News and Reports

The latest u3a Magazine is still available in print format to pick up at our weekly Horizons meetings on Thursday mornings at the Christ Church Scout & Guide HQ.  It can also be conveniently viewed online or downloaded via this website.

Membership Renewals for 2023/24 commenced at Horizons on 14th September 2023. Note that you can also renew online anytime / anywhere.

Thursday 16 November:   Beethoven’s Symphony No.7.   Concert programme also includes Rossini’s Overture  – The Italian Girl in Algiers  & Walton’s cello concerto. Please check for further details on the groups’ Philharmonic web page and also for programme notes on the October’s concert.

The Philharmonic now requires booking confirmation 4 weeks in advance and there can be a demand for tickets – so book early to avoid disappointment. 

Following the success of  Ageing Better with an Active Mind, run in conjunction with Edge Hill University last winter,  the project is continuing this year at the beginning of November.

The first session (Workshop 4) will be on Friday 3rd November at 11 am in St Michaels Church Hall, with a talk on the topic of  ‘The Sense of Touch’.

This will be followed on 1st December at the same venue, by Workshop 5 where we will have ‘Dance Contact Improvisation’ delivered by a dance lecturer.

For further info, click or tap on the Edge Hill posters below.

If you are interested in attending either or both events, please contact the Coordinator of the Health & Wellbeing Group, Julia, on wellbeing@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk.

Most Thursday mornings at Horizons, there is a Bookstall where members can procure a variety of paperbacks, ideal for reading on the dark winter days.

You are welcome to bring in books for the stall, but please only paperbacks, not hardbacks (due to lack of space). A variety of genres are appreciated. (There tends to be an preponderance of crime fiction at the minute!)

Title of this new study: The underlying neural mechanisms of working memory in elderly populations.

• Description: “In this experiment, we will use a non-invasive technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to explore the brain regions involved in working memory. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method used to stimulate small regions of the brain. It uses electromagnetic induction to generate an electric current across the scalp and skull without physical contact. This current induces activation and/or deactivation of the neurons under the site of stimulation. This method is FDA-approved and it is used mainly in clinical and experimental settings (here you can see how they use it for other conditions in the NHS: https://www.southernhealth.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-list-of-services/repetitive-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-rtms).
• Objective: our goal is to compare the effect of this stimulation at two sites in the brain in order to test their contribution to the performance of some working memory tasks. To measure working memory we will use computerised tests and to measure the brain activity we will use an electroencephalography (EEG) cap. The EEG cap contains electrodes that are attached to the scalp with conductive gel.
• Number of sessions 3: introductory, session 2 and session 3 (session 2 and 3 must be in consecutive weeks).
• Duration of each session: introductory (1.5hr), session 2 (3.5hrs), session 3 (3.5hrs).
• Benefits: Participants can learn more about their cognitive skills and their brain functioning. Furthermore, your participation will help us to understand more the underlying neural mechanisms of working memory in elderly populations.

To find out more about the project, and to check your eligibility, contact Esteban Leon Correa on 07575 087865, or by email to Esteban León Correa <Correae@edgehill.ac.uk>

A day trip to ‘Golden Days Garden Centre at Appley Bridge’ – Monday 16th October

We will be leaving St Anne’s Social Centre at 10.40am – the Scout HQ Long Lane at 10.45am, and Aughton Village Hall at 11.0am.  For anyone who hasn’t been before – the Garden Centre also sells clothes and other articles and has a cafe where people can buy lunch.

For further details – select ‘Helping Each Other’ web page.