This note records the early history of Ealing U3A. Information about the history of the U3A movement in the UK can be found via the national U3A site.
The first meeting in Ealing was called by Community Tutor Amaryl Heatley on 15 March 1988: attendees included Hilary Smith and Ronald Stent. Ealing Education Department provided accommodation at Elthorne Education Centre. About 10 members attended the first few meetings, about 30 by 1990 and 80 by 1994. By 1995 membership had grown to 110, reached 190 by 2005, 260 by 2012 and 280 in 2014. By the time the Covid pandemic started in 2020 membership numbers had grown to well over 400 but the pandemic and the lockdowns that resulted meant that many members did not renew their membership in 2020/21. Once we were able to resume normal activities, our membership numbers started to grow again and, in 2024, we had over 600 members and are likely to reach 700 during 2025.
Our membership numbers had outgrown the Elthorne Centre by 1995 and the weekly meetings moved to the Liz Cantell Room in the Town Hall. In 2015, we had to vacate the Town Hall and moved to a new location in Ealing Green Church (opposite Pitzhanger Manor), where we continue to hold our meetings.
The Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021 caused a major disruption to our 'in-person' activities. We suspended the Thursday meetings at Ealing Green Church from March 2020 and most Groups also stopped meeting at that time. However, thanks to the use of new technology (primarily Zoom video-conferencing), we were able to resume holding talks in May 2020 and many of our Groups were also able to restart using the same technology. During the Summer months, some of our Groups also began to meet outdoors in parks or member's gardens (although there were some restrictions on these activities).
From September 2021, we resumed meeting at Ealing Green Church with these meetings held as 'hybrid' sessions with an audience in the Church whilst they are also broadcast on Zoom to members at home, using the video and audio equipment that the Church installed during the pandemic. From 2022, most of our Groups resumed meeting 'in-person' again, but with the fallback option of running them online if necessary.
Significant landmarks in Ealing U3A's development include the Constitution in 1993, Charity Status in 1994, a Website in 2003 (which was upgraded to a new site in 2024), a Membership management system (Beacon) in 2019, and the use of Video Conferencing in 2020.
From the start, Ealing U3A established contacts with local organisations such as Ealing Arts, Age Concern, the Voluntary Services Council and Questors - the local theatre group. Like all other UK U3A's, the main activity takes place in small interest groups which meet mostly in members' homes. This provides a more intimate environment for social contact and new friends.
In addition to established interest in the Arts, Literature and Current Affairs, early interest groups included European History with special emphasis on British History, German and Religious Questions which followed an Open University course. There are now over 50 interest groups. Features of the Ealing U3A which distinguish it from most other U3A's include talks on three weeks of the month with invited speakers, coffee mornings at a number of venues across Ealing once a month, and a general pastoral concern for the health and welfare of members. But the main driving forces remain a curiosity which makes learning enjoyable and a willingness to teach and share knowledge and expertise.
Below is a list of the principal officers of Ealing U3A since its start. The weekly meetings also involve the help of several other members who act as ‘meeters and greeters’, and look after the seating and IT/audio-visual equipment. The demanding task of enlisting speakers was originally carried out by the secretary but, in recent years, this is now the duty of the Speakers Organiser (see INFORMATION page).
Year: Chair; Vice Chair; Secretary; Treasurer
1988: Hilary Smith; ---; Agnus Tumilson; Maud Musselwhite
1993: Anne Grubb; Ronald Stent; Kelvin Jones; Pauline Booth
1996: Audrey Tompkins; (Marilyn Hurwitt, Mary Hamilton); Pat Kiff; Derek Martin
1999: Hugo Briggs; Christine Edwards; (David Marks, Margaret Martin); Elizabeth Shindler
2002: Christine Edwards; Anne Appleby; Margaret Martin; Marianne Black
2005: Ella Marks; Malcolm Hurwitt; Margaret Martin; Barbara Kinn
2008: Mike Black; Laurence Valentine; Margaret Martin; Barbara Kinn
2011: Mike Black; Tony Constable; Margaret Martin; Barbara Kinn;
2012: John Deighton; Jill Thumpston; Margaret Martin; Barbara Kinn
2015: George Martin; John Deighton; Margaret Martin; Barbara Kinn
2016/17: John Deighton; John Moore; Margaret Martin; Barbara Kinn
2018: John Moore; Phil Broomsgrove; Sylvia Stirling; Barbara Kinn
2019: John Moore; Derek Atkinson; Sylvia Stirling; Sue Peach
2020: Derek Atkinson; Mike Stott; Sylvia Stirling; Sue Peach
2021: Derek Atkinson; Sylvia Stirling; Patricia Donnithorne; Sue Peach
2022: Derek Atkinson; Sue Peach; Patricia Donnithorne; Liz Major
2023: no Chair, Derek Atkinson & Sue Sotheran; Patricia Donnithorne/Sylvia Stirling; Liz Major
2024: Jill Stern, Derek Atkinson; Sylvia Stirling; Liz Major