Grassroots humanism: lessons from Bournemouth
- David Warden
- Jul 31
- 4 min read
By David Warden
Local humanist groups are thriving in some places, struggling in others, but facing remarkably similar challenges. At a gathering of group organisers during the Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth, representatives from across England and Wales shared their experiences of building local communities. Their discussions painted an encouraging picture of a movement that is creative, resilient and increasingly willing to learn from one another.
For the past three years, Humanist Groups Working Together, an online network of humanist groups in England and Wales, have met in person at the Humanists UK annual convention. This year, with the convention being based in Bournemouth and rebranded as the Festival of Humanism, the groups meeting was hosted by Dorset Humanists. Drinks were provided and I facilitated a group discussion which produced a lively picture of the health of humanist groups nationally.
65 people attended, representing 28 groups (not counting ‘Humanist Professionals’). We didn’t record whether groups were Humanists UK Partners or Humanists UK Local Groups. In alphabetical order, groups represented, with a snapshot of their current state of health, were as follows:
1. Basingstoke Humanists – dormant
2. Bristol Humanists – expanding
3. Bromley Humanists
4. Cardiff – expanding
5. Central London Humanists – stable/expanding
6. Cornwall Humanists – expanding
7. Dorset Humanists – expanding
8. Farnham – expanding
9. Gloucestershire Humanists – stable
10. Greater Manchester Humanists
11. Humanist Professionals
12. Kent – stable
13. Leicester Humanists – expanding
14. Liverpool – stable
15. Ludlow & Marches Humanists – contracting
16. Milton Keynes – contracting
17. North East Humanists
18. Nottingham – expanding
19. Oxford Humanists – expanding
20. Peterborough – stable/hoping to expand
21. Plymouth Humanists – stable
22. Portsmouth – expanding
23. Reading Humanists – stable
24. Salisbury – to be set up
25. Sheffield – stable
26. South West London Humanists
27. Stockport Humanists
28. Swansea Bay Humanists – stable/expanding
29. York Humanists – stable/expanding
Overall, the picture was encouraging. The majority of groups described themselves as stable or expanding, including several new or developing groups.
Growing or thriving groups mentioned a wide variety of activities including talks, discussion events, cafés, social meetings, walks, book groups, film events, schools work, science meetings and community activities.
The feedback suggests that local humanism remains active and resilient, with groups experimenting with different ways of bringing humanists together.
The main challenge was renewal — both in terms of attracting younger and more diverse participants and in encouraging existing members to become active volunteers and organisers. Different groups expressed this in different ways:
recruiting volunteers
encouraging members to become active organisers
succession planning
attracting younger members
reaching more diverse audiences
avoiding over-reliance on a small number of people
This appears to be a common challenge across local groups, including successful ones. The issue is not simply attracting people to events, but developing the next generation of organisers and contributors.
Many groups felt they could improve communication with local humanists and potential humanists. There is clearly a large population of people who broadly share humanist values but who may not know that local humanist groups exist or understand what they offer. Possible areas for sharing experience include:
websites and newsletters
social media
Meetup and other platforms
local publicity
partnerships with other organisations
creating events that appeal beyond existing members
A continuing question for local groups is: “How do we reach the hidden humanists in our communities?”
Feedback about interaction with Humanists UK was generally constructive. Some groups described the relationship as supportive, while others identified areas where communication or support could improve. However, the overall impression was that discussion has moved on from earlier concerns towards asking how all parts of the humanist movement can work together more effectively.
There appears to be a shared interest in strengthening local humanism regardless of organisational structure.
Most groups reported some contact with other local groups. This suggests that Humanist Groups Working Together, together with the Group Representatives' Annual Meeting, have already helped encourage connections and conversations between organisers.
The next stage may be less about creating communication channels and more about using those connections effectively:
sharing successful formats
exchanging practical resources
learning from experiments
supporting groups facing common challenges
The success stories were particularly interesting because they showed the diversity of grassroots humanism.
Community building
cafés and informal discussions
shared meals/breakfast/brunch
pub/bar socials
walks
social activities
Learning and ideas
talks and lectures
book groups
podcast discussion groups
philosophy discussions
science events
Public engagement
schools work
festivals
outreach activities
partnerships
Pride events
public debates on ethical issues
There is no single model for a successful humanist group. Different approaches work in different communities. Groups reported success through a mixture of intellectual, social and community activities. The feedback suggests that successful local humanism combines ideas with opportunities for friendship, conversation and belonging.
The Bournemouth discussions suggest that Humanist Groups Working Together can play an important role by helping local groups share experience and learn from each other.
Possible future themes include:
How do we attract younger participants?
How do we turn attendees into volunteers and organisers?
How do we improve visibility and reach hidden humanists?
What event formats work best?
How can established groups support emerging groups?
How do we build sustainable humanist communities?
The overall message from Bournemouth was encouraging: local humanist groups face common challenges, but there is a great deal of creativity, experience and enthusiasm across the movement. The opportunity now is to connect that knowledge so groups can help each other flourish.
Contact
If you would like to contact Humanist Groups Working Together, email us at humsgroups@gmail.com
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