We currently have over 100 active groups but there is always room for more. If you have an interest that you would like to pursue or knowledge to share with others please consider forming a group. The Q&A sheet should help but you would also get plenty of support from the group coordinators, we can assure you of that.
Climate Change
The leader of this previously disbanded group is looking to start it up again if there is sufficient interest. Please let us know if you would like to be added to the list and we will be in contact once we have sufficient potential members to form a group.
Sewing Buddies 2
Due to the popularity of the original Sewing Buddies group, and the enthusiasm of a new member who has come forward to lead it, this new group is starting up in May. Meeting on the first Wednesday of the month at the group leaders house. Contact the group co ordinator if you would like more information or to join up.
Dutch/Flemish interest Group
There must be many U3A members in this area who have worked in Brussels or for the Dutch electronics company Philips (which used to have several factories and offices in the Croydon/Salfords/Crawley area) and who have picked up some Dutch language, and may have even lived in Belgium or the Netherlands.
I therefore wonder if there are others like me whose Dutch is getting very rusty and would like to revive some fluency. The best way to do this is to set up an ‘Interest’ group to meet, say monthly, to attempt to practice the language and to discuss Dutch/Flemish culture, current affairs and the like. I have already found 3 – 4 other U3A members who have expressed interest, but we would need a few more to make a viable discussion group. How and what we would discuss and how much we would attempt to speak in Dutch will be up to the group to decide. If this sounds interesting, please contact the Group Co ordinator who will put you in touch with me.
Met vriendelijke groeten!
Charles Symons
Forest Fitness
This new group for 2024 meet on Monday's starting from The Pavilion in Priory Park at 10.00. Each session is designed to last approximately 1 hour 30 mins.
If you are interested in finding out more about this group click here.
Garden Explorers
Following a lovely April visit to Shieling where we all enjoyed the Spring flowers as well as the tea and cake! A few of us went for an unscheduled visit to admire the bluebells at Felland Copse. Simply stunning!
Man required!
The Singing for Pleasure group are starting work on their June concert and due to a recent resignation from the group are urgently looking for a new male voice. Can you help?
Exploring with a Bus Pass
East Grinstead…by bus!
East Grinstead, which means a settlement in a green place, is just one bus ride away from Redhill, and costs nothing to get to if using that mode of transport, which 11 of us did on Friday 15th March. Okay, so it takes longer by bus but at least we didn’t need to worry about finding a car park! In fact, it took I hour 15 minutes, so we arrived at about 11.45.
We visited the local museum which was a fascinating place to wander round. It was built on the site of the cattle market. One of the volunteer staff gave us a highly informative impromptu talk about the town and exhibits and I think we all appreciated that. There is, naturally, a display devoted to the world-famous hospital where the specialist burns unit was developed under the leadership of Sir Archibald McIndoe. RAF and allied aircrew who were badly burned/crushed and in need of reconstructive surgery were treated there.
St Swithun’s Church is right next to the museum was well worth the visit too.
We saw in East Grinstead what is reputed to be the longest length of timber-framed Mediaeval and Tudor buildings in England, which are located in the main street. Impressive.
Lunch was taken in a local hostelry and, as always with our u3a members, the company was great!
The journey home was uneventful, although the bus was a few minutes late!
So, that was a pretty good day out and the only financial layout was for lunch which was £12 for one course and a drink!
Getting our voices heard
A little while ago our Chair, Pat Cockett, was approached to see if any of our members would be interested in being interviewed by a company called ‘Neighbourly Lab’ who are working in partnership with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, looking at our experiences of Crime & Safety in Redhill. It was thought that a group who meet in a public place would be the most suitable, and the Craft & Chat group, who meet in a cafe in Redhill were approached to see if they would participate. They were happy to do so and the 20th March was chosen for the interviews to take place. Despite us all saying that we didn’t think we would have anything much to say, the group interview took about 45 minutes and the subjects ranged from the recent stabbing outside MacDonald’s, the antisocial behaviour by some children at the bus station and outside MacDonald’s, and the amount of delivery mopeds parked outside McDonalds and by the KFC. All of us said that we couldn’t really comment on how safe we felt after dark in Redhill, as we didn’t go into the town then, as there is not much to draw us in. We may have gone to the Harlequin to see a show, but that, sadly, isn’t an option at the moment, due to it being closed due to RAAC. Other possible threats to our safety were the amount of bicycles and motorised vehicles using the ‘pedestrian’ areas of the town and also the parlous state of the pavements – a real trip hazard, and the amount of pavement parking, all difficult for those with limited mobility to deal with. The two interviewers, Chioma & Emma thanked is all for our time. They seemed fascinated that we were able to knit and talk to them at the same time without having to look at what we were doing! They then went off to interview some slightly younger people at a Mother & Toddler group. They have promised to report back with any findings. Deb Chapman
If you would like further information about any of our groups, would like to start a group or would like to join a group, please contact us by completing the form which can be found on the Groups’ page or emailing us:
