December 14th, 2018
The introduction of the first NHS organ donor cards for humanists is expected to boost organ donation rates across England. Humanists UK has welcomed the introduction of the religion and humanist-specific donor cards after being the group representing non-religious people in the NHS’s organ donation consultation. The cards have been introduced alongside information about humanist […]
December 13th, 2018
Humanists UK is celebrating a year of success for the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN), which placed humanist pastoral carers in 40% of NHS acute trusts in England and Wales over the course of 2018. Support for non-religious pastoral support has taken off in recent years, fed by steady demand from hospitals looking to provide […]
December 13th, 2018
Humanists UK has welcomed the passage of a new bill which is set to repeal Canada’s 19th century blasphemy laws. The bill now awaits royal assent, the final (formal) legislative step. Humanists UK, which campaigns against blasphemy laws around the world as part of the End Blasphemy Laws coalition, has welcomed the news, and urged […]
December 12th, 2018
Humanists UK has raised concerns that organisations with an agenda to promote so-called ‘complementary and alternative medicines’ such as homeopathy will still be able to register as legal charities, after a disappointing ruling by the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission today announced it will introduce new guidance on how organisations that promote complementary and alternative […]
December 11th, 2018
Non-religious asylum seekers face torture or death if they are denied asylum in the UK and forced to return to their home countries, an event in Parliament has heard. The All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (to which Humanists UK provides the secretariat) yesterday hosted ‘Protecting non-religious people’s rights to asylum in the UK’. Chaired by […]
December 10th, 2018
Today, Monday 10 December, humanists marked Human Rights Day by celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and calling for equality for all on the basis of religion or belief. As part of Human Rights Day, the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (to which Humanists UK provides the secretariat) held an […]
December 6th, 2018
Have your say on abortion reform in Northern Ireland! The deadline for submissions is Monday 10 December 2018. The Women and Equalities Select Committee is calling for the testimonies of people who have been affected by the restrictive abortion law in Northern Ireland as part of an ongoing inquiry into how the law could be […]
December 5th, 2018
Humanists UK has welcomed announcement from the Welsh and Scottish Governments in support of adding folic acid to flour, in a move expected to save lives and lead to fewer cases of serious and fatal foetal abnormalities. In response to a question from Wales Humanists patron Julie Morgan AM, the Welsh Government announced that it […]
December 4th, 2018
Humanists UK has called for tougher powers for the education regulator, Ofsted, so it can shut down illegal schools where children are at risk. In its annual report released today, Ofsted admitted that ‘too often we find that even where we have identified a setting that is putting children at risk, current legislation is too […]
December 1st, 2018
Evolutionary biologist Professor Richard Dawkins is to receive the inaugural Humanists UK Darwin Day Medal on 12 February 2019. The award commemorates his fifteen years of chairing the Humanists UK Darwin Day Lecture, and his life’s work advancing public understanding of science. At the event, Richard will be handing over his role as honorary chair […]
November 28th, 2018
A Humanists UK programme supporting ‘apostates’ — people who have left high-controlled religions — has won a London community award for its work providing support services to vulnerable Londoners. Faith to Faithless, a programme within Humanists UK, was last night named a winner of the London Faith & Belief Community Awards 2018 within the Health […]
November 27th, 2018
Humanists UK has responded to the BBC’s consultation on its draft Editorial Guidelines, calling for the BBC to increase its content about the non-religious, which is currently disproportionately low, and reduce the barriers that prevent fair criticism of religion. In its submission, Humanists UK highlighted the lack of guidelines for non-religious coverage, which as a result, […]
