News and views from Soar Valley u3a: reports of Group activities, thoughts on how we can benefit our members, useful information, and more ...
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Membership tops 400!
For the third year running East Leake Village Hall was the venue for a ‘free coffee and cake’ event open to members and the public. Providing a showcase for some of our activities, the primary purpose was to recruit new members. Turnout was good and 16 people signed up on the day, bringing our total…
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Walking 2 - From Thurcaston to Cropston
On 23 January, Walking Group 2 started their 6 mile walk today from Thurcaston. The village has existed since the 8th Century AD and is listed in the Doomsday Book. Its first stone church was built just after 1066. Leicestershire’s only Viking coin hoard was uncovered here and contains Viking coins minted in York, Anglo-Saxon…
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History Explorers Group Visits Taylor's Bell Foundry
On the 21st January 2026, 22 members of Soar Valley u3a attended the John Taylor Bell Foundry for a tour and to discover how bells were made and how the Loughborough bell foundry was born. It all started in the 18th century when Robert Taylor started his apprenticeship at a bell foundry in St Neots…
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Preparing for Retirement: Why Soar Valley u3a Should Be Central to Your Plans
Retirement is often imagined as a time of freedom—freedom from the tyranny of deadlines, the drudge of commuting, and from the sheer pressure of work. For many people, the transition into retirement can be surprisingly challenging. Beyond financial preparation, retirement demands careful thought about how we will spend our time, maintain our sense of purpose,…
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Why not give Snooker a go?
Snooker Group leader Colin B on what the group gets up to: Snooker, I believe, is one of the earliest of the Soar Valley u3a groups. I tried to check this with one of the original members but drew a blank due to fading memories with the passage of time. I joined in 2006, or…