Boyd Sleator

Northern Ireland Coordinator

Boyd is the Coordinator of Northern Ireland Humanists, leading its campaigns, services, community work, and public engagement. Before joining Humanists UK in 2016, he organised events promoting the public understanding of science and was the founding Chair of Atheist NI.

Boyd has played a leading role in Northern Ireland Humanists’ campaigns for equality, human rights, and freedom of religion or belief. His work has included the successful campaigns for legal humanist marriages, equal marriage, reform of Northern Ireland’s abortion law, and the repeal of blasphemy laws, as well as wider efforts to challenge religious privilege in law and public life.

Education is a major focus of his work. Boyd has led campaigns to reform Religious Education and collective worship, secure greater recognition of non-religious worldviews, improve inclusive RSE, and make state-funded schools more inclusive. He was closely involved in the landmark JR87 case, which reached the UK Supreme Court in 2025 and established that Northern Ireland’s approach to Religious Education and collective worship must meet the standard of being objective, critical, and pluralistic.

Boyd is also a trainer for Humanist School Speakers and Non-Religious Pastoral Care and regularly speaks in schools, universities, and the media. Alongside his humanist work, he is a trustee of the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum, a member of the Belfast Regional Music Board and Purple Flag Steering Group, co-founder of Free The Night, and convener of the After Dark Alliance.

Iain Deboys

Chair

Iain has been an office-bearer in humanist organisations for over 25 years. As Chair of the Northern Ireland section of Humanists UK since 2016 he is responsible to the Chief Executive for advising on and supporting the development of Humanists UK’s work in Northern Ireland. As a Trustee of Humanists UK, Iain is responsible for ensuring that the Northern Ireland perspective is heard at a national level. He is keen to help the humanist community here grow and that there is an understanding of humanist and secular heritage in Northern Ireland. Iain is also a School Speaking Volunteer.

Laura Fitzsimons

Delivery Group Volunteer

Laura is a member of the Northern Ireland Humanists Delivery Group, which supports and oversees the work of the Northern Ireland Coordinator and helps ensure that Humanists UK’s development plans for Northern Ireland are being delivered effectively.

A primary school teacher with an MA in Education from Goldsmiths, University of London, Laura brings extensive experience in education to her humanist work. She has worked with Humanists UK to support teacher and school speaker training and is passionate about inclusive education, critical thinking, human rights, and helping young people understand humanism as a non-religious worldview.

Laura is also a trained Non-Religious Pastoral Support Volunteer and an accredited Humanists UK wedding celebrant, creating personal and meaningful ceremonies for couples across Northern Ireland.

Scott Wilson

Bangor Humanists Coordinator

Scott Wilson is the coordinator for Bangor Humanists, working to bring together the non-religious community across North Down for thoughtful discussion, social connection, and positive civic action.

A familiar face in local public life, Scott served as a local councillor for nine years. Following his time on council, he channelled his passion for public service into advocacy and community-building within the humanist movement, championing critical thinking, compassion, and an open, inclusive society. Alongside his community work, Scott has run a successful IT business for over 15 years, providing technology solutions to organisations across Northern Ireland.

When he isn’t organising events or talking tech, Scott is an avid follower of developments in science and artificial intelligence. He lives in Bangor with his wife, Ciara, and their three cats.

Norma Sleator

School Speaker Coordinator

Norma Slater coordinates the Humanist School Speaker programme in Northern Ireland, supporting trained volunteers who visit schools, colleges, and teacher training settings to help young people learn about humanism as a non-religious worldview.

A retired lecturer at Ulster University, Norma has extensive experience in education and teacher training. She brings that background to her work with Northern Ireland Humanists, helping to promote high-quality, inclusive teaching about religion and worldviews and supporting teachers to engage confidently with humanism in the classroom.

Norma is also a trained Humanist School Speaker and regularly works with schools to encourage critical thinking, understanding, and respectful discussion around beliefs and values.

Pippa Swan

Pastoral Care Coordinator for Northern Ireland

Pippa Swan is a trained non-religious pastoral carer with Northern Ireland Humanists and has been part of our pastoral care work for almost eight years.

Since 2019, Pippa has provided non-religious pastoral care at Maghaberry Prison, supporting people through difficult, uncertain, and often deeply personal moments. She has also worked within hospital settings since 2023, offering compassionate, person-centred support to patients, families, and staff of all religions and beliefs.

In 2026, Pippa became the first non-religious person in Northern Ireland to be appointed to a paid chaplaincy role within a Health and Social Care Trust, joining the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust as a Bank Chaplain.

Pippa’s approach is centred on active, empathetic listening and providing emotional, moral, and existential support without religious assumptions. Her work helps ensure that people who are non-religious can access pastoral care that reflects their own worldview, while remaining inclusive and supportive of people from all backgrounds.