.
The officers and members of the committee who were elected to the new committee are shown in the About section., and there is a photo of the new Chair, Sue Slater, with the Exmouth Mayor Graham Deasy below. Also at the AGM, the annual subscription for 2027-28 was confirmed as remaining at £14 per person, the Treasurer's report and accounts for 2025-26 were approved, and the proposal to raise the maximum length of time an officer can serve from 3 to 5 years and proposal to raise the maximum total period of service of any trustee from 9 to 10 years were agreed.
Exmouth Mayor Graham Deasy with the new Chair of the u3a, Sue Slater, at the AGM
Invitation to film and discussion - Thursday 20 August
Members of Exmouth & District u3a, Exmouth Coastal Churches, and the wider community are warmly invited to a screening of People’s Emergency Briefing, a 50-minute film exploring the risks to British life and the UK economy from damage to nature and the changing climate. The screening will take place at Holy Trinity Church on Thursday 20 August. Refreshments will be available from 10.00 am, followed by the screening.
The film includes footage from last November’s National Emergency Briefing, where leading UK experts spoke on climate science, food security, health, economics, national security and nature. It gives a clear overview of how the climate and nature crisis is affecting daily life in
Britain, the risks ahead and the practical responses available. The screening will be followed by a discussion on what these issues mean for our community and what we can do to look after God’s creation. The film screening is free, supported by Exmouth Coastal Churches.
Sue Moseley, Group Organiser, Caring for our Planet - ecochurch@excc.church
Exmouth Matters
A couple of community-minded u3a members have just launched a non-political community organisation called Exmouth Matters. Its website is https://www.exmouthmatters.org. u3a members who are interested in the Exmouth community and the future of our town may wish to take a look. The website tells you all about Exmouth Matters, and gives details about its suggested first project which relates to the Exmouth Gateway (the area around Exmouth railway station). So you can visit its website to find out more and can take part by filling in and submitting a short questionnaire. More details are in the News Extra section of this website. There is also an article about this in the Exmouth Journal - see https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/26215967.exmouth-matters-launches-new-public-opinion-initiative/
Hospitality Day at Newton Abbot Races - 28th October
Details of this special offer are in our News Extra section - see News Extra
Our digital world - free technology support from AbilityNet
Several of the recent free Zoom sessions offered as part of the national u3a’s online learning events (see below) related to the important topics of online safety and digital voice which are issues members have raised in the past. The free resources on the AbilityNet website may be of interest to members - see https://abilitynet.org.uk/. Also there are a number of very useful videos on its YouTube channel - see https://www.youtube.com/@abilitynet/playlists
In addition, in partnership with BT Group, AbilityNet offers a free initiative to support people aged 55+ in Devon with digital skills covering everything from using smartphones and laptops to staying safe online and accessing essential services. They do this through free group and individual training sessions that offer practical support. If you are interested in this, please contact Neil Winter, Digital Skills Trainer, AbilityNet, telephone 0118 234 6746, or email neil.winter@abilitynet.org.uk
Online learning events
Did you know that there are plenty of free nationally-organised learning sessions which all u3a members can attend? Recent and forthcoming topics include:
- The history of shoes
- A virtual tour of the Watts Gallery and Artists' Village
- Secrets of the human brain: vision
- The climate crisis and the National Emergency Briefing
- Digital hobbies for the third age
- Deepfakes demystified: understanding the risks and staying safe
- Cryptic crosswords in context
- Laughter Yoga
- Fusion tai qi gong
For more details of these and many other events and to register for each event, please go to the national u3a learning events website - https://www.u3a.org.uk/events/educational-events
Latest news from the u3a nationally and u3a Matters magazine
You can read the latest news from the u3a nationally at The Third Age Trust's news page. The latest edition of its podcast is available at National u3a radio podcast. In addition you can sign up for the u3a National Newsletter for Friends of u3a at Sign-up for u3a national newsletter
u3a matters is the magazine of the national u3a published five times a year and posted direct to members’ homes. It features stories about members and u3a activities, plus celebrity interviews and features on technology, recipes, travel, competitions, and a lively and popular letters section. u3a matters is available to any u3a member. If you have not received your copy and wish to do so, please contact Membership so that your contact details can be added to the u3a matters database.
Here is the link to the latest edition of u3a matters magazine - https://www.u3a.org.uk/news/u3a-matters. This is shortened version of the hard copy magazine.
Latest news from u3as in the South West
The South West Region of u3a's has its own website at https://southwestregion.u3asite.uk/ . To see the latest news about u3a's across our region, see https://southwestregion.u3asite.uk/south-west-news/.
Our latest u3a documents
The minutes of the u3a committee meetings held up until the most recent meeting have been published, together with the AGM papers and various updated policy and associated documents. They are in the Documentation section on this website for members to see, and members need to be logged in to read these.