ADULT Learners' Week rightly draws attention to the need nationally for career-focused adults to pursue skills and qualifications, but the activity of learning has a personal value to adults that goes beyond the gaining of certificates.

Twenty-one years ago the London-based charity, The Third Age Trust, initiated a unique approach to adult education that encourages older people, through locally-established U3As, to pursue learning simply for their own pleasure and satisfaction.

The term 'third age' is used to describe that time of life which follows the ages devoted firstly to childhood and education, and secondly to career and family responsibilities. Third agers are beyond all this; they are retired but need not be retiring.

U3A signifies University of the Third Age, the term 'university' is used here in the sense of a voluntary self-help society devoted to leisure-time learning for third agers - no qualifications for membership are required and none is given.

The essence of U3A membership is active learning with fun for retired people, whose sharing of expertise and experience is of value to others, and the mere pursuit of learning itself fosters further interest and enthusiasm, qualities which bring benefits in health and well-being to older people.

There are now more than 550 local U3As throughout Britain, including Hereford and District U3A which has 80 members who meet collectively monthly, but who also, via specialised groups convening regularly, pursue their interests in history, music, literature and poetry, computing, German, walking, craftwork...

The dutiful first and second age chasing of certificates may be onerous, but third age learning is pure pleasure and greatly rewarding.

PETER P JONES, Fallowfield Close, Hereford.