Joining Interest Groups Online (IGO) is easy, and here you will find some instructions to take you through the process. This process is done via the Beacon Members' Portal, which can be accessed below. 

After pressing the grey button, Beacon will open in a new window. You will see a screen with a black notice box pop up.

Click 'OK' and you will see two options to select from. 

Now select either 'With TAM magazine' or 'Without TAM magazine'. Third Age Matters (TAM) is the u3a magazine, which you can receive for free as part of your membership to IGO. This option is not available for those living outside the UK.

You will then need to fill in your personal information. Only the fields with a bold font title are mandatory. 

Please do not use capital letters in your email address, as this can cause issues in the sign up process. 

If you do not have a UK postcode, please use ZE1 1ZZ.

You submit this form by clicking 'Make Payment'. 

Then click on 'Continue to PayPal to complete payment'.

Although a PayPal screen will pop up, you do not need to have a PayPal account or create one to pay for your membership. You can also pay with a debit or credit card, by clicking 'Pay by Debit or Credit Card'. 

• If you have a PayPal account, log into your account and authorise the payment that way.
• If you do not have a PayPal account, click on 'Pay by Debit or Credit Card', and you will be prompted to enter your card details.

Once the payment has gone through you should get an email acknowledging your payment. Within two working days, you should receive a welcome email from IGO.

If you have any questions or issues with the sign up process, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.