Other organisations?

We are very lucky in Ipswich (Queensland Australia) in that our council gives us free rooms in the Humanities Centre, ( www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/community/humanities_centre/) for our U3A group.(http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/community/directories/cultural/index.php?action=view&id=54

We also meet in the Library, just a few seconds walk away, which also gives us free use of study rooms.

I found great friendship in the NWR in the eighties. I decided, now I am semi retired, I would like to join a group as a volunteer and have just completed my training to be a Home Start volunteer, hoping to be matched with a family after Christmas. The other volunteers training with me were all different ages and had different skills to offer and were a lovely bunch. We have decided to keep in touch and meet up for coffee once a month and share our experiences. Not only do you meet other lovely people but volunteering makes you feel valued too and that is great as you get older!

I live in a market town in a rural county. We have 2 active U3A groups which are very welcoming and friendly. One of the reasons we meet in people's homes is that it is much cheaper! You need a large group to hire a hall. I have belonged to bridge, scrabble, Mah Jong, singing for fun (that was a real laugh), quiz group, chat groups, croquet in the summer to name a few. To those who are dubious please give it a go, you may be pleasantly surprised

Thanks Joan - I think YankeeGran probably hit the nail on the head, it's not the organisation but the local members. That's sort of confirmed by the contrast between*Yogagran*'s teatowels and Gagagran's experience of the WI. Yours too, as when I looked at the U3A here, their programme seemed terribly dry and nothing appealed to me - what yours offers is much broader. It's a shame Queensland would be a bit of a hike

Thanks again for all the suggestions everyone.

I don't think it is a good idea for any group to meet in a private home, and that nasty U3A must be the exception to all the good ones. Our U3A in Ipswich Queensland Australia is lovely and inclusive, with loads of courses - French, German, Indonesian, Biology, history, writers' group, English literature, performance group, mah jong, various card games, scrabble, line dancing, contract law, and many others things. I'm in writers' and the performance group. We meet at either the Library or the Humanities Centre and our local council lets us have rooms for free, so we get by on membership of A$30 a year (UKP20-ish)

The secret of happiness is to associate with people you get on with and share some common ground: for this reason I'm happy with U3A. We are open to anyone over 18, though of course most members are retired as classes are during the daytime. I find my mind gets stretched, and I learn a lot from the others.

Good luck finding something, Sel. We've had a few false starts in the past: a caravan club proved to be racist, so we never joined, and our local Labour party branch started to get a bit cliquey, so we simply stopped going. Instead I go to an occasional lunch get-together for retired party members who'd rather meet during the day.

There's always a solution - somewhere.

yogagran

I joined the local WI when we moved to a new area several years ago so that I got to know other women in the village. It worked from that point of view and I made several friends but I gave up going to the meetings when they seemed to become very stale and the one that finally finished it for me was "Tea towels from around the world"

Barrow would you like me to come with you to NWR? Once they have seen the pictures of my GC and heard how brilliant they are they won't bring their pics out again!!!!!!

I'll join something when I get time! too busy to even go to the gym at the moment.

Local branches of national organisations vary enormously so all you can do is go along and see what's happening with any given group. Or you could start your own club around something that interests you.

When I retired a few years back, I desperately wanted to join a book club, but there didn't seem to be any.. . . .so I started one. I put a notice in my local book shop ( or you could also use the library) and we gradually built up to a group of eight, still going strong over 10 years later.

As a young mother I belonged to NHR and resally enjoyed it but I moved out of the area and got back to work so ceased to be a member. Since then I have joined groups associated with interests I have rather than general social organisations.

My passion is archaeology so I am an active member of several local archaeology groups plus being a local volunteer with the Churches Conservation Trust, which looks after redundant churches and also CPRE. I also used to be a volunteer with Age UK (Age Concern as was). My village has a WI but seeing its programme in the parish magasine, it does little to interest me, neither does the Book Club or Darby & Joan group, even though I would qualify for membership.

How well joining a group works is very touch and go. DH, a singer, encouraged by a neighbour joined the village singers, but left after three months because it was so unwelcoming and cliquey. Other friends who belong to choirs elsewhere were gob smacked because most choirs are friendly and welcoming so if one group are unwelcoming, find another..

I am a member of Rotary and love every moment of it. It is great to belong to a world wide family of 1.2 million, and to know that wherever you go, you will be welcome. I have taken part in community and international projects too. Good stuff!

I'm a big fan of WI and really think there are some really outdated views of it. It's not the wartime bottling, canning and knitting organisation of our mothers' generation although you can do all those things and more if so inclined. It's full of lively women with a huge variety of talents and activities to match.

When DH and I retired south, from Yorkshire in 2003 I didn't know a soul in the village so I joined the WI and soon found friends and activities waiting for me. In addition to the monthly meetings, with a speaker, there were numerous sub-groups including, craft, golf, croquet, swimming, walking, recorder-players, choir, gardening, outings, book groups and theatre trips. I could have been out and about every day. WI ladies like eating and talking so there lots of extra events involving those activities.

We moved to the south coast in June this year so of course I have joined the local WI and already, have found similar outgoing, lively ladies to get to know and make friends with. I miss my old WI but have had a warm welcome and feel at home here and today am going on the first of several WI Christmas activities - a lunch!

Please give it a try those of you who are still wondering about it. It's really not all Jam and Jerusalem.

Yes, Jess. It was founded in 1961 for 'lively minded' (sic) women who had previously had careers but now found themselves marooned at home with young children. The name was changed in 1987 to reflect the changing role of women in home and workplace. timeline here

It used to be The National Housewives Register?

I don't see the NWR surviving our generation. We are rapidly becoming the Pensioners' Register! However the U3A should last because there will always be a Third Age.

Thank you all for your input (I sound like a meeting, sorry!) I wonder if these organisations will die off gradually - they thrived in the days when women didn't work I suppose. There are several WEA classes round here which are great although the name always makes me think I should be brandishing a torch

Join U3A and start your own group? If you have an interest that they do not cover. That is how U3A is supposed to work.
They vary hugely in size. There may be another one, just a few miles away. There are a few big ones round here and a few tiny ones.

Thanks anno ..like kitty I am looking to volunteer again if I am allowed whilst looking for work on ESA.
Have worked with families in the past,and have just received a call from age uk with a new project they are looking to start,will look into this more,if only it would lead to a paid positionxx

That's certainly not the way U3A is supposed to function, Smol. What a bunch of brainless snobs! If only they knew what they were missing not having known you!

kittylester whom do you volunteer for as i am interested for myself x

I belonged to NHR when it first started and really enjoyed it but it did get very clique-y! I don't belong to anything at all but I do volunteer and that has opened up lots of opportunities within the organisation. I have made some very good friends too, as you would expect really, as we all have a similar outlook.

I belong to the local WI, although it no longer calls itself that and has broken away from the main body.

It is just a group of ladies from the village who get together to listen to talks, have a bit of fun and drink tea. Some of the talks are brilliant, some boring, but I always try and go as it helps me to be a part of village life and connects me to others and their lives. It is a supportuve community and this is valuable. I have experienced nothing but kindness from all of them.

Think I was just unlucky with the members,who where retired professionals and business people who wanted to keep the likes of me out,as the groups where held in private homes,you didn't get allowed to join groups unless you had an invite,you couldn't demand to be let in someone's home,so this is how it became very inclusive,but that village was very much divided in that way anno sounds very interesting and just the thing I would enjoy...no use crying over spilt milk though,will try WI in this village,there is no U3A.

What a shame the U3A was a washout for you Nellie. I have found ours to be really inclusive and it has a huge range of activities that anyone can join. The theatre visits have really enhanced my cultural life as I don't like going into Manchester at night on my own - now we go in a coach and there's no hassle about parking.

Thanks barrow it clicked when I saw posts after minexx