News and Past Events

Here’s a summary of what we’ve been up to in recent months

• December Talk – Andy’s Man Club
  We had a great talk from Andy’s Man Club in December (our slightly posponed November talk). They do some fantastic work helping men face up to their mental heath problems. Do support them if you can, and pass on their details to anyone who might appreciate their help. There are two active groups in Plymouth … Read more
• Interfaith Week 2023
  Last week was Interfaith Week, and some of our committee members took part in events to mark it, representing the non-religious in the city. Martin was on an Interfaith Panel at the University Chaplaincy discussing ‘What does it mean to live well together’, and later that week he and Tim attended an Interfaith Celebration at … Read more
• Bodmin to Lostwithiel Walk Oct ’23
  We had another very popular walk in October from Bodmin Parkway Station to Lostwithiel via the National Trust property at Lanhydrock. Fourteen people came along and were joined by three more at Lostwithiel, where everyone enjoyed some time in one of the local pubs before catching the train back to Plymouth.
• New Web Site
  We’ve got a new web site! We’ve been running on Joomla for many years, but the software has become outdated, so we decided to move to WordPress, by far the most poular content management system nowadays. The content should be pretty much the same, but with a slightly different look.
• First Light
  Our first talk of the autumn was from Jack Hawkins of First Light, who spoke to us in September. First Light is a charity for anyone who has experienced domestic or sexual abuse. John is an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser and spoke to us about his work supporting his clients (who in his case are … Read more
• AGM 2023
  Our 2023 AGM went very well on Saturday 15th July, thanks to all those who attended. Here are the key points. After steering us successfully through the last few years, including all the challenges of the pandemic, Jess is standing down as Chair.  She was thanked for all she has done for the group, which … Read more
• Trade Unions in the 21st Century
  June’s talk was a very informative account of the foundations of the modern Trade Union movement, its achievements and current challenges. Our speaker was Kevin Treweeks, a local trade union activist, who was clearly very knowledgeable on the subject. As usual, we had a lively discussion after the talk. £40 was collected on the night … Read more
• June 23 Update
  I’ve been a bit lax with updates recently, so here’s what we’ve been up to over the last few months. Our March talk was from Rebecca Vincent, a local humanist celebrant. She told us about her work and the many interesting experiences she has had as a celebrant. Our April talk was from Jackie Young … Read more
• Robin Ince – Bibliomaniac
  Robin Ince was again very generous with his time in February and came to Plymouth to talk about his latest book, Bibliomaniac. He gave a very entertaining talk, as you would expect, then after the break answered questions from the audience. It was great to see so many there to hear him talk.
• Dartington to Totnes Walk
  Our first walk of 2023 was from Dartington to Totnes. We travelled out by bus and back by train. We were fortunate to have Tom, who lives in Totnes, meet us at the start point and guide us along a scenic route, taking us through Dartington Hall and its estate, then alongside the Dart and … Read more
• Talking to Children about Humanism
  Our first talk of 2023 was from our Secretary, Tim Purches.  Tim has been a volunteer school speaker for six years, and he talked his experiences over that time. After telling us about how he became a school speaker, he then gave us some facts and figures about how many schools he has visited and … Read more
• December ’22 Walk around Yelverton
  We had a break from talks in December, but we still organised a social event. Instead of our usual Christmas buffet (the World Cup meant we wanted to avoid meeting in a pub!) we had a walk around Yelverton followed by a meal in the Rock Inn. It was cold, but still a very enjoyable … Read more