Humanists have begun weekly broadcasts on the national radio station for prisoners as part of a new initiative to raise hope and offer support during the epidemic among prisoners, many of whom are being confined to their cells for 23 hours a day because of new Coronavirus restrictions. Through the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network, Humanists […]

Kathy Riddick is the Wales Humanists Coordinator, working on the behalf of the non-religious in Wales to promote humanism, a secular state, and equal treatment for everyone regardless of religion or belief. We spoke to Kathy about her work, this year’s celebrations of the 100th anniversary of disestablishment, and what this means in a plural, […]

Humanist pastoral carers working in hospitals, hospices, and prisons, along with humanist funeral celebrants, have been recognised as ‘key workers’ during the current crisis. Humanist pastoral carers operate in 45% of NHS trusts in England and Wales providing non-religious pastoral care. They are highly trained individuals who provide a like-minded, listening ear to people at […]

Humanists UK is saddened to hear of the death of its patron Tristan Garel-Jones, a former MP and peer who served for many years as Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group. Tristan Garel-Jones was born in 1941 and educated at King’s School Canterbury. First elected in 1979, Lord Garel-Jones had a distinguished career in […]

Wales Humanists has welcomed a historic Act that will outlaw the physical punishment of children in Wales, calling it ‘a huge success for children’s rights’. The Act, which received royal assent on Friday and will come into force in March 2022, abolishes the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ in cases of assault by a parent or […]

Humanists UK has facilitated new industry-wide Coronavirus guidelines for funeral celebrants, encouraging celebrants to hold live video streaming of cremations and private ‘in home’ memorials, no handling paper such as scripts and song sheets, and new gestures to replace hugging and kissing between mourners. The guidelines, published by the Funeral Celebrancy Council and issued by […]

First I’d like to thank everyone who has contacted us with good wishes and to check on the health and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers in the office and elsewhere. Because of our excellent IT team, we have been able to have our staff working from their own homes for some time and we […]

The New Zealand Parliament has passed a new law decriminalising abortion, and reclassified it specifically as a healthcare issue. Humanists UK, which has campaigned for decades to decriminalise abortion across the UK, has welcomed New Zealand’s new law. Previously, abortion in New Zealand was regulated by the Crimes Act, which only allowed abortion in cases […]

As well as cancelling our public and member events between now and the end of July, Humanists UK is responding to the coronavirus pandemic across its range of community services by making important changes to the way they are carried out. Funerals, weddings, and namings Our celebrants are already making the necessary adjustments to make […]

Much of our work involves bringing non-religious people together to learn together, shape their own ideas, and forge community. While that work will continue online, our public lectures and events programme will need to take a pause in light of the coronavirus pandemic. We are cancelling all of our local and national events between now […]