Members’ Lunch and Annual General Meeting

Saturday 10^th March 1.15pm / 2.15pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

Dorset Humanists is a community group which has provided a friendly meeting place for non-religious people in Bournemouth and surrounding areas for over twenty years. We have established ourselves as a respected voice for reason and humanity, and Humanists UK has recognised that we are one of its most successful partner groups. None of this would be possible without the loyalty and support of our subscribing members and so, as a ‘thank you’, we are providing a complimentary buffet lunch prior to our AGM. Visitors and non-members are also very welcome to attend but we ask for a £3.00 donation for lunch – or you can join Dorset Humanists on the day!

Our AGM is a sociable, enjoyable, and sometimes controversial event. Please join us to have your say on the future of Dorset Humanists. Lunch is at 1.15pm and our AGM starts at 2.15pm. Further details of AGM business can be found in the March bulletin available on our website (Please note: everyone is welcome to attend the AGM, but only subscribing members may vote on resolutions. Dorset Humanists Annual membership costs £15).

Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Please email Dave at DHweb2(at)live.co.uk for a PDF copy for you to print and display.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website. 

Annual General Meeting 2017

Saturday 11^th March 1.15pm/2.15pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW
with Dorset Humanists Committee
 
At our AGM we celebrate the highlights of the past year, and renew and refresh our sense of belonging to a stimulating and engaging community group. We value your views and opinions, and our AGM enables our members to determine the future growth and development of Dorset Humanists, so please do come along and take part. 

We hope you will also be able to join us for a complimentary celebratory lunch for our subscribing members at 1.15pm prior to the meeting beginning at 2.15pm (non-members are also welcome to join us for the meal, but there will be a small charge of £3 to help with costs – or you can become a member on the day).
This year’s AGM business will include discussing and voting on three resolutions, including one on our future event entrance pricing, so do join us to have your say. Further details of AGM business can be found in this month’s bulletin available on our website (Please note: everyone is welcome to attend the AGM, but only subscribing members may vote on resolutions. Dorset Humanists Annual membership costs £15). 

“Join us to play your part in determining the future of Dorset Humanists”

  

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites: 

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/
 
You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF. 

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Dorset Humanists ‘Jane Bannister Winter Appeal’

Our Jane Bannister Winter Appeal has raised thousands of pounds for local and national charities in previous years, and this year is in support of Michael House and Mosaic. Please give what you can to these two very worthwhile local charities.

The appeal is named in memory of Jane Bannister who was Chair of Dorset Humanists until 2009, and an active supporter of, and fundraiser for, several charities.

For full details of how you can donate to our 2016/2017 Winter Appeal please see our December bulletin.

http://dorset.humanist.org.uk/dorset/DH-Bulletin-December-2016.pdf

Mosaic is a Dorset-wide charity offering a pathway of support to bereaved children, young people and their families. They also work with young people who are facing the death of a loved one.

Mosaic provides individual, family and group support. Every child has the opportunity to attend our residential weekend programme where they can meet others and share their experiences. Dorset Humanists’ donation last year went specifically to support this wonderful residential weekend at Leeson House near Swanage.

The charity receives 30% Local Authority funding allocated to support for bereaved children in Dorset. All other money has to be raised through applications to The Big Lottery, Children in Need, charitable trust grants, fundraising, corporate sponsorship, individual support, and donations from local groups.

Michael House is more than just a hostel; it’s a home and our mission has always been to help anyone who is vulnerable. We are a dry house, offering supported accommodation to both male and female residents.

Michael’s Mission

· To provide emergency and longer-term accommodation to homeless people and provide related day services.

· To provide encouragement, advice and support to our clients in an environment which enables them to gain a greater sense of self-worth and to move towards a more independent life.

· To work in co-operation and a collaborative way with the relevant statutory agencies and with other voluntary organisations.

£250.00 will provide care and support for one homeless person for one month.

Homelessness has been a major problem in the Bournemouth area over the last twenty years and we always operate to full capacity. Official Rough Sleeper Counts, which tend to minimise the situation, are consistently in double figures. Soup kitchens have been crowded throughout this period. By providing respect, care, and support to all residents, we aim to restore self-esteem, assist with life skills, access further education, facilitate training for employment to enable individuals to rebuild their own lives and reintegrate back into the community. Michael House is a place where our residents feel “safe, warm and inspired”.

For full details of how you can donate to Dorset Humanists 2016/2017 Winter Appeal please see our December bulletin.

http://dorset.humanist.org.uk/dorset/DH-Bulletin-December-2016.pdf

Winter Charity Appeal 2015/2016

Our Jane Bannister Memorial Winter Appeal this year has been a great success. The final total raised was £1,494.88 which is a fantastic effort, and we would like to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who so generously donated. The money raised has been split equally between this year’s nominated local charities, Mosaic and New Forest Nightstop.

Dorset Humanists has raised thousands of pounds in previous years for worthwhile charities. The appeal is named in memory of Jane Bannister (1941-2013) who was Chair of Dorset Humanists until 2009.

David Warden, Chair of Dorset Humanists, said, “We feel privileged to be able to make a positive difference to the lives of young homeless people, and bereaved children and young people. Jane would have been proud to know we’ve continued her efforts to support worthy local charities”.

Mosaic is a Dorset-wide charity offering a pathway of support to bereaved children, young people and their families. It also works with young people who are facing the death of a loved one. It provides individual, family and group support. Every child has the opportunity to attend a residential weekend programme where they can meet others and share their experiences. The charity receives some Local Authority funding but all other money has to be raised from alternative sources including donations from local groups. A representative from Mosaic spoke about their work helping bereaved children and young people at our Saturday 9^th January meeting.

New Forest Nightstop provides the only emergency overnight accommodation for homeless 16-24 year olds in the homes of trained and approved host households around the New Forest. Jude Todd, Manager of New Forest Nightstop  has previously led a presentation for Dorset Humanists on the plight of homeless people and her charity’s valuable work to help them.

Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden is pictured presenting cheques to Jude Todd, Manager of New Forest NightStop (top right), and to Margaret Hannibal of Mosaic (bottom right).

Annual General Meeting 2016

Saturday 12^th March 1.00pm/2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

with Dorset Humanists Committee

At our AGM we celebrate the highlights of the past year, and renew and refresh our sense of belonging to a stimulating and engaging community group. The meeting also enables our members to influence the future growth and development of Dorset Humanists, so please do come along and take part. We hope you will also join us for a complimentary celebratory lunch for members at 1.00pm prior to the meeting beginning at 2.00pm.

During the AGM, Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden will give a talk entitled, ‘Being a Humanist Today: Challenges and Choices’, in which he will explain why identifying as a humanist is now more important than ever, and how the steady decline of mainstream religion presents us with many opportunities. He will also highlight how the intensification of fundamentalist religion presents challenges and dangers to which we humanists must respond (Please note: everyone is welcome to attend the AGM, but only subscribing members may vote on resolutions. Dorset Humanists Annual membership costs £15).

“Join us to play your part in determining the future of Dorset Humanists”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Dorset Humanists' Response to the Woolf Institute's 'Living With Difference' Report

In September 2013 the Woolf Institute in Cambridge convened an independent commission to undertake, over a two-year period, the first systematic review of the role of religion and belief in the UK today and to make policy recommendations. 

Its report Living with Difference: Community, Diversity and the Common Good was published in December 2015. Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, was one of twenty distinguished commissioners.   

The report recognises the rapid increase in the number of people with non-religious beliefs and identities (49 per cent according to the British Social Attitudes Survey) and it gives considerable support to many humanist policy positions including a call for humanist representation on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, equitable representation for humanist chaplaincy in hospitals and prisons, the reduction of selection of school pupils and staff on grounds of religion, and the repeal of the requirement for collective worship in schools in favour of inclusive times for reflection.  

Its recommendations include the following:

• A national conversation should be launched across the UK by leaders of faith communities and ethical traditions to create a shared understanding of the fundamental values underlying public life which foster the common good
• Voluntary organisations should promote opportunities for interreligious and inter-worldview encounter and dialogue
• Much greater religion and belief literacy in every section of society
• All pupils in state-funded schools should have a statutory entitlement to a curriculum about religion, philosophy and ethics that is relevant to today’s society, and the broad framework of such a curriculum should be nationally agreed

Dorset Humanists can play its part in fulfilling all such recommendations. In particular, I would like us to hold an event during Inter-Faith week (3^rd week in November) and I would like us to strengthen our schools education project. We will also continue to arrange talks and evening courses to improve religion and belief literacy. I was pleased that the Bournemouth Echo included our humanist message on Christmas Day alongside religious messages and we have become a regular participant in the Bournemouth Remembrance Service. 

Please have a think about how you, as a member of Dorset Humanists, could help us to fulfil these aims. We look forward to hearing your views.

David Warden  

Events Programme Update

Dorset Humanists’ latest events programme is now available for download. This issue covers the period through to the first half of September 2015. As always, it includes stimulating presentations and discussions covering a wide range of topics with a great line-up of guest speakers, and we hope you’ll find many events that you’d like to attend.

Everyone is welcome to join us at our public events whether they are a member or not, so if you enjoy discussing some or all of these topics with like-minded people please come along. Our members and visitors are people with lively minds who want to learn, explore, discuss and debate, while ensuring our society is guided by sound values based on reason, evidence and compassion. We hope finding a group such as ours will also be a source of great friendship and fun!

Dorset Humanists is entirely funded by voluntary donations from our members and visitors, so if you enjoy our events and share our aims and values, please help us continue our activities by paying our optional annual membership fee of £12 (Students £5). Membership also enables you to participate in determining future group activities, vote on constitutional issues, and elect committee members.

To join us, pick up a membership form at one of our meetings, or see our website.

http://dorset.humanist.org.uk/dorset/DH%20Programme%20June%20-%20Sept%202015.pdf

Dorset Humanists help the homeless and victims of domestic abuse

Dorset Humanists’ Winter Appeal 2013/2014 raised £1727 to be split equally between the charities Refuge and New Forest Nightstop. Refuge provides a range of support services for women and children escaping domestic violence, and New Forest Nightstop offers emergency overnight accommodation for homeless 16-24 year olds.

Our group’s latest charity appeal was dedicated to the memory of Jane Bannister (1941-2013), a former Chair of Dorset Humanists, who sadly lost her brief battle with cancer in August last year. Jane was a keen supporter of both Refuge and New Forest Nightstop.

Paula McGoveney from Refuge said “We are enormously grateful, as our services have seen a 30% cut to their funding over the last year, and every penny raised is vital to help us fill that shortfall”. Jude Todd, from New Forest Nightstop, who experienced two years of homelessness herself when she was sixteen, said, “Thank you so much for the wonderful amount raised which will help bring safety to vulnerable young people from local communities”. “Our aim is to save them from reaching the streets and becoming victims there”. Jackie Hartless from Community First New Forest, the charity which manages New Forest Nightstop, recently visited us and gave an inspiring and informative talk about Nightstop and their work helping the homeless.

David Warden, Chair of Dorset Humanists, said, “We feel very privileged to be able to make a positive difference to the lives of young homeless people, and women and children who’ve suffered from domestic abuse”. “Jane would have been proud to know we’ve continued her efforts to support these worthy charities”.

Dorset Humanists is a Bournemouth-based community group for atheists and agnostics who want to make the world a better place.

If you wish to donate to either of the charities mentioned, they can be contacted as follows:

New Forest Nightstop Tel: 01425 478391 Email: nightstop@cfnf.org.uk

Refuge Tel: 020 7395 7713 Email: fundraising@refuge.org.uk

Is Britain a Christian Nation?

Friday 06^th June 7.30 –9.30pm 
Custom House (top floor function room), The Quay, Poole BH15 1HP

Featuring former Mayor and Parliamentary Lib-Dem candidate Cllr Philip Eades, Bishop of Sherborne the Rt Revd Dr Graham Kings, and Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden.

This topic has been prominent in the media recently following comments from David Cameron, with Justin Welby and some prominent secular philosophers also expressing their views.

No.34, a Christian based community café run by Poole Missional Communities, has invited Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden to join the main speakers at their forthcoming event discussing ‘Is Britain a Christian Nation?’. This event is designed to offer an opportunity for people of all religious beliefs and none to engage with a live issue. After the main presentations the topic will be further discussed in groups and you are very welcome to participate in the conversations and discussions (We’re sure David would appreciate some like-minded support!). After these group discussions, each of the main speakers will offer a final reflection having heard some of your conversations around the tables.

No.34 is a Christian based community café run by Poole Missional Communities and their vision is to offer a place of welcome and hospitality and to offer events and activities that build community and help people live ‘life to the full’.

Free entry         Everyone welcome!

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The Science of Happiness

Saturday 11th June 2.00pm Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown, Bournemouth, BH9 1TW

Update 12th June: Discuss this talk over at HASSNERS forum. What makes some people happier than others?

Is it possible to attain greater happiness in life, and sustain it, without dramatically changing our personal circumstances?

Studies by experimental psychologists show around half of your happiness level is genetically fixed and a surprisingly small 10% reflects your life circumstances. The great news is that 40% of your happiness level can be directly affected by simple daily activities and the conscious choices you make. In this interactive presentation, David Warden explores many of these scientifically tested ideas and techniques. Come along and find out how you can live a happier life!

Everyone welcome – Free entry

{If you can help promote Dorset Humanists by displaying an A4 poster for this event, please email Dave at: DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF copy}

Apes, Angels and Ancestors

Saturday 14th May 2.00pm

Moordown Community Centre Coronation AvenueMoordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW


Even people who accept the evolution of lower animals often struggle to believe our human ancestors also evolved from lower creatures, and turn instead to stories of divine creation. Most scientists find it equally difficult to believe we are not related to the rest of the natural world by descent because we are so similar in all our systems, including our brains.

In this fascinating presentation, distinguished biologist and author Jack Cohen explains how ‘the ape with the curious mind’ arose from creatures that were “just animals”.

Everyone welcome – Free entry

Dr Jack Cohen is an internationally known reproductive biologist who writes, lectures and campaigns to promote public awareness of science. He has written popular biology textbooks, more than 100 research papers, and books exploring complexity, chaos and simplicity with co-author, mathematician Ian Stewart. He is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on hypothetical alien biology and has designed alien creatures and ecologies for top science fiction writers including Terry Pratchett, Harry Harrison and Larry Niven. He is frequently heard on radio and has participated in several TV programmes including for the BBC’s flagship science series, Horizon.

Fairer Votes

For All?

Referendum Debate

Wednesday 27th April 7.30pm Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue Moordown, Bournemouth. BH9 1TW

In May we’ll have the opportunity to change our electoral voting system in the first national referendum since 1975. If you’re wondering how the proposed ‘Alternative Vote’ (AV) works and whether it really is more democratic, come along to hear the case for and against AV, and have your chance to question leading referendum campaigners.

Leading the debate in this Referendum Special will be our guest speakers; John Strafford, Chairman of the Conservative ‘Yes to AV’ Campaign, and Cllr Don Collier, leader of the local ‘NO to AV’ Campaign.

Everyone welcome – Free entry

John Strafford joined the Conservative Party in 1964, is Chairman of the Campaign for Conservative Democracy, and the author of ‘Our Fight for Democracy - A History of Democracy in the United Kingdom’.

Don Collier is a Poole Conservative Councillor, Computer Consultant, and passionate environmentalist. In 2009 he stood for election as an MEP and campaigned across the South West of England.

Dorset Humanists meet in Moordown, Bournemouth

Dorset Humanists

Dorset Humanists hold a Saturday afternoon meeting and a Thursday evening meeting each month at Moordown Community Centre*, Coronation Avenue, Moordown, Bournemouth, Dorset, England, BH9 1TW (*We occasionally hold special events at other venues, so please check our ‘Meetings & Calendar’ tab  and/or our programme for full details of our events and meetings).

Please note: SatNavs sometimes get it wrong - the Community Centre is actually on Kingsley House! (Phone 01202 511 552 if you get lost).

View Dorset Humanists meet monthly at Moordown Community Centre in a larger map (note: the red 'A' on the map above is in the wrong place!)

West Dorset Humanists

West Dorset Humanists meet once a month in Dorchester and also have many interesting talks and discussions.