Welcome to the Oldham & District u3a website...
Summer… and a profusion of butterflies…
Latest Notices
13 October 2026. Meeting starts at 9.45 at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham OL1 9SA. Annual General Meeting. Followed by meet the group leaders.
10 November 2026. Meeting starts at 9.45 at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham OL1 9SA. Andy Walker MBE to talk about 'Living His Dreams' following a tragic accident in his 20s and how, 8 years on, he is now running an international motivational and consultancy organisation.
12 January 2027 - Meeting starts 9.45 at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham OL1 9SA. Speaker Ian Wolstenholme - Oldham Community Radio 99.7
9 February 2027 - Meeting starts 9.45 at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham OL1 9SA. Speaker Steven Taylor - Performance Poet
9 March 2027 - Meeting starts 9.45 at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham OL1 9SA. Speaker Norman Harris - Travels in China
13 April 2027 - Meet the Group Leaders/Coffee Morning. Meeting starts 9.45 at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham OL1 9
Oldham, and the other towns of the district, sits at the foot of the Pennine Hills, its name deriving from the Old Norse, Aldehulme. In the late 19th century it was considered to be the centre of the world’s cotton spinning industry and is equally famous for its engineering innovation and production.
The U3A is a self-funded, self-managed organisation. Its continued aim is to promote educational, creative and leisure opportunities for anybody not in full time employment, the aim being that we learn together and teach each other. The U3A approach to learning is – learning for pleasure with an emphasis on informality. There are no assessments or qualifications to be gained. U3A activities offer a good opportunity to get out of the house and meet people.
Oldham & District U3A was launched in the autumn of 2009 and now has over six hundred members and is still growing. The number of interest groups has increased to over 56. Groups sizes vary depending on subject matter. It only takes two people to form a group and group meetings can be held anywhere, at any time you choose, on any subject or interest you wish.
We meet together on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9.45am at The Loom, Parliament Square, Oldham. OL1 9SA New members will be able to talk to the committee and be introduced to others. The monthly meeting includes refreshments, a guest speaker and information on the various activities you may enjoy.
Oldham & District U3A is now a participating member of the Greater Manchester U3A network, which is a network of mutually supportive U3A groups from the Greater Manchester Region. For further information and event details please click on the website link on the Contacts page.
If you think the U3A might be for you come to one of our meetings and you will be sure of a warm welcome.
John Platt's Bronze Statue, complete with circular pedestal upon a rectangular stone base flanked by four symbolic seated female figures representing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Science and Art.
The Platt works was the major cotton machine engineering company. They exported their machines across the world which ultimately led to the company's demise as overseas manufacturers adapted and superseded their designs.
The Science figure is the only hooded one of the set.
The two figures visible are probably Engineering (left) & Art (right), this latter figure clearly having lost her Lyre.