There was an unsuccessful attempt to start a U3A in Aberdeen in 1994, but our present organisation has its origins in a meeting held in the autumn of 2000. A steering committee was formed, a start-up grant obtained from the Third Age Trust (the U3A national body), and Aberdeen formally became part of U3A on 23 April 2001.
In the first year, monthly talks were held in Rosemount Community Education Centre, and three interest groups met regularly - book reading, family history, and travel. Speaker meetings took place on the first Wednesday of each month, and interest groups met at Rosemount or in members' homes. A cinema group was soon added to the original three groups, French conversation followed in February 2003, and a discussion lunches group started in early 2004.
To begin with, all the members were women. Although some men came to meetings, finding they were the only man “they seem unwilling to come back”. A publicity drive brought in more members, of both sexes, and by September 2004 there were over fifty. The following year monthly meetings had to switch to a larger venue, to St Mary's Cathedral hall, and to a Thursday meeting.
Around this time the chairwoman noted that “what the U3A is not, is a cup of tea, a biscuit and a moan about the speaker.” The value of the U3A for many was, and is, the range of interest groups available, and in the next few years there was a veritable explosion of new Aberdeen groups. There was a willingness on the part of members to share their knowledge and enthusiasm or to co-ordinate sessions for those with the same interest. While some groups were short-lived, ending when a key individual left, some grew into two or even three separate groups and a great many continue to this day.
In addition to speaker and group meetings there were social events. Christmas lunches were held until 2005, when there was switch to a New Year lunch. Annual outings took place in May, with early trips confined to the Aberdeen area, but soon members ventured further afield, to Dundee, Elgin, Falkirk, and Pitlochry. Several groups also organised outings, from one-day trips by Scottish Heritage to week-long visits to France and Germany by members of the language groups.
Over the years, grants from the National Lottery enabled the purchase of equipment such as laptops and a digital projector, while funds were boosted by a generous donation when Aberdeen Pre-Retirement Council was wound up. Our newsletter, which started as a single typed and photocopied sheet, gradually evolved into a more professional publication of twenty pages or more. In keeping with the age of the internet, our website was established in 2009.
Many groups continued to meet at Rosemount until its closure in 2011, but a trial period at another centre proved less satisfactory and most group meetings were then moved to the Northern Arts Club. Growing membership dictated a further move for the monthly meetings, so from September 2015 these were held in the BB Halls.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought an abrupt halt to face-to-face meetings and other gatherings in March 2020. Gradually, some groups found ways to continue, using Zoom and email. Monthly talks eventually resumed in November, albeit online, but this had the advantage of being able to have speakers based much farther afield. By now we had been nationally re-branded, changing from U3As to u3as, with the strapline “learn, laugh, live”. However, continued pandemic restrictions meant Aberdeen's official 20th birthday, in April 2021, was also celebrated virtually, when we were entertained by an Edinburgh magician and members had to supply their own cake.
In-person monthly meetings started again in the BB Halls in September 2021, with restricted numbers, chairs placed two metres apart, and members wearing face coverings. Groups too were able to return to their usual activities. In the following years membership numbers increased once again to above the 200 mark, more members attended the speaker meetings and a wider range of interest groups developed.
News came in early 2024 that the BB Halls would be closing, so the search for another central venue led us to the Mercure Aberdeen Caledonian Hotel on Union Terrace where monthly meetings started in September 2024. At the same time the website was re-vamped, giving scope for greater design options and the inclusion of more photographs. A large number of special interest groups continued to provide members with the opportunity to pursue pastimes old and new.
In June 2026 members celebrated our 25th anniversary with a special lunch where one of the founding members cut the anniversary cake. While this marked a significant milestone in the history of Aberdeen u3a, it remains, in the ethos of the u3a movement, an organisation where activities are “run by the members for the members”.
FOOTNOTE
As the u3a movement is not so well-known or widespread in Scotland as in the rest of the UK, it was good to be able to support and welcome the start of another u3a in our area – the Banchory and Deeside u3a, which held its inaugural meeting in September 2022. In January 2026, we were joined by a third – the Inverurie and District u3a. Full members of one u3a are usually able to join other u3as as associate members and thus have access to a wider range of talks and interest groups.