Jean Thompson - Reading U3A UK
1. Reading is in England, forty miles west of London by the River Thames

2. We have 370 members

3. We have 30+ Interest groups, from 'Science and Technology' to 'Wit and Humour'. We have four language groups, German, French, Italian and Spanish. We mostly meet in a centrally located Baptist Church though some small groups still meet in members' homes.

We have two Open Meetings a month; one with an outside speaker and one run by our own members, who demonstrate or describe their own experiences. I am a co-convenor for the Travel Group, where speakers, mainly our own members, tell us in depth about countries they know. We try to vary the monthly programme. Next month, for instance, I am taking part in a members' panel discussion on 'The Pros and Cons of Travelling Alone. Our annual fee is £15.

4. The members. We have a wide social mix in Reading and I enjoy the stimulation of meeting so many different people and making new friends.

5. I hope we'll get a snapshot of U3As around the world and understand each other better.