A social organisation for anyone in or around Basingstoke who has retired, is semi-retired or has never worked and who would like to make new friends with similar interests in the local area. The U3A motto is Learn, Laugh, Live. Meet the Committee This page introduces the 2026/27 committee members and trustees of our u3a. Richard Field Chair Contact RIchard View the role description Cynthia Condliffe Vice Chair Contact Cynthia View the role description Sandra Leach Secretary Contact Sandra View the role description Phil Ryan Treasurer Contact Phil View the role description Anne Dawson Membership Secretary Contact Anne View the role description Janet Field Groups Facilitator Contact Janet View the role description Post Vacant Beacon Manager View the role description Elaine Budd New Groups Development Contact Elaine View the role description Lyn Franklin PR, Publicity and Speakers Contact Lyn View the role description Mary Charles-Head Events Manager Contact Mary View the role description Charles Miller Systems and Webmaster Contact Charles View the role description Kate Manton Venues and Assets View the role description Marion Dew New Members Coordinator View the role description If you're not sure who can answer your question, please use the Contact Us form

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a is an active social organisation for anyone in or around Basingstoke who has retired, is semi-retired or has never worked and who would like to make new friends with similar interests and enjoy a wide range of activities in the local area. The u3a motto is Learn, Laugh, Live. Your local u3a Finished with the 9–5 or family commitments? Now it’s your time to explore, enjoy and connect. At our u3a, you can discover new interests, rediscover old passions, and—most importantly—have fun while meeting friendly, like‑minded people. Whether you love learning something new, sharing skills, or simply enjoying good company, there’s something here for everyone. We’re a welcoming community run by members, for members. Everyone is encouraged to join in—whether that’s helping to organise activities, leading a group, or simply sharing ideas. It’s all about learning together, laughing together, and making the most of every day. In this short film, we explain the benefits of becoming a member of the Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Find a Group Join our u3a Contact us Benefits of Membership DIscover our Groups Newsletter Monthly Meetings National u3a Volunteer News Edit Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a publishes a monthly newsletter, News Edit. If you have news or information to include in the News Edit, please contact the editor. Click below to see the latest and previous issue. Volunteer? As our u3a continues to grow, we want to ensure our community remains vibrant and well-run. To do that, we are looking for a few more friendly faces to help us behind the scenes. We are looking for members to volunteer for simple tasks that take the pressure off our core team, and a couple of new Committee members to join us in July 2026. If you’d like to get involved, please use the volunteering contact form. National u3a Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a is part of a national organisation which offers online learning, online interest groups, a blog, monthly podcast, summer schools and more. National u3a Website The website of the national u3a movement - offering online learning, online interest groups, a blog, monthly podcast and more Read More u3a Radio Podcast The u3a radio podcast, set up in 2020, showcases the amazing things happening across the movement. It’s created by a team of u3a members who all have radio experience and features interviews with members, interest group leaders, Trustees, national volunteers and Subject Advisers. Read More Interest Groups Online Interest Groups Online (abbreviated as IGO) is an online u3a community that gives you the opportunity to join groups, talks and courses from the comfort of your home. Note that this has a separate joining fee. Read More u3a Summer Schools u3a summer schools are organised by individual regions and nations, giving you the opportunity to spend a couple of days getting to know other members, learning new things and exploring topics Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a does not offer at present. Read More National u3a Friends Newsletter The u3a Friends newsletter shares news, learning opportunities and member stories from across the u3a movement. Signing up to the newsletter means you are up to date and in touch with all that's happening across the movement as it happens. You'll also gain exclusive access to our Friends Extra website - a range of offers, discounts and services. Each issue of the Friends Newsletter includes a link to the Friends Extra benefits website. Read More National u3a Learning A schedule of activities complimenting what is provided locally and connecting members across the UK Read More Walking football Walking football Groups Once you have joined our u3a, you can join as many of our 95+ groups as you like (there is a modest additional charge for a small number of our groups) and take the opportunity to develop your interests, make new friends and enjoy yourself. We offer recreational and social activities plus a wide range of educational study groups, with a very friendly and informal atmosphere. The groups meet in a number of venues around Basingstoke and Old Basing. For more details, and to find a group that interests you, see more about Our Groups . A printable summary of the groups we run can be found here . New groups We are always looking to provide our members with more variety or to start a second group when a group is full. The committee member who is responsible for Group Development can be contacted via this contact form . If your particular interest is not covered, why not investigate the possibility of starting your own group? There is every chance that other members may be looking for a new challenge and keen to join a new activity. It is certainly not always necessary to be able to "teach"; you and your group can explore and develop your subject together. Recently added groups Basic Modern Greek Cross Stitch Rose Gardening Strength Training Show More Members are invited to monthly meetings, usually including an external speaker on a topic of general interest, with tea/coffee and biscuits afterwards with the opportunity to talk to other members. Click here to see more details. Next Meeting: Wednesday 11th November Iestyn Edwards My Tutu Went AWOL Iestyn Edwards is an Olivier Award winning, Guildhall trained opera singer, international headliner, after dinner speaker and best-selling author of My Tutu Went AWOL. He accidentally toured military bases raising troop morale in Iraq and Afghanistan with his cabaret act in a tutu. And became the Woman's Hour Forces' Sweetheart.

Join our u3a and come to our Monthly Meetings at Popley Fields Community Centre in Basingstoke. Discover forthcoming events and connect with the local community. Monthly meetings Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of most months. The usual timings are: 13:30 - tea, coffee and biscuits; time for chatting 14:00 - presentation 15:00 - Q&A; tea, coffee and biscuits to finish Please bear in mind that the lengths of individual presentations will vary. Popley Fields Community Centre Carpenters Down Basingstoke RG24 9AE Forthcoming events Wednesday 11th November Iestyn Edwards My Tutu Went AWOL Iestyn Edwards is an Olivier Award winning, Guildhall trained opera singer, international headliner, after dinner speaker and best-selling author of My Tutu Went AWOL. He accidentally toured military bases raising troop morale in Iraq and Afghanistan with his cabaret act in a tutu. And became the Woman's Hour Forces' Sweetheart. Wednesday 9th December Please note - this event will run from 13:30 to 16:00 Christmas Party Christmas Party – A festive, seasonal event for everyone

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Computer group group. We will mainly cover the Microsoft Windows environment, but other topics may get covered if we have enough expertise to do so. The Notes from the Presentations of both groups will be available to download on this web site. Back to Groups Page Computer group Venue (All groups): Shaftesbury Room, Christ Church , Reading Road, Chineham, RG24 8LT. Dates: Beginners - second Tuesday of the month Intermediate - fourth Tuesday of the month Times: 14:00 – 16:00 – Beginners 10:00 – 12:00 - Intermediates Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings We run two groups under the headings. We will mainly cover the Microsoft Windows environment, but other topics may get covered if we have enough expertise to do so. The Notes from the Presentations of both groups will be available to download on this web site. New members would be very welcome. If you are interested, or would simply like more information, then please use the "Contact Us" button at the bottom of the page. We do offer teas and coffees for a very small donation at the start. Beginners Group This group is for people with little or no knowledge of computers who want to get started and need help doing so. We offer one to one help to group members to assist with any issues that they may be struggling with. Current Activity Spending ½ hour talking about topics of interest followed by 1 ½ hours on one to one help. Intermediate Group This group is for people with a bit more knowledge than pure beginners, but by no means experts. We will offer in-depth presentations on topics of general interest with the hope that everyone comes away with added knowledge. Current Activity The aim is to offer two in-depth presentations per meeting, lasting approximately ¾ hr each. Helpers will be available to assist members on a one to one basis but this will be purely ad hoc and arranged at the time of the meeting. Beginners Group Notes Beginner Session 1 Notes Email Notes Calendar PowerPoint Slides Calendar Notes Cloud Photo Talk Files Photos Photo App How to use Photo App Saving Photos Filing and Housekeeping Browsers and Search Engines These area few of my favourite phone Apps Handout notes Handout slides Artificial Intelligence presentation Social Media Handout note s OneDrive Notes Presentation Email safety Alexa NHS App Handout slide s Presentation Passwords and Password Managers Getting the most from your iPhone s Managing Files and Photos Part 1 - Files Part 2 - Photos Christmas Tips Handout Using a New Phone iPhone Gestures Guide by Apple iPhone Setup and Gestures iPhone Presentation Handout Android Phone Environment Notes Android Phone and Tablet Setup and Gestures Introduction to Microsoft Excel Part 1 Part 2 Example Spreadsheet Part 3 Example Workbook - Excel Charts Part 4 Example Workbook - Pivot Table Practical Uses of AI Part 1 Part 2 How to Avoid Microsoft Office Subscriptions Beginners Group Notes Beginner Session 1 Notes Email Notes Calendar PowerPoint Slides Calendar Notes Cloud Photo Talk Files Photos Photo App How to use Photo App Saving Photos Filing and Housekeeping Browsers and Search Engines These area few of my favourite phone Apps Handout notes Handout slides Artificial Intelligence presentation Social Media Handout note s OneDrive Notes Presentation Email safety Alexa NHS App Handout slide s Presentation Passwords and Password Managers Getting the most from your iPhone s Managing Files and Photos Part 1 - Files Part 2 - Photos Christmas Tips Handout Using a New Phone iPhone Gestures Guide by Apple iPhone Setup and Gestures iPhone Presentation Handout Android Phone Environment Notes Android Phone and Tablet Setup and Gestures Introduction to Microsoft Excel Part 1 Part 2 Example Spreadsheet Part 3 Example Workbook - Excel Charts Part 4 Example Workbook - Pivot Table Practical Uses of AI Part 1 Part 2 How to Avoid Microsoft Office Subscriptions Intermediate Group Notes Backup & Recovery Email Windows 10 End Window 10 Tools Linux – An Introduction Home WiFi PowerPoint Notes Demo Slides Information Security Introduction to Network Attached Storage Build your own PC Excel budgeting Household Excel Budget 2025 demo. Computer aided design Virtual machines Create a virtual machine Buying Hardware Introduction to Microsoft Word Course Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 All about video editing Photo Editing for Fun Raspberry Pi

Discover Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Groups in Basingstoke, UK. Join diverse groups and activities to enrich your social life and learning experience. Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Groups Home Our Groups Venues Venue Map

All Groups Our Groups Once you have joined our u3a, you can join as many of our 95+ groups as you like (there is a modest additional charge for a small number of our groups). The groups meet in a number of venues around Basingstoke and Old Basing. To view groups individually, by category, venue, day of the week and morning or afternoon sessions, use the buttons below. You can apply to join most groups by clicking on the "Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a groups" option on the Members Portal. If you would like to get in touch with the leader of a particular group, please use the "Contact Us" button at the bottom of this page and we will forward your enquiry to the relevant group leader. Some groups have a waiting list to join, and some groups are split: Across different times or venues Level (e.g. Beginners / Advanced) Details will be shown on the individual group page. If you have a question relating to an existing group, then please contact the Groups Facilitator via groups@basingstokeu3a.org Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a is a voluntary organisation, and our groups are run by members for members. We are often on the lookout for group leaders, and if you have knowledge of or interest in a subject that we do not cover, we can help you start a new group. Contact the committee member responsible for new groups for more information. Click for a 4-week grid showing all the groups by week Category Arts & Crafts Indoor Games Languages Lifelong Learning Music & Dance Physical Activity Social Activities Day of Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Morning/Afternoon Morning Afternoon Venue Select Venue Reset Selection View Printable Group Schedule All Groups are displayed Art 4 All BCOT Luncheon Basic Modern Greek Board games Calligraphy Computer group Croquet Cycling Family history French Golf practice History Ladies who lunch Local and social history Members on their own Music and words Papercraft Pickleball Pop the Question? Rounders Science and technology book club Singing for pleasure Square dancing Table tennis Transport Walk or Stroll in the park Walking football Wooly Crafters Art and craft Badminton Bingo Book club Canasta Creative writing Cross Stitch Easy Paced Walking Football Film group Gardening Health and wellbeing Introduction to Tarot Line dancing Mahjong Military History Needles and Pins Patchwork and quilting Pilates Quiz group Rummikub Scrabble Skittles Strategic board games Tea and Coffee Social Group Ukulele Walkers Walking netball Art appreciation Ballroom dancing Biography Bridge Cinema Cribbage Current issues Excursions and holidays Folk and country dancing German Hellenic life Italian Conversation Literature - old and new Meditation - Ancient Wisdom Motorbikes Only Connect Photography Poetry appreciation Rose Gardening Science and technology Short mat bowls Spanish Strength Training Theatre Group Understanding legislation Walking Cricket Walks with your camera I f your particular interest is not covered, or your chosen group is full with a waiting list, you could investigate the possibility of starting your own group, with support from the Committee available, to help you move forwards. It is certainly not always necessary to be able to "teach"; you and your group can explore and develop your subject together. The committee member who is responsible for Group Development can be contacted via NewGroups@basingstokeu3a.org

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Bridge group. We run four Bridge groups: · Beginners Bridge · Bridge for Improvers · Bridge Improvers Practice · Duplicate Bridge Back to Groups Page Bridge Beginners Bridge 1 Venue : Group leader's home Time : 9:30 - 11:30 Date : Every Thursday for 18 weeks, starting on 3rd September 2026 Beginners Bridge 2 Venue : Group leader's home Time : 14:00 to 16:00 Date : Every Monday for 18 weeks, starting on 9th November 2026 Bridge for Improvers Venue : Basingstoke Bridge Club, Maydene, Sherborne Road, Basingstoke RG21 5TG Time : 14:00 - 16:00 Date : Every Monday for 20 weeks, starting on 14th September 2026 Bridge Improvers Practice Venue : Online, using Real Bridge Time : 16:00 - 18:00 Date : Every other Tuesday, starting on 13th October 2026 Duplicate Bridge Venue : Sherborne St John Village Hall, Kiln Road, Sherborne St John, RG24 9HP Time : 13:00 - 16:30 Date : Every Thursday Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings We run five Bridge groups: · Beginners Bridge - two identical 18 week courses for people wishing to learn bridge Thursday mornings, started on 3rd September 2026 Monday afternoons, starting on 9th November 2026 There is a waiting list for both Beginners Courses as they are limited to 8 people. These courses are for people that want to start learning how to play bridge and have no experience of the game. · Bridge for Improvers (new course runs for 20 weeks on a Monday from 2pm to 4pm, starting on 14th September 2026) · Bridge Improvers Practice *** PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GROUP IS ONLY OPEN TO THOSE MEMBERS CURRENTLY IN THE BRIDGE IMPROVERS GROUP IN THE 2025/26 MEMBERSHIP YEAR *** It is to enable members to gain more practice in playing Duplicate bridge, in a very friendly environment, playing with other people that they already know. · Duplicate Bridge We play competitive bridge one afternoon a week in a friendly and unintimidating atmosphere. All are welcome to drop in and play. Results are available as soon as play stops and are emailed to all players. On your own? Most players arrive in pairs, but if you would like help finding a partner, please use the "Contact Us" button below to send us a query which will be passed on to the group convenor. Other links that may be of interest (further suggestions are welcome): English Bridge Union

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Singing for pleasure group. A friendly and informal group which meets to sing songs from the musicals, old pop songs from 50s to 90s, old time music hall and evergreens. Each meeting is led by one or two volunteers who produce a list of songs from our 50 song sheets to be sung during the meeting. Back to Groups Page Singing for pleasure Venue : Parish Room, The Street, Old Basing, RG24 7BW Click here for website Date : 1st and 3rd Monday Time : 14:00 - 15:30 Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings A friendly and informal group which meets to sing songs from the musicals, old pop songs from 50s to 90s, old time music hall and evergreens. Each meeting is led by one or two volunteers who produce a list of songs from our 50 song sheets to be sung during the meeting.

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Skittles group. The group is a good mix of singles and couples and the hall is big enough for us all. You do not need to buy any equipment.  Back to Groups Page Skittles * This Group has a waiting list for new members at present * Venue : Basingstoke Town Bowling Club Date : Every Monday from November to March Time : 10:00 - 12:00 Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings The group is a good mix of singles and couples and the hall is big enough for us all. You do not need to buy any equipment.

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Strength Training group. Strength training is one of the most powerful “anti ageing” tools we have — it keeps older adults mobile, independent, pain free, and protects long term health better than almost any other form of exercise. Our strength training group which takes place at the Basingstoke Sports Centre with a certified coach, is also a lot of fun. Back to Groups Page Strength Training When: Every Tuesday 4-5pm Where: Basingstoke Sports Centre Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings Strength training is one of the most powerful “anti‑ageing” tools we have — it keeps older adults mobile, independent, pain‑free, and protects long‑term health better than almost any other form of exercise. Our strength training group which takes place at the Basingstoke Sports Centre with a certified coach, is also a lot of fun. There is a small additional charge for this group.

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a German group. The course is aimed at learning to speak German and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The class is studying Willkommen Book 2 from the beginning. Back to Groups Page German Venue : Morrisons Community Room, Morrisons Supermarket, Worting Road, Basingstoke RG21 8BJ The Room is next to and immediately before the cafe in Morrisons. Date : Every Thursday during term time Time : 14:00 - 16:00 Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings The course is aimed at learning to speak German and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The class is studying Willkommen Book 2 from the beginning. There is also plenty of time for conversational practice, mostly based on members’ news and experiences each week.

Basingstoke - Old Basing u3a Ladies who lunch group. We all take a turn at hosting a lunch in our own home with the hostess making the main course, someone else bringing the starter and a third person bringing the pudding. We enjoy swapping recipes and any culinary tips and facts as well as putting ourselves and the world to right! Back to Groups Page Ladies who lunch Venue : members' homes Date : 3rd Thursday of the month Time : 13:00 - 16:00 Please note that you need to be a member of Basingstoke-Old Basing u3a to attend these meetings We all take a turn at hosting a lunch in our own home with the hostess making the main course, someone else bringing the starter and a third person bringing the pudding. We enjoy swapping recipes and any culinary tips and facts as well as putting ourselves and the world to right!