The city’s University of the Third Age is an organisation for mature-age people that offers a range of classes each week, with the aim of getting people out of their homes to socialise and learn with others.

The group will mark its 30^th birthday with a market day celebration on October 27.

President Bob McIlvena said the group started with about half a dozen members in 1988, and now boasted more than 300.

“When the group started, people thought it would just be a small organisation in a little room downtown,” he said.

“Now we have our headquarters at Horsham’s railway station, and we have to outsource a lot of our events to other places.

“It started with about three or four classes and has just grown from there.

“We now have 32 separate classes a week, and the variety spans everything from art and craft to tai chi and line dancing.

“We are trialing a couple of new classes at the moment – Scrabble and darts. We try to introduce new classes all the time.

“Our tutors are most valuable people. Every one is a volunteer – there are no paid positions.”

Mr McIlvena believes the organisation will only continue to grow.

“Advances in the medical profession mean people now live longer than ever,” he said.

“The age of our members varies from about 70 into the 90s.”

Committee member Geoff Baker started attending the U3A garden group many years ago. The organisation has now become a critical part of his life.

“My words to people are that you could almost live there – there’s so many things available five days a week, every week,” he said.

“It gets people out – it’s very social. And it’s about the simple things people enjoy.

“It’s a busy little place.

“I started because I was interested in gardening, and still am. I became really involved over the years, and helped run the group for 10 years.

“When I started there were about 25 people in the group. It grew to about 55 within a few years. We had more than 100 people registered for it at one stage. This year we have between 60 and 70.”

Mr Baker said the market day would raise money to ensure the organisation could continue to run its classes, and offer new things to members.

“We wanted to mark 30 years with something that people could get involved with, so they could celebrate with us,” he said.

“Everything available at the market will be U3A-based work and products.

“The gardening group will bring their plants and things, and we’ll also have painted glass, quilts, paintings and crochet work from other classes.”

Mr Baker said this was the group’s second market, and followed one a few years ago to raise money for Rachael’s Wish.

The market will run in the railway station carpark in Railway Avenue from 9.30am to 2.30pm.