The Third Age arrives in Paralimni

THE FIRST meeting of a new group for the retired is proving that life goes on in your later years – and is just as much fun.

The Cyprus Third Age (C3A) held an open day yesterday at the Aeneas Hotel to attract members to its range of planned activities and groups for the Paralimni and Ayia Napa area.

The group allows older people to enjoy their retirement with each other through a series of educational, creative and leisure activities.

Organiser Jacqueline Crawford told the Cyprus Mail interest in the new group has been very encouraging.

“We had over 50 people come to our meeting yesterday, there really is a hunger for culture, knowledge and socialising at this end of the island,” she said.

“It is all about keeping the brain alive.”

Crawford is confident the C3A, which already has branches in other districts, will thrive in the south east.

“We are very encouraged by the amount of interest we have had in the past few weeks about this scheme.”

C3A states that life goes on beyond your retirement and there is still as much enjoyment to have out of life.

Local C3As are learning co-operatives which draw upon the knowledge, experience and skills of their own members to organise and provide interest groups in accordance with the wishes of the membership.

Activities range from walking groups, cooking lessons and language groups, to computers and technology.

Cyprus U3A was founded in 2003 and currently has about 500 members in Paphos, Larnaca and Limassol. It is based on the International U3A University of the Third Age

n For further information on the south east C3A call Jacqueline Crawford on 99185784 or for the national branches visit: www.3uacyprus.org

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.