The membership of the U3AC changes regularly as new members join each year and it is understandable therefore that we receive several questions which are often repeats from previous years. Some of these are listed below and we hope these are helpful in answering the questions.
References are also provided which give more details and in this context, please note that the Courses section of the U3AC website does contain a number of FAQs specifically related to courses and activities.
It is important to remember that the U3AC is a membership organisation and the annual fee is the subscription for joining and having access to and can choose from, wide ranging activities, courses and facilities, in addition to any classes for which you are signed up. U3AC is very different, in this way, from organisations which provide a service for which you pay a specific fee.
This seems a logical question to ask, but the position is not so simple. The records show clearly that the number of courses and activities increases in direct proportion to the number of members – ie the more members we have, the more courses we can provide. This has been the case for many years now and we are very grateful to those who take up the challenge of running a course or activity. We are always seeking people who would like to come forward and share their knowledge and interests with others. Restricting the number of members would therefore not improve the overall chance of having a wider choice.