AN EMPTY shop in Festival Place will be used to house an exhibition inspired by those wanting to make the most of life in the ‘third age’.

U3A is an international movement mainly for retired members of the community seeking to make friends, learn new things, and take part in exciting new activities in retirement.

As part of its ongoing drive to support the local community, Festival Place is hosting a U3A exhibition illustrating what’s on offer at the Basingstoke-Old Basing branch.

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The exhibition will be in the shopping centre for two weeks from February 13.

U3A spokesman Madeline Hussey said: “There’s a wide range of interests within our U3A, and our more creative members come together in groups like calligraphy, art, crafts, patchwork, quilting, creative writing, photography and card making, to name just a few.

“Beginners join with more experienced colleagues to learn from them, and everyone is always welcome.

“We’re very excited that Festival Place has offered us an empty shop in the upper level of the malls for an exhibition of our work, and some of us will be there to talk to visitors and explain what we do.

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“Although the sewing and painting is well underway, many of us have joined the U3A for something else. Some dance or sing, walk or cycle, learn about science, or research their family history, others play board games, cards or take part in sport and quizzes. Many just go on holiday or have lunch together.

“We’ll have details of all our activities at the exhibition, so if retirement beckons, please drop in to say hello.”

Events and community manager Sian Fisher said: “We are passionate about our vibrant local community, which is full of so many interesting organisations.

"We are keen to show our support where we can and donating space within the centre to showcase U3A’s work is something we know helps them and is also something new and interesting for our visitors to discover.”

The U3A will be taking a unit on the upper level of Festival Place. The exhibition starts on February 13 and will run on weekdays between 11am and 4pm for a fortnight.

To find out more about U3A Basingstoke-Old Basing, visit basingstokeu3a.org.