Why join the Benfleet u3a?

For many, the primary reason to join is to make friends locally and enjoy activities in a social and cooperative environment. This provides for learning new skills and also companionship, worthwhile pursuits and keeping you physically and mentally active.

Members enjoy specific benefits including:

• Monthly Member Meeting at Richmond Hall with interesting, funny and knowledgeable external speakers. View programme at Events. Also, dependent on Membership levels, see Membership details.
• Access to outings. Around 6 to 8 one-day outings a year. Have previously featured visits such as The Ceremony of the Keys, Tower of London, Post Office Museum, Wroxham Broad and Music Hall. There is a charge per outing dependent on the activity.
• Access to 36 Interest Groups. Additional groups can be created if one is full and new topics added depending on member interest.
• Benfleet Newsletter issued quarterly. Visit Benfleet Newsletter to view. Plus monthly 'SIMply Friends' news sheet.
• Regular issue of TAM [Third Age Matters] and monthly National Newsletter.
• Access to the National u3a site with many subject areas and things like quizzes, competitions and challenges [e.g. maths, puzzles, photography].
• Access to National u3a courses and events [fee payable] and to regular National u3a podcasts.

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Membership Details

Because of the limited safe capacity of our Richmond Hall venue, which is lower than our number of members, we have two grades of Membership:

• FULL membership at £20pa allows access to ALL of the Benfleet u3a activities. We have to limit the Full membership numbers as monthly meeting held at Richmond Hall because of the limited safe capacity. However, if full membership places are not available when you apply we do offer....

• Special Interest Membership SIM at £15pa allowing involvement in all group activities, outings and any special events. However, attendance at the Monthly Meeting meetings is limited to 3 meetings every year plus the Annual General Meeting. This ensures that we do not have a waiting list for membership of the Benfleet U3A and everyone has access to the vast majority of the association's activities.

SIMs can request moving to full membership and these places will be allocated as and when available.

Please note that membership of the Benfleet u3a does NOT entitle you to attend any other u3a and membership of another u3a does not entitle you to attend the Benfleet u3a.

If you are not sure about joining and want a 'taster' of a group or monthly meeting [excluding outings] then please ask Bob Munson, Membership Secretary webmail to make the arrangement and you are welcome to attend the chosen meeting.

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How to Join

Please contact Bob Munson at Membership Secretary webmail for an application form and to answer any queries.

Please complete the application form and forward to Bob Munson along with a cheque for £15 [assumes initial SIM membership].
Please contact Membership Secretary webmail for address.

Processing should only take a few days and you will be notified and provided with a Membership card for the current year including a membership number.

You are then able to approach group contacts for the various activities and determine those you would wish to join. The individual Group pages indicate if there are spaces in that group or you need to join a waiting list. At the first meeting you must show the membership card to the group contact running the meeting.

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