Eric Midwinter obituary

Eric Midwinter, a renowned educationist, writer, and broadcaster, passed away at the age of 93. He was the co-founder of the University of the Third Age (U3A), an organization that brings together individuals no longer working full-time or raising a family to continue their lifelong learning journey. In 1982, Midwinter co-founded the U3A with social entrepreneur Michael Young and historian Peter Laslett. The U3A is a self-funding network of groups where members teach and learn from each other, challenging negative stereotypes about older people. The organization has grown to over 1,000 branches in the UK, with a total of 400,000 members, and has been replicated in the English-speaking world, Eastern Europe, and Australasia. Midwinter's vision for the U3A was to create a collaborative learning environment where individuals could continue to engage in a wide range of topics, chosen by the members themselves. This approach has proven successful in promoting active and fulfilling retirement for the participants.