From October through to April of each u3a session we have monthly meetings with a range of interesting guest speakers. These usually take place in the Lodge Hotel in Coleraine and start at 11:00am. Tea/coffee can be purchased in the hotel from 10:30am. These meetings are also streamed via Zoom for our members who cannot attend in person.
The dates for the 2025-26 session are
- Thursday 5th February 2026 - Helen Mark MBE (Lodge Hotel) - see below
IMPORTANT!! - NEW VENUE - All meetings from March 2026 are being held in The Royal Court Hotel, Portrush - The Royal Court Hotel
- Thursday 5th March 2026 - TBC - (Royal Court Hotel)
- Thursday 2nd April 2026 - TBC - (Royal Court Hotel)
- Thursday 27th August 2026 - Annual Activity Fair (Royal Court Hotel)
- Thursday 8th October 2026 - TBC - AGM (Royal Court Hotel)
- Thursday 5th November 2026 - TBC (Royal Court Hotel)
- Thursday 3rd December 2026 - Annual Christmas Lunch (Royal Court Hotel)
| Subject | February Monthly Meeting |
| Date | 5th February 2026 at 11:00 |
| Speaker | Broadcaster Helen Mark MBE |
| Venue | Lodge Hotel, Coleraine |
Monthly Meeting - Thursday 5th February 2026
11am Lodge Hotel, Coleraine
Charity representation will be on behalf of NI Air Ambulance.
The February guest speaker will be broadcaster Helen Mark MBE, born inKelso in the Scottish Borders but most familiar to listeners located in Northern Ireland where she has lived since the 1980s. As a presenter and reporter she has worked principally for the BBC and you may have heard her on ‘Foyle Today’, on ‘Your Place and Mine’, on ‘Gardeners’ Corner’ or caught her mellifluous, soothing voice presenting BBC’s ‘Open Country’.Her television work includes ‘Countryfile’ (BBC 1) and annual coverage of ‘The Twelfth’. She has also fronted ‘The Narrow Sea’, a 3 part series about the 12 mile stretch of water between Scotland and Ulster and aficionados of Ulster-Scots culture will be familiar with her radio programme ‘Kintra’.Little wonder that this doyenne of local broadcasting was awarded an MBE in the most recent New Year’s Honours list.Come, enjoy Helen’s reminiscences.