Welcome to the Autum 2026 Newsletter
Hello everyone.
I was asked to write this introduction a while ago and as it happens the timing is fortuitous!
I have been the Treasurer now for 4½ years and am shortly passing the role on to Muriel Newill, who has very kindly volunteered to take over. Muriel has a career background in accounts and I know you will welcome her generously.
I began my career as a Department Sales Manager for a range of dress departments in Beatties, Wolverhampton during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Most of you will remember Beatties as fondly as I do and know how disappointing it is to see an empty shell of a building now. After having my children, I succeeded in obtaining a Bachelor of Education degree and taught French, German, NVQs, GNVQs, and was also involved in the Careers and Special Needs departments in a Kingswinford school.
I had never been on a committee before and as you can see my background was in management and teaching, but I was prepared to give the role of Treasurer a try and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. So, to all of you out there who may not have volunteered to be on a committee before and want a little extra to do - why not get in touch with us and give it a go? We are always looking for a new perspective. No one has to take on a specific post until they are sure it will fit in with their lifestyle, and I assure you it is not onerous.
I hope you have enjoyed the monthly speakers we have had this year as much as I have and with Woodfield being air conditioned it made a welcome break from the heat. Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the Summer Party at Kingswood Trust in August but many of you did and the positive reviews suggest that you all enjoyed the sunshine, the environment and the music. (Note – all events included as part of your membership fee this year!)
I am delighted to report that our membership is continuing to grow and some new exciting groups are being developed. We always appreciate people suggesting new ideas and
volunteering to lead a group, not forgetting those who have been group leaders for a while.
Thank you.
Take care everyone, Yvonne Rickard
From the Chair
Hello to all Wolverhampton members. I hope this message finds each of you in your best health and good spirits. The year is passing so quickly, and the weather is changing from summer to autumn, but let's not talk about C . . . . and turkey yet - although December 15th arrangements are already on the committee’s agenda!
I hope those of you who joined us at Kingswood for our summer social event enjoyed the afternoon. The feedback has been very positive, which is pleasing.
I am delighted to say that many new members have joined us this year. I hope you have felt welcomed into groups and monthly meetings.
My main purpose of writing is to give a gentle reminder that our AGM, to be held early in 2027, will soon be upon us, which means that we also have the important re-election of committee officers and members, if they are able and willing to continue. Once again, as in previous years, I am hoping that members, old and new, will consider if they have the willingness to volunteer their time and contribute to the essential business of helping maintain our Wolverhampton u3a branch.
Please appreciate how important it is for us to have a committee which helps run the business of membership, treasure, group coordinating, events, speakers etc etc.
We currently have an excellent committee, but officers can only serve for a limited time, and circumstances can suddenly change and result in someone having to leave either temporarily or resign.
Being a committee member is an essential but not onerous task and even if a particular role that you are interested in is not currently vacant, you are very welcome to chat to current officers about the role and perhaps succeeding them.
Please feel free to chat to any committee member about the different committee roles: the monthly speaker event may be an ideal opportunity, but you are also most welcome to arrange to attend and observe a committee meeting - the next one will be Thursday 15th October. There will be no commitment, just an opportunity to get a feel of how we work and if it's something you feel able to do. A cuppa and biscuit are provided!
I look forward to seeing you all at the next monthly meeting. Please introduce yourself and say hello and– although I cannot promise to remember!
Kind regards on behalf of the committee.
Mo Johnson, Chair Wolverhampton u3a
Committee Changes
Yvonne Rickard - We offer our sincere and grateful thanks to Yvonne who has been our Treasurer for the past 4½ years. Yvonne has worked tirelessly on various projects during her time as Treasurer including acquiring Charitable Status for the group. We are so very pleased that she is remaining on the committee and going forward is currently working on several very important legislative issues.
Mary Warwicker - We also offer effusive thanks to Mary who has done sterling work as our Secretary for over 4 years. She also remains on the committee and will assist the ‘Meet & Greet’ team at monthly meetings.
Muriel Newill (Treasurer) - Muriel has joined our committee and taken up the post of Treasurer from 1st September 2026. Muriel has worked in accounting and finance throughout her working life. To relax she enjoys working her allotment plot, fulfilling her passion for gardening. She is a member of the Buddies group and participates in the Crown Green Bowling group.
Ruth Goodison - Ruth has also joined the committee, and we are hoping we will be able to announce an exciting new role for her in the very near future. Ruth was a university lecturer in French for many years. She leads the Garden group and is a member of the Contemporary History group. She also liaises with the external organisation that is running the Strength and Balance class for u3a members.
As with most groups we still need new committee members, and I hope you would consider joining us to steer our group in these exciting and challenging times. If you are interested, then speak to any member of the committee to find out more about joining our exciting team. You will receive a very warm welcome and do not have to take on any specific role: just join in and give us the benefit of your opinions.
See the Meet the Committee page
Janet Lea (Secretary)
A Wordy Cause
The Creative Writing group have put together an Anthology showcasing some of their work.
You may recall buying a copy of the previous Anthology a couple of years ago. This one has all original work in it – some by new members – and is even better! It’s in colour and has 72 pages.
The Creative Writing Group will have copies available for sale after the October monthly meeting, when Will Farmer will be the speaker.
Copies cost £5 each and the group is only able to accept cash, so please bring some cash along!
Round the Groups
Reading Group 1
Looking back over my paperwork, I realised that this group started in January 2008! During its first year it grew very quickly and on reaching 16 members, it was decided to split the group into two parallel groups. We had taken the decision to hold the groups in the home rather than an outside venue, so this seemed the best solution, as space was tight. The original group was run by Gerry Mills and a year later I took on the splinter group. Since then, of course, two other groups have emerged giving more choice of days to meet.
During the last year we have read a wonderful range of books. We each take it in turn to choose and introduce a book, which is then discussed by the rest of the group. The fascinating thing about this format is the great variety of opinion people bring to the meetings. So often it can be instrumental in seeing the book in a different light and becoming aware of different facets of the work. Our discussions often include various observations on editing and the nature of literary prizes such as the Booker. In other words - What makes a good book?
We were able to tap into the Wolverhampton Literature Festival, where Kit de Waal was appearing. We read her book, 'My Name is Leon' and some of us were able to speak to her about it and why she set it when she did. One reason was that it was set in a time before the use of smart phones, which meant that the 'hero' was able to have adventures because he had freedom to roam and she was able to write a different kind of book!
One of the special things about the group is having the chance to read books we might never choose for ourselves and then really enjoying them. Our discussions are sometimes the best part of reading a book. We look forward to many more excellent choices.
Jeanette Black (Group Coordinator)
Reading Group 2
Our group has been meeting monthly, except in August this year, and continues to tackle a very eclectic selection of texts (see some examples in the photograph).
Opinions often differ, which leads to often quite animated, but always good-tempered discussions. Not infrequently, these branch out from the book in question to related and even to tangential topics, particularly over the tea and biscuits!
We have started collecting suggestions for next year's reading list and hope to carry on with the same zest and enthusiasm for the foreseeable.
Gabriela Steinke (Group Coordinator)
Strength and Balance
This is a new class run for Wolverhampton u3a members by the charity PAL: Purposeful Active Living.
This class was set up on the suggestion of one of our members with experience of a similar class, but it could not be offered in the usual u3a manner as it requires a qualified person to run it, for health and safety reasons. The aim is to help participants to remain independent in later life. It consists of seated and standing activities designed to improve strength, balance and coordination.
PAL offered a free taster session at Aldersley to give members an idea of their approach. I can report that there was a good atmosphere and plenty of laughter during the session. The next session, at Aldersley, also free, was on Thursday 17th September at 1.30; it was a much more personalised session, offering everyone an “MOT” to establish the range of abilities in the group. This will enable the tutor to tailor activities in future to the requirements of the group. The group will meet weekly at the same time and place from then on.
Normally PAL charge £8 per session, but they are offering u3a a reduced price of £21 per person for 4 sessions or £35 for couples. It is still possible to join this group even if you did not attend the taster session.
Ruth Goodison
Travel Safari
Following an initial outing last year, there were two trips out at the start of the summer this year: one by bus and a gentle saunter round Kinver, the other a train trip to Shrewsbury which included an enjoyable river trip.
The planned visit to The Black Country Museum was postponed till mid-September due to the heat. Other possible trips in October depending on the weather could be a second trip to Shrewsbury, a trip to Coventry by train and a train trip to either Liverpool or Manchester.
As an aside, I have run with the help of Woodfield Bowling Club, two enthusiastic crown green bowling evening sessions for u3a Wolverhampton members who have either never played the game before or who are very rusty. There are two more sessions in September. I hope they will encourage our members to join one of the four bowling clubs in the immediate area.
Ian Campbell
For more info about possible bowling at Woodfield, contact: Peter on peteprescott@yahoo.co.uk
Ukulele
The size of our group has increased steadily over the last few months with new members fitting in very well.
The twice monthly meetings are great fun to attend and the Newman Centre at Tettenhall is proving to be a popular venue.
We have 30+ members and a group of 17 go out and perform for a great mix of groups to great acclaim. We are quite special in ukelele groups in that we have 5 singers including a couple of women who do lovely harmonies. A flute also makes a great contribution to several of our songs, as does a bass player with an apprentice and a drummer with an apprentice, all working hard.
There is never a week goes by that l do not get a phone call where my number has been passed on by someone who has heard us play at a gig and they want us to play for their group.
This year, as an idea of what we have been involved in, we have played at Histon Hill Church and Holy Trinity at Heathtown; for a group at Christ Church Tettenhall; at the Beacon Centre for the Blind in Sedgley, where we will play again at the end of September and many sheltered housing groups, including Corsers Court in Perton.
Once again, we were asked to open Codsall Summer Fair and we will also open the Codsall Christmas Fair, where we have played for many years now. We also open Penkridge Victorian Christmas Fair where we have also played for several years.
In September we will play for the second time for Alz Café’s annual get together. They are a large dementia group.
We still have our fixed gig every three months for Brewood Dementia Group who now hold their meetings in Coven Hall as their group is so large.
We still have many gigs to play before the end of the year, providing more money for Air Ambulance from donations we are given from groups since we do not charge for performances.
Gill Stevens (Group Coordinator)
Zentangle
Anyone can Zentangle. Come rain, shine, heat or drought, twice a month we gather for a little calming communal doodle. We often surprise ourselves by the results.
LIZ
My first ever Zentangle and I really enjoyed being creative without fear of judgement! Loved meeting new people and found it relaxing!
DAWN
Zentangle is a great way to unwind and enjoy a bit of creativity. It’s a beautiful art form that everyone can be successful at.
BEV
I try many different forms of creativity like painting, drawing, card crafting and sewing. I find with Zentangle, I can be more spontaneous.
PATRICIA
Zentangle is soothing and I find I can get caught up in the moment when doing it. It is a method of making patterns that suits both beginners (I'm a relative newcomer) and experienced practitioners.
JAYNE
The Zentangle group is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours creating patterns from your imagination. We also gain inspiration from others’ work or sometimes venture outside and let nature get our creative juices going. A few guidelines to get you started, but no rules, just enjoy the process and company.
Waterways
This group has been set up following some highly enjoyable calm narrowboat trips along the Staffordshire & Worcester canal this summer. The water on this canal remained high - being fed by streams from Snowdon - and the canal banks were lush, cool and green, in stark contrast to the rest of Wolverhampton!
The group won’t really get going until next year when we hope to organise monthly narrowboat trips during warmer months with optional activities. We also aim to learn about the waterways - history, art, flora, fauna and living on the canals. There’s a lot to learn and we also encourage volunteering on the waterways.
To get things off to a smooth start we will hold a planning meeting in February.
Josie Turner (Group Coordinator)
Forthcoming Events
See the full list of events with details.
Your Committee
Meet the members of your Committee here.