Governance and Constitution

Founded in in 1982, U3AC (or U3A, Cambridge, as it then was) drew up a Deed of Trust (Constitution) and in 1983 successfully applied for registration as a charity with the Charity Commission.

Over the years, some revisions to this Deed have been needed, the most recent being the Constitution adopted on 4 May 2007 for an unincorporated association: University of the Third Age in Cambridge (2007).

However, following the introduction in 2013 of the new legal structure of Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), regulated by the Charity Commission, U3AC’s Trustees became aware that incorporation could offer U3AC significant advantages. Principal among these was that, as an incorporated body, a CIO has a legal personality of its own (similar to that of a limited company). Thus, the liability of individual trustees is limited. For example, a CIO enters into contracts in its own name, unlike a charity where contracts are in the name of the trustees, who would then be personally liable should anything go wrong.

At a special AGM on 17 October 2018, it was agreed that U3AC should apply to become a CIO. The CIO was registered with the Charity Commission on 20 November 2018, with all the trustees of U3AC (2007) becoming Trustees of U3AC (CIO). U3AC (CIO) took over all the assets and liabilities of U3AC (2007) in June 2019, and U3AC (2007) then ceased to exist.

U3AC (CIO) has the new Charity registration number 1180769 and the Company registration number CE015658. See below to download the Constitution of 20 November 2018.

Download our Constitution