The Beginning of Barnsley u3a – 30 Years Ago
When Anne Higgs moved to Barnsley to be nearer to her son, little did she know what lay ahead. Though she knew few people in the area, she was familiar with the u3a movement and contacted the Third Age Trust to ask whether Barnsley had its own branch. The response was: “No – but if you’d like to start one, that would be great.” And that’s exactly what she did.
Founded in July 1996 with fewer than 30 members, our u3a has since grown rapidly and now welcomes around 1,300 members. Barnsley & District u3a became a Registered Charity in October 1999 and is an independent organisation affiliated with the Third Age Trust.
We are celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2026, and we reflect with pride on how far we’ve come. Thirty years on, when someone asks, “Is there a cheerleading group?”—and the answer is no—you still hear: “Well, if you’d like to start one, that would be great.” Some things never change.
Pearl Anniversary
Thirty Pearls of Wisdom
- Kindness costs nothing but means everything.
- You don’t stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing.
- You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis
- Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
- Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.
- Joy is not in things; it is in us.
- Do small things with great love. – Mother Teresa
- Even the smallest spark can light a great fire.
- A day without laughter is a day wasted. – Charlie Chaplin
- The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer someone else up. – Mark Twain
- Speak in such a way that others love to listen.
- Be yourself—everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde
- Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
- You can’t pour from an empty cup—take care of yourself first.
- Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest.
- What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.
- Success is not final, failure is not fatal—it’s the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
- It’s never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot
- The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi
- Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the quiet voice saying, ‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’
- When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.
- Worry does not empty tomorrow of its troubles—it empties today of its strength.
- Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
- A gentle word and a smile can change someone’s whole day.
- Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you’re waiting.
- The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
- Don’t count the days; make the days count. – Muhammad Ali
- A good life is a collection of happy moments.
- Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. – Dalai Lama
- Leave people better than you found them.
Thirty Pearls of Wisdom from One of Our Members
Shared Memories from Our Time in the Bu3a.
Here are some interesting facts from 1996:
- January 11: Endeavour 10, Space Shuttle STS 72, launches into space.
- February 5: British supermarkets begin to stock genetically modified tomato puree – the first genetically modified food to be sold
- February 13: Take That announce that they are splitting up. The UK government set up counselling phone lines for fans.
- February 23: Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle, is released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland. Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle star.
- March 7: The Hubble Space Telescope photographs the first surface photos of Pluto.
- April 10: In Barrow Island, Australia, the fastest wind speed is recorded during a tropical storm, but not a tornado, at 253 mph.
- June 10: A 200 mhz pentium chip is released by Intel.
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- September 29: The Nintendo 64 video game system debuts in America.
October 7: Rupert Murdoch launches Fox News. - November 4: The Spice Girls release their debut album, Spice. It went on to sell over 23 million copies.
- Internet Access: Only 20 million people had access to the Internet in 1996, with AOL being the most popular website.
- Dolly the Sheep: Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, was born in 1996.
- Motorola StarTAC: The first flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, was released in 1996.
- Hotmail: The free email service Hotmail was launched in 1996, offering freedom from internet provider email addresses.
- The Simpsons: The BBC aired The Simpsons for the first time in the UK in 1996.
🎉 Honouring 30 Years of Leadership at Barnsley & District u3a 🎉
In 2026, Barnsley & District u3a celebrates a wonderful milestone—30 years of leadership and shared achievement. Since our founding in 1996, we’ve been fortunate to have a series of dedicated Chairs who each brought their own strengths, steering the group with care and commitment.
This is the perfect time to thank them all—for their service, their generosity of spirit, and their role in shaping the u3a we know today. 🙏
Our Past Chairs
Anne Higgs (1996–1997)
Anne helped set the foundation in our very first year, establishing the inclusive and welcoming ethos that continues to guide us. 🌱
Denis Avison (1997–2001)
Denis led with warmth and vision, helping to build our early identity and strengthen the growing membership. 🌟
Christine Aldridge (2001-2003)
I joined Barnsley u3a in January 1998. I was doing volunteer work at the hospital café where my co-worker, Jean Hurp, was an enthusiastic advocate of u3a. She persuaded me to join. I’m glad I did! I thought it was an amazing association….so many different groups coordinated by interesting volunteers …..and I still feel the same today.
The first group I joined was Wednesday walkers. It was here though where I discovered that volunteering came disguised in subtle chat! [How long have you been retired? What was your job? Any hobbies?] I can’t believe I fell for it! Eventually, after saying
“No” twice to taking on a role, I became Secretary and then Chair 2001-2003.
All this happened a long time ago and with so many events it’s hard to remember when and where.
One particular time we were celebrating what I think was our 7th anniversary. Why 7th? I don’t recall.
It was to be at Priory Campus, a buffet provided by their catering unit. One of our members, Beryl Fensome, offered to make a celebratory cake. Yay!
Unfortunately, she became quite ill with flu. She informed me that she couldn’t complete it and would I come and collect it with a friend as it was very heavy. My friend, Margaret, and I duly arrived making all the correct, conciliatory comments (please don’t worry, we’ll manage, you just get well). Whilst I was really thinking, oh my goodness, what on earth are we going to do? However, in true u3a spirit blue and yellow ribbons appeared, small vases of flowers and little knick knacks to cover a multitude of sins! We wheeled it in to a round of applause. Phew!
The evening was a success and Priory Campus did us proud with a delicious and plentiful buffet.
I thank Jean for encouraging me to join and I’m delighted that Barnsley u3a is still going strong. Happy 30th birthday.
Christine Aldridge.
Beryl Topliss (2003-2007)
Beryl saw the u3a flourish under3 her guidance, encouraging participation and the formation of many new interest groups. 💬
Robert Seager (2007–2009)
Robert aimed to provide a smooth, steady period of leadership, supporting the group’s activities and encouraging participation.
Alan Swann (2009–2013)
Alan Swann became Chairman first time around in September 2009 just six months after joining Bu3a. Alan recalls that with over 400 members and around 30 groups the u3a was a successful organisation but was not well known outside of its own membership. At that time there was a nervousness about the u3a becoming too big and unmanageable and there was a clear reluctance about promotion the u3a in the public arena. Alan’s view was that, with a change in attitude, the growth of the u3a could be managed successfully to everyone’s benefit. With a level of external promotion the u3a started to grow and in 2013 with around 800 members Alan completed his four year stint at the helm and stood down to become Chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Committee
Dave Alton (2013–2015)
Dave’s term was marked by encouragement and growth, supporting new initiatives and widening the reach of our activities. 🤝
Alan Swann (2015–2021)
In December 2015 Alan Swann returned to take over the Bu3a Chairmanship for a second period which this time lasted 6 and a half years and in 2016 saw us celebrate our 20th Anniversary with a public event organised at the Barnsley MetroDome. This was the start of a major shift in Bu3a’s promotional intentions as we set out to tell everyone ‘who we are and what we do’. At that time we established an informal partnership with Age UK [Barnsley] and began a very successful joint Penistone Project in which we aimed to create more of our activities to be based on the west side of town. In 2020 Alan recalls having to deal with the major challenges of the Covid lockdown when we learned very quickly how to use the newly available technology such as Zoom etc to keep in touch with our members. This enabled us to keep our u3a open and members stuck with us during this period. In June 2021 Alan stood down for a second time when Bu3a recorded having over 1,300 members.
Derek Bacon (2021–2023)
Derek played a key role in revitalising our group post-pandemic, welcoming members back and restoring confidence in face-to-face activities. 🔄
Pauline Buttling (2023–present)
Pauline leads us now with care, purpose, and an eye to the future as we approach our 30th anniversary. 🎯
To all our past Chairs—thank you. ❤️ You have each helped us grow, connect, and thrive. For those no longer with us, we extend our heartfelt remembrance and gratitude. 🕊️
Here’s to the next 30 years of curiosity, companionship, and community. 🥂
From Humble Beginnings
