Next round of classes for U3A learners

The University of the Third Age Margaret River (U3A) will soon release their latest program of twenty long and short courses, with online and in person enrolments opening Monday 20 January at 11.30am.

Each semester, U3A provides new courses and offers on-going learning on popular topics ranging from art to exercise, food to history and foreign languages and travellers tales.

Founded in 2012, U3A Margaret River is a member of this voluntary, non-profit international movement that promotes and practices life-long learning by offering low cost opportunities to learn new skills or acquire new knowledge in a related and informal environment.

No prior educational or age qualifications are required and there are no tests or examinations.

President Ross Goulden said new members were always welcome, with U3A providing opportunities for older members in the community to participate in life-long learning.

Semester 1 runs from February to June, with new courses including Armchair Gardening; Swimming Made Easy; plus painting and writing courses.

Julie Kinney’s Armchair Gardening course is designed to indulge the senses for lovers of plants and garden design.

Julie has designed gardens and led garden tours across many countries while her travels have taken her to historic, iconic gardens as well as to more cutting edge green spaces.

She will cover Australia and overseas gardens to entice and enthuse you during the hotter months when it may be too warm to actually work outside. Each session will conclude with morning tea to allow participants to discuss gardening issues and questions with Julie and other attendees.

“Gardens have always been part of my life, and I have enjoyed sharing this passion by taking people on tours to visit interesting and beautiful properties and meeting the creators,” Julie said.

Now that the swimming pool at the Recreation Centre has reopened, Ian McMahon is able to return to teaching U3A members to improve their technique in ‘Swimming Made Easy’. The focus is on stroke correction for freestyle and backstroke, with the 10 week course running from April.

For those looking to be creative, new course leader Lesley Byfield will deliver ‘Background, Birds and other Beauties’.

Over four weekly sessions starting in February, Lesley will show how to use exciting and lively backgrounds in acrylic to create animal or bird pictures.

‘Something to Share’ will see Hellie Turner guide participants through the construction/writing of a 5-10 minute piece that they will read and present themselves, covering an important issue in their lives, be it opinion, adventure, personal story or short fiction.

“As a professional playwright, I’ve written numerous plays centred on person or collective story, which I transform into dialogue or monologue, depending on the form demanded by a script,” Hellie said.

“Though my core work is predominantly as a playwright-director, I am often engaged in dramaturging and editing other writers work, teaching the craft of writing and helping folk to get their stories down on the page. And, when required, from page to stage.”

U3A also offers one-off visits to local places and one-off talks which are free of charge to members.

If you are already a U3A Margaret River member (or wish to join), take a look and plan your course enrolments from Monday 13 January when the program will be uploaded to www.u3amr.org.au/courses

Enrolment will be available at u3amr.org.au/members from 11:30 am on Monday 20 January or join and enrol in person at the HEART from 11:30am to 2:00pm or on Thursday 30 January from 1pm to 2:30pm.

Membership is $40 per year, with courses $10 or $15 each depending on the number of sessions.