About u3a Research and Shared Learning

Contact: Maggy Simms slp@u3a.org.uk

Learning is one of u3a's core activities. It can happen in many different ways, including collaborative and interactive learning. This section includes projects that you and your u3a contacts might take part in.

The u3a's Research and Shared Learning Committee is run by u3a volunteers on behalf of the members. Some projects are national or regional, others are devised and run by individuals.

Projects cover anything that stimulates the interest of those taking part
Some may want to work with a university department, others might be counting species for a local wildlife initiative, but they are all valid and valued. There may be organisations in your own area that you can partner with for a project: local history societies, arts groups, libraries, museums, town twinning committees and so on.

Current Research and Shared Learning Projects

These are open to any member: you can sign up for information about related events and opportunities. You can use these projects as a starting point for a local or network-wide u3a group.

The High Street Project

What's your High Street like these days?

Any u3a member or group can take part by:

surveying their local High Street
taking photographs
making local guides or walking trails ‘explaining’ the area, in all formats including mobile
local focus studies such as street histories, area change, key turning points

Notes and pointers at Making mobile walking trails
Workshops have taken place to support these activities and can be requested.
You can find more information on the High Street Project website at High Street Project website

Future Lives

More information is on the page Future Lives further information
This project aims to take a long view to investigate, discuss, and gather views on how to improve our quality of life as we age.

Slow Ways

Dan Raven-Ellison and Rob Bushby of ‘Slow Ways’ are leading a national initiative to create a Great Britain-wide network of walking routes. A vast network of routes has been plotted, and volunteers are being asked to test them out and assess them. u3a is encouraging groups who want to add an additional dimension to their walks, such as an environmental study or historical / archaeological notes.

As well as future national and local events - at the bidding of YOU, the members!- here is a handy list of walking-themed books prepared by Jo Livingston of Bexley u3a.

Kerri ANDREWS	Wanderers; a history of women walking	2020	Ten women over 300 years who found walking essential to their well-being
Oscar BURTON	Any Porth in a Storm	2021	South West Coast Path in pain and often in rain
John HILLABY	Journey through Britain	1968	Land’s End to John o’ Groats(the classic)
Kate HUMBLE	Thinking on my Feet	2018	A year of walks and runs and thoughts on the benefits of walking
Rachel JOYCE	The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (fiction)	2012	An unplanned trek from S.Devon to Berwick
Tom KING	Thames Estuary Trail: walk round the end of the world	2001	A review called it ‘not useful but interesting’
Robert MacFARLANE	The Old Ways – a journey on foot	2012	Tracks, sea-roads and forgotten paths which traverse collective memory
George MAHOOD	Free Country – a penniless adventure the length of Britain	2014	Land’s End to John o’ Groats with no money and hardly any clothes
Stephen PEACOCK	Geology for Walkers	2021	U3A member writing on how to include and identify geological features
W.G.SEBOLD	The Rings of Saturn	1995	A short walk in Suffolk, flâneur-style, a hybrid of fiction and non-fiction
Nan SHEPHARD	The Living Mountain	2019	Exploring the Cairngorms on foot – sometimes barefoot
Gail SIMMONS	A Country of Larks	2020	A walk through the Chilterns in the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson
Iain SINCLAIR	London Orbital	2002	A walk round London close to the route of the M25
Christopher SOMERVILLE	The January Man – a year of walking Britain	2017	12 walks across GB, from flood plains of the Severn to the sea cliffs of Foula
Alfred WAINWRIGHT	Coast to Coast Walk	1970	St Bee’s Head to Robin Hood’s Bay, with typical Wainwright illustrations
Mark WALLINGTON	Travels with Boogie – 500 mile walkies	1982	South West Coast Path with a dog
Raynor WINN	The Salt Path	2018	South West Coast Path after homelessness and a terminal diagnosis
Chris YATES	Nightwalk	2014	A few hours in Dorset by moonlight

Want to be a Learning Coordinator?

Training and support is available if you want to join the Research Network of project volunteers. We have meetings every few months to keep in touch. Contact Maggy if you want to know more about this role.