Found in Nature November and December 2022

We are proud to present the finalists for the u3a Essay Competition 2025 who submitted essays under the title:

Make the case for a person, policy, invention or idea having a positive impact on society (1000 words).

These top 20 entries were selected as outstanding by our judges from the 90 essays submitted.

We are delighted to announce the overall winner.

The winner of the national u3a Essay Competition 2025 is Claudette, of Porthcawl and Bridgend u3as, with her essay entitled The Spark Behind the Sizzle (Albert Marsh and the Nichrome Revolution). 

The two runners-up are Diana of Guildford u3a, with The Revolutionary Road Traffic Act of 1934, and Liz of Chester u3a, with Let’s Cut To The Chase! You can read these fantastic essays along with all the shortlist below.

Thank you to all u3a members who submitted their excellent essays and thank you to Friends Extra and Bloomsbury for providing prizes for the top three. 

Read the top three essays: 

Read the essays from the shortlist, in no particular order:

Thank you so much to all 34 judges who offered insights into our first ever Essay Competition The competition could not run without you!

Thank you also to Richard Franklin (Subject Adviser for Health and Well-being) who advised on the creation of the competition and who awarded our winners.

And finally thank you to all entrants to the u3a Essay Competition 2025. We hope you enter again next time.

Click the button to view the rules of this year's competition

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