From: Tony Crimlisk, Aughton and Ormskirk U3A

Location: Ormskirk (the name comes from Old Norse) is a market town in West Lancashire, England, situated 13 miles north of the city of Liverpool and 9 miles southeast of the seaside town of Southport. The Ormskirk parish church of St Peter and St Paul is unique in that it has both a tower and a spire at the same end of the building. Nearby Aughton is a village where the U3A headquarters are located next to Christ Church, a late Victorian building, situated at the highest point in West Lancashire.

Membership: 2013 celebrates the 10th anniversary of the founding our U3A, which currently has upwards of 1,800 members and has had national recognition in being granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services in 2008 and an M.B.E. for our Founding Chairman Alex McMinn.

Activities: The current magazine (June 2013) lists over ninety activities available to members; everything from Aerobics and Belly Dancing through to World Dance, Yoga and Zumba - with Computers, Dining, Guitars, Horse Riding, Musical Theatre (see banner above), Philosophy and Snooker somewhere in the middle!

Personal: For me the strength of our U3A lies not only in its vibrancy and the range of its activities, but more importantly with the social and individual support that it provides together with the opportunities for personal development and fulfillment amongst a group of like-minded friends.