Members of the group meet to discuss current affairs and topical issues which can include anything from a global to a local issue, or any subject that might be of general interest.

Members are encouraged to introduce subjects to discuss, either on the day or to be circulated prior to a meeting in order to give others time in which to think about or research the topic for themselves, in advance.

There is no prior knowledge required, only a willingness to share your views. It is open to anyone - if you have your own opinions, and are interested in hearing others' thoughts, you will fit in very well! There is no onus on anyone to speak at length (indeed, listening is always an essential, and valued, part of the discussion process), and the Group will naturally be drawn to those topics which engender the most interest and engagement from members.

Just to give you a flavour, some of the themes addressed in the Group previously have included:

• The future of the monarchy; Food, and various diets; Psychological and other less obvious differences between men and women;
• The Ukraine war; Pros and cons of a Basic Income; What turns someone into a (political) right winger? The NHS and its future; Farming.
• Can science stop global warming?; UK newspapers; Automation; The oil industry; UK tax; Housing policy; marriage and cohabitation; the movies

We are a very friendly Group, and we will do all we can to make you feel welcome, and valued. If you enjoy a good conversation, why not come along and see if a Discussion Group is something that you would like to participate in!

Discussion Group 2 is currently at capacity - the new venue at Mount Battenhall proved very popular. We're sure that you will appreciate that from the point-of-view of maximising the active engagement of all its members, it is necessary to impose a practical limit on the Group's size.

Our 2025/26 sessions will end on Friday, 29th May, 2026, and we expect to start the fortnightly 2026/27 meetings on Friday 2nd October, 2026.