A year in Humanist Heritage, and why our history matters | Madeleine Goodall

In this article, Humanist Heritage Manager, Madeleine Goodall, reflects on a busy year for Humanists UK’s educational work to improve public understanding of the long history of humanism, and its impact on politics, society, and culture.

During the first months of 2025, Humanist Heritage wrapped up our National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Doers, Dreamers, Place Makers, which reached hundreds of thousands of people, involved dozens of volunteers, and delivered a dynamic programme of events – from banner making to a summer fair. Since, we’ve continued at pace: delving into the archives, launching new resources, and engaging with history lovers across the country.

Humanist Heritage was first launched to mark 125 years of Humanists UK, and to fill the gaps in a historical narrative which often leaves out the non-religious. As well as better known examples – Nye Bevan and the NHS, Jennie Lee and the Open University, or Julian Huxley and UNESCO – we’ve worked to share the stories of the hundreds of lesser known but no less influential humanists whose impact is still felt today. These include co-founder of the British and Irish anti-apartheid movements, Kader Asmal,  revolutionising figure skater John Curry, and tireless divorce law campaigner May Seaton-Tiedeman; world leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Michael Manley, and John Ballance; and people who spent decades of their lives buoyed by, and buoying up, the humanist movement, like Nina Spiller, Beatrice McCabe, and Annie Lidstone.

This history is important, not just to correct the record but to give impetus and inspiration to our work today. Looking back can be a painful reminder of just how long we’ve been fighting some battles, from inclusive education to the eradication of blasphemy laws, but it’s also a reminder that – even if it takes decades or centuries – change does happen, and it’s human beings who bring about that change. Whether it’s achieving the right to affirm, expanding and defending reproductive freedoms, providing humanist ceremonies, or creating enduring works of art, there is much to be proud of, and plenty still to do!

In 2025, we’ve taken part in 25 events across 12 counties, from talks and walks to workshops and webinars. We’ve continued to grow the website, develop learning resources, expand our online collections, and build the Humanist Funeral Tribute Archive. Through our merger with the Rationalist Association, we’ve also added dozens of pages to Humanist Heritage celebrating the rich tradition of rationalism and the vast contribution of rationalist publications to a freer, more accessible press.

In case you missed it, or are simply interested to explore, you can find all of this and more using the links below.

Our digital collection

We are continuously working to make the history of humanism, rationalism, and freethought more accessible to everyone, everywhere. You can now:

• Explore our archives online: This year, we’ve added a range of historic humanist documents to the Internet Archive. We invite you to browse the collection and unearth some historical gems for yourself.

• Discover the rationalists: Following our merger with the Rationalist Association, we’re thrilled to have been regularly adding new content about rationalism – from biographies to historic articles.

• Keep an eye out for new additions: We’re always adding new pages and in-depth articles, so there’s always a new story to read.

Thanks to Heritage Lottery funding, we were also able to have hundreds of pages of our old journals (the Ethical Societies’ Chronicle, News & Notes, and Humanist News) digitised by the British Library. Along with the back catalogue of LGBT Humanists’ newsletters scanned by our volunteer, Kate, in 2023, we now have an unrivalled, searchable collection of humanist publications available to volunteers and researchers.

A treasure trove of resources

Whether you’re a teacher, a researcher, or just a history buff, we’ve been building a wealth of resources for you.

• Virtual tour: Our interactive virtual tours of Conway Hall have been a huge hit, with tens of thousands of views across our versions for schools and adults. If you haven’t taken the tour yet, it’s a fantastic way to explore this iconic building, and discover some of the key moments and figures that have shaped the humanist movement.

• Understanding Humanism: We’ve developed a range of heritage resources for Understanding Humanism, exploring the history and influence of humanists across a range of areas. Find them here.

• Humanist Heritage animation: Our animation Humanist Heritage: from radical ideas to common sense, launched back in 2023, continues to bring the story of humanism to life, and to new audiences, in under 2 ½ minutes. Check it out here.

Out and about: walks, talks, and workshops

We’ve loved connecting with people both online and in person over the past few months. This has included:

• Talks and training: We successfully launched our ‘What is humanist heritage?’ webinar, have been giving talks for local and partner groups, and have run teacher training on using the virtual tour. We’ve also held creative workshops on zine-making and plaque making, and shared humanist ‘Home Front’ stories as part of a museum’s VE Day commemorations.

• Heritage walks: We’ve hosted guided heritage walks in Belfast, Birmingham, Bloomsbury, Norwich, and Sheffield, and created resources to support local and partner groups looking to do the same in their own areas.

• Walk on your own: Can’t make a guided walk? Don’t forget a range of our walks are available on the Go Jauntly app, and are explorable even if you can’t do the walk itself.