Historian, policy maker and co-founder of u3a, Eric Midwinter, died aged 93 on 8 August after a short illness, the charity has announced.

A statement from u3a reads: “It is with great sadness that the u3a team announce the death of Eric Midwinter, one of the visionary co-founders of the u3a movement in the UK.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to Eric’s family and friends at this time.”

Midwinter co-founded u3a, represented by the national charity the Third Age Trust, in 1982 alongside Peter Laslett and Michael Young.

The co-founders believed that later life should be a time of continued learning, connection and contribution.

The charity also set out to challenge negative stereotypes of ageing by creating spaces for older adults to share skills, knowledge and new experiences.

Since its founding, u3a has grown into a UK-wide network of over 1,000 local branches, with over 400,000 members, where people come together to learn for fun, share experiences, and build community.

The charity added that Midwinter’s legacy “will continue to inspire new generations to embrace lifelong learning and positive ageing”.

Midwinter’s work with u3a also led him to become a consultant on the Millennium Debate of the Age project as well as to the International Longevity Centre UK. He was additionally chairman of the health and social welfare board of the Open University, from which he received an honorary doctorate.

In addition to co-founding u3a, Midwinter was also a noted social historian and cricket historian, writing and publishing over 50 books and serving as president of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians.

A small funeral service will be held for the family.