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

Donate to Dorset Humanists

If you share Dorset Humanists aims and values and appreciate our work and activities, please consider supporting the group by making a donation, and/or joining as a member.




We’re very keen to maintain free entry to most of our events, and we do rely on our members and supporters for a reliable source of income to fund our activities. 

Here are just a few reasons why Dorset Humanists is worth supporting:

• Dorset Humanists is the only group locally which provides a dedicated forum and activities for non-religious people, compared to hundreds of churches in Dorset. 

• Dorset Humanists have assisted in negotiations to get secular, non-religious philosophies such as Humanism into local RE syllabuses across Bournemouth, Poole, and Dorset, so children can learn to think more broadly about religion and philosophy. 

• Dorset Humanists have written to more than 300 councilors across Dorset highlighting that policymakers need to be aware the government's British Social Attitudes surveys indicate around 50% of the United Kingdom's population are not religious, even if they sometimes tick the ‘Christian’ box as a cultural reflex at Census time. 

• Our events attract media attention and give a voice to people who want a more enlightened approach to public policies such as secular education. 

Dorset Humanists has grown from a handful of members to well over a hundred and fifty in the last few years. With your continued support, we’d like to maintain our growth momentum so we can have an even bigger impact in Bournemouth, Poole, and Dorset.