The National Executive Committee of The Third Age Trust currently consists of 16 members elected from all parts of the United Kingdom and constitutes the board of trustees and the board of Directors, The Trust being both a registered charity and a limited company. They share the responsibility for the management of The Third Age Trust which provides administrative and educational support to all local U3As. The principal office-bearers are as follows:

Chairman : Ian Searle, Carrick.

Ian was born in Sussex where he spent his childhood in a small village. Educated at the local grammar school, he did his National Service in the Royal Navy where he learned Russian before going on to take a B.A. in Modern Languages at Oriel College, Oxford, followed by a post graduate Diploma in Education.

After six years’ teaching in Essex and Bedfordshire, he took up the post of District Education Officer in the British Solomon Islands for the next five years. He wrote text books for use in the primary schools and the local training college, and organised a curriculum development plan for the Islands.

On his return to the UK in 1971 he returned to classroom teaching, using his curriculum experience to plan, of all things, a Science course for a new Middle School in Bedford, teaching Science and Maths as well as French. In 1978 he opted out of teaching altogether and turned to retailing, first as a newsagent in North London, then for the Co-op on the Isles of Scilly, until he returned to teaching in 1981 and took early retirement in 1993.

He and his wife live in Cornwall and both have been members of U3A Carrick since then. He became Secretary of Carrick, Membership Secretary, Newsletter Editor, and finally Chairman in 2005. Carrick now has approximately 800 members.

Meanwhile he was co-opted onto the NEC in 2004 as Area Representative for the South West and has served on the Learning Support Group, the Standing Committee for Education, the Finance and General Purposes Committee, and chaired the Online Courses Group. He wrote a successful online course in Short Story Writing, which has since been updated and is still running. He worked with the late  Sophie Deakin Smith on another online course, ‘Innocence and Experience’ which he then piloted. In 2006 he was elected Vice Chairman. In 2007 at the invitation of the Social Council of Hong Kong, he represented the Third Age Trust at their first Annual Conference of U3A. Among his other activities he was responsible for producing the text for ‘Time to Learn’ and has gone on to work with NIACE on the follow-up project, which will result in a large, new website dedicated to encouraging new Self Organised Learning groups. He is eager to encourage co-operative activities throughout the UK at Network, Regional and National level. He is also keen to maintain the momentum of recent years which has not only seen rapid growth of the U3A movement in the UK, but much more liaison with other educational agencies and growing interest from abroad in the U3A way of doing things.

He is married with three daughters.

Vice Chair : Barbara Lewis, South West Herts

After graduating with a BA in history and English and a teaching qualification from Northwestern University, USA, Barbara travelled 50,000 miles through Europe in VW camper.  Landing back in London in 1972 and saying ‘just one more year’, here she is 36 years later.
Her professional life in the UK started at opinion pollsters MORI where she interviewed politicians, newspaper editors and the general public and met her future husband Stewart.  Next stop was Kodak Limited where she further developed her marketing communications skills.
Along the way she discovered St. Barts Hospital Choral Society and sang with them in numerous Christmas concerts at the Albert Hall.  And finally, it was a small ad in The Times asking ‘Do you want to sing with Pavarotti?’ to which she said Yes! And ended up singing in concerts all over Europe with the great man (with the choir of several hundred, she hastens to add).
She has been Chair of her SW Herts U3A (2003-2006) is Study Group Leader for Music Appreciation, LifeStyles and American History and has served as Eastern Area Trustee (2005-2008).  On the NEC she has served on the editorial board of U3A News and on our national website committee, as well as being the principal Publicity Officer initiating the Awareness Campaign, promoting Heritage Days and launching the ‘U3A Lifelong Learning Olympiad’ in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics. 

Company Secretary : Lin Jonas

Born in Chester, Lin has a BA Honours Degree in History from Queen Mary College, London University. Prior to joining the Third Age Trust in February 1996 she spent 21 years in personnel and office management.
Lin began her career as a graduate trainee at Scholl UK Ltd, the well-known, footwear and foot care company. After five years she moved on and had experience in various industries ending up at a leading firm of West End solicitors. Her favourite job before joining the Third Age Trust was in publishing when she worked as a Group Personnel and Administration Manager for the following publishing houses - Jonathan Cape, The Bodley Head, Chatto & Windus, and Virago.
Lin began work with the Third Age Trust in a converted church in Stockwell Green, an interesting building she recalls but with no windows or natural light. After three months, the office moved to Harrison Street, King’s Cross. She has just recently completed a further move to Bromley, Kent.
When Lin started with the Trust, there were just 299 U3As with approximately 54,000 members.

Away from the office, Lin enjoys tennis (she is a qualified coach), theatre, photography and travel.

National Educational & Development Officer : Mike Long, Tamworth

Born in London, Mike was schooled mainly in Harlow, Essex; took a London University degree in Manchester (!), and has since lived mainly in the Midlands. He is married with two sons, and two grandsons.
Mike began his working life in the car industry and then switched to further education, teaching English for 23 years at a college in Coventry.
In July 1999, he became the U3A’s National Development Officer and has already served under three chairmen, (both of the National Executive Committee and the Development Sub-Committee).
Mike has encouraged development in all its forms within the U3A movement. He is pleased that there are now regions in virtually every part of the country. He has helped to develop understanding between the U3A and the Workers Educational Association and is always ready to encourage new and worthwhile initiatives.