South West experts to host Semester 2 courses

The University of the Third Age Margaret River (U3A) will start its new semester of 27 long and short courses in early August.

Each semester, U3A provides new courses and offers on-going learning on popular topics such as music appreciation and history.

Marion McRae will facilitate a new six-session course called ‘Move with Grace, Ease and Balance’.

Marion is a qualified physiotherapist who works to help others overcome natural experiences of ageing.

“As we age, the quality of the movement becomes increasingly important,” she said.

“It brings me great joy to return people to the hobbies, sports and pastimes that bring them joy.”

The classes will be structured for all levels of fitness.

Botanist Jane Scott will offer another new course, ‘Explore the Real Margaret River’.

She said that although our Margaret River is only around 60 kilometres long, it flows through a wonderful diversity of vegetation types.

“The Capes region is one of Australia’s national biodiversity hotspots and I wanted to offer this course as a great way to share our amazing flora with others,” Jane said.

Each week Jane will lead a field trip to a different location, to look at how the vegetation changes along the course of the river from Prevelly to its headwaters near Sues Road.

With health and wellbeing all important, another course is on the schedule: ‘Confronting Old Age’.

Retired GP Dr. Peter Durey will facilitate three interactive workshops to address issues affecting people as they age.

Peter became involved in volunteer community mental health and has previously conducted U3A courses about health issues for older people.

“I am fascinated by the amount of new information, particularly about finding meaning and connection, and brain function.

“I strongly believe in self responsibility and information, and also empowerment in the medical system.”

Peter will focus on challenging, as opposed to accepting, the issues of old age and on exploring motivation and the attitudes or barriers to change, such as how to start and persist with regular exercise.

The new program will be live at www.u3amr.org.au/courses from July 24, with enrolments open online from 11:30am on July 31.

You can attend U3A membership and enrolment day at the Mainbreak Room, Shire Offices, Wallcliffe Road, Margaret River on Monday 31 July between 11:30 and 1:30 and pay with cash or cheque.

Membership is $25 for the remainder of the year and you can attend courses for very low additional costs.