By George Bellinger
With a diverse range of activities on offer, Tamborine Mountain U3A is bringing mature residents and retirees together through classes, events and community connection.
The U3A, or University of the Third Age, has had a branch running on Tamborine Mountain since 2007, and has proven to be a popular way for older residents to remain active both physically and mentally.
U3A members can choose from a large variety of activities, including, ballet, card games, pickleball, various language classes, and the reading and discussion of great 19th and 20th century novels.
It offers a friendly environment for seniors who want to remain active in their retirement while learning new skills and staying connected with the community.
“It’s to keep people engaged,” Branch Secretary, Bev Kirk said.
“There’d be very few people on this mountain who would say they are bored or lonely, because this organisation makes absolutely sure that we cater for them.”
“We’re always asking people to come and give us more ideas too.”
For many senior residents, maintaining social connections can be a large part of staying connected with the community, particularly as they reach retirement.
“It’s imperative that people don’t just sit alone in their houses because that just brings on dementia, sadness and depression,” she said.
“We’re there to offer people a place to go, very inexpensively, to mix with other people”.
The Tamborine Mountain U3A also has a strong focus on community engagement, running events that support local businesses.
“We do events, for example, we’ve got the Great Gatsby Murder Mystery Night coming up on October 23 at the Fox and Hounds,” she explained.
“We host events at local businesses and we spend money there, everyone gets a little bit of business from us.”
With membership numbers steadily increasing, Tamborine Mountain U3A continues to be an important part of the community.
“It’s about on-going engagement and on-going learning,” she said.
“So many people are scared to retire because they’ve got nothing to do…and I was one of them!”
