Supporting local causes

Broadly speaking, humanists champion causes and campaigns that support freedom of religion, belief, speech, thought and expression more generally. Humanists work for an open society and a secular state with no religious privilege or discrimination based on religion or belief. Humanists also seek an evidence-based approach to public ethical issues.

As a group, Gloucestershire Humanists support the following causes:

1) Since 2020, we select a charity to raise funds for each year. At the start of 2024 we chose The Gloucestershire Society (Established AD 1657) as our charity of the year having been impressed with their work distributing small grants to those in need in Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and Bristol, north of the River Avon, providing them with immediate help. Please consider donating using this GoFundMe link.

In both 2020 and 2021, we were proud to support Cheltenham Open Door in their work to support vulnerable and disadvantage people; and in 2022 we were proud to support Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees with their work helping refugees in-and-around Cheltenham. Last year, 2023, our support was given to the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust.

(2) We are members of Gloucestershire Hate Crime under the auspices of Victim Support who host the Gloucestershire Hate Crime Reporting Line. This service encourages anyone who has experienced targeted victimisation because of any aspect of their identity or perceived identity, to report it, anonymously if preferred.

(3) We are an ally of the LGBT+ Partnership, a support group for the LGBT+ community within Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and beyond.

The LGBT+ Partnership promotes, advances, and celebrates LGBT+ equality and inclusion by delivering activities and events that supports local LGBT+ groups and organisations .