Cumbria Humanist Group

What's On?

This page will include not only our own Meetings Programme but also information about neighbouring Humanist Groups' activities (see also Links page) plus other events in the area that might be of specific interest to our members.  Please let us have your suggestions.

For those of you who are not able to attend our meetings, or see the reports in your local newspaper (although we are in touch with all the local press in Cumbria), we are now posting meeting reports on the Documents page.   

CHG Meetings Programme 

(Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month,  at 7.30 pm, at either the Eden Rural Foyer, Penrith or the Morton Community Centre, Wigton Road, Carlisle.  Maps of the venues can be downloaded from the Documents page.)

20 February 2008 :  Members' Discussion Group.   Click here for details.  (Carlisle)

19 March 2008 : Pepper Harow (BHA's Local Development Officer) will talk about her       Local Development Project.   The project is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government.   (Carlisle)

16 April 2008 :  Anne Bell and colleagues, Quakers from Penrith Meeting, will talk about shared values between Humanists and Quakers. (Penrith)           

21 May 2008 :  Anne Pickles, columnist and Associate Editor at Cumbrian Newspapers, will talk about maintaining editorial balance over controversial issues in a local newspaper.  (Carlisle)

18 June 2008  :  Dr Jamie Caryl will talk about "Superbugs - and other aspects of Micro-evolution".    See also Sense about Science   (Carlisle)

16 July 2008  :  : Members' Discussion Group, including reports from both the North East Humanists Regional Conference at Durham on 17 May (Diana Martin and others) and the Humanism course held at Higham Hall at the end of May (Nona Murray).   Iain Paterson will talk about his continuing role as a member of Cumbria SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education), as well as his experience as a BHA Trustee. We also hope to hear from Michael Lawton and John Seed about their activities within the BHA Local Development Project. (See March meeting details.)    (Penrith)     (NEW)

17 August 2008 (Sunday) :  Visit to Smardale Gill Wildlife Centre (near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria).  Possibly - or even probably - preceded by a pub lunch.  The Black Swan at Ravenstonedale looks promising.  Please let us know (by phone, email or at the next meeting) if you plan to come as it would be good to have some idea of numbers, both for Smardale and the pub.  (NEW)

17 September 2008  :  David Pollock, President, European Humanist Federation,  Trustee, British Humanist Association,  Board Member, Rationalist Association, will talk about "Church and State in Europe and the work of the European Humanist Federation"    (Carlisle)    

15 October 2008  :  David Boulton, author and journalist (both print and TV) and member of the Sea of Faith Network, will talk about “Taking Humanism to Church.”   (Penrith) 

19 November 2008  :  Members’ Soapbox. Three short talks by members – topics to be notified – each followed by discussion.  Volunteer speakers are invited to contact Chris or Iain.   Have a look at Iain’s Topics List for inspiration.   If we’re inundated with offers (I jest?) we’ll have to draw them out of a hat!   (Carlisle) 

3 December 2008  :  Annual Dinner at The Bay, Denton Holme, Carlisle.  We used this venue for the first time last year and were generally impressed, so we’ve booked again. (Details later.)

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North East (Tyneside) Humanist Group

(Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at The Literary and Philosophical Society (‘Lit & Phil’), 23, Westgate Road, Newcastle. Tea/coffee at 6.45 pm for a 7.15 pm start. Visitors are very welcome.   Click for Map.)
 
21 February 2008 :  Face to Face.  An evening of discussion in small groups, to be led by John Hodge.

20 March 2008  :  Annual General Meeting.

17 April 2008 :  Andrew Copson, Education and Public Affairs Officer of the BHA, will talk about "Campaigning for Humanism". 

15 May 2008 :  "Speaking as a Humanist."  Three members each speak for 10 minutes on a subject of their choice.

Saturday 17 May 2008 :  North East Humanists Regional Conference, as part of the Group’s 50th anniversary year celebrations, to be held in the Senate Suite of Durham Castle.   (You can download Details and Application Form here.)

19 June 2008 :  Jack Grassby, an NEH member, will ask "Should Humanists be Activists?"    (Yes! - and I'll definitely be at that one!! You may possibly differ!    Chris Allen)

17 July 2008 :  "Globalising the Free Mind" - a report on the International Humanist and Ethical Union Congress, Washington, USA, by Jean and Barrie Berkley.

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Liverpool Humanist Group

Darwin Day Celebrations - Day out at Chester Zoo
Saturday 9th Feb. 2008, 10.30am to 4pm 

Including a Talk: ‘Darwin: The Man and his Influence’ by Dr. Ian Harvey, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool. Darwin's birthday is on February 12th, which is also the anniversary of the publication of his famous book, On The Origin of Species. To celebrate this we are organisng a trip to Chester Zoo. All are welcome, adults and children, you don't need to be a humanist, or non-religious to enjoy this day out, so please join us.

(For more information and to download a booking form, click here.)

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Birmingham Humanists 

Click for Programme and Newsletter.

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