We are always happy to welcome new members
The annual membership fee is £20.00 which includes a compulsory £4.00 capitation fee paid to our national organisation, the Third Age Trust*. (if you are already a member of another u3a the membership fee is reduced to £16.00)
0ur membership year runs from the 1st of March. The membership fee for new members joining after the 1st of January will not be collected until the 1st of March that year.
Being a member allows you to attend our monthly Speaker meetings, attend our TED Talks, join Interest Groups, so long as they have space, and sign up to any trips and outings that we are organising, subject to availability.
The bi-monthly online Lymington U3A Newsletter is published on this website, and for an additional £5 annual fee you may subscribe to receive the national u3a Matters magazine posted to you.
Joining - there are two ways to join
1. Join online and pay by Direct Debit
This is the simplest for you and us. No more annual form filling or annual renewals for you. And a lot less administrative toil for us.
Fill in an online membership application form and a Direct Debit mandate.
That's it - Job done (Welcome to Lymington u3a)
How does a Direct Debit work?
Your membership fee will automatically be taken annually on or shortly after 1st March each year. There are no paper forms to sign.
The direct debit is between our service provided by GoCardless and your bank. Lymington u3a does not hold any banking information.
GoCardless has all the necessary security and bank clearances and standards in place to do so. Read more about them at GoCardless FAQs.
You can delete the direct debit at any time from your bank either manually or online via your bank's online system. We will be notified of the cancellation by GoCardless. You can also end the agreement by contacting our treasurer to delete the agreement.
Once you have submitted the membership form you will be taken to the GoCardless Direct Debit form.
2. Pay by Cheque to join (or renew)
New members who wish to pay by cheque please download, fill in and return this Membership Application Form together with your cheque (made out to Lymington u3a), by post or by hand to: Treasurer, Lymington u3a, c/o Lymington Community Centre, New Street, Lymington SO41 9BQ. (Membership forms are also available at our meetings at 2.15pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month in St Thomas Church Hall)
Existing members who still wish to pay by cheque (made out to Lymington u3a) must send their payment BEFORE 1st March every year with your full name and membership number on the back of the cheque, by post or by hand to: Treasurer, Lymington u3a, c/o Lymington Community Centre, New Street, Lymington SO41 9BQ.
Terms and Conditions of Membership
All members agree to:
- Act in the best interests of Lymington u3a and never do anything to bring the u3a movement into disrepute.
- Treat fellow members with respect and courtesy at all times.
- Comply with and support the decisions of the elected committee.
- Advise the Membership Secretary of any changes to their personal details.
- Abide by the principles of the u3a movement.
- Abide by the terms and conditions of the Lymington u3a constitution.
- Only use Lymington u3a database information for matters associated with u3a business or group activities and not for personal purposes.
Principles of the u3a movement:
1. The Third Age Principle.
Membership of the U3A is open to all in their third age, which is defined, not by a particular age, but by a period in life by which full time employment has ceased. Members promote the values of lifelong learning, and the positive attributes of belonging to U3A. Members should do all they can to ensure that people wanting to join a U3A can do so.
2. The Self-help Learning Principle.
Members form interest groups covering as wide a range of topics and activities as they desire; by the members, for the members. No qualifications are sought or offered. Learning is for its own sake, with enjoyment being the prime motive, not qualifications or awards. There is no distinction between the learners and the teachers; they are all U3A members.
3. The Mutual Aid Principle.
Each U3A is a mutual aid organisation, operationally independent, but a member of the Third Age Trust, which requires adherence to the guiding principles of the U3A movement, No payments are made to members for services rendered to any U3A. Each U3A is self funded, with membership subscriptions and costs kept as low as possible.
Once you have joined, our Members Welcoming Team will invite you to meet with other new members
and some of our Committee members for a coffee morning or afternoon tea and to find out more.
* The Third Age Trust provides us with a wide range of services and benefits including liability insurance cover. In addition we pay annual fees to the Trust to maintain finance, membership and activities data bases and website hosting for Lymington u3a.