Brigid Haines Humanist Ceremonies

18/03/2025

Wales is leading the way, again! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Mari Vaughan-Owen is the first humanist pastoral carer in any UK parliament. In our interview, she shares her experiences supporting Members of the Senedd – Welsh Parliament – through stress, grief, and daily challenges from a non-religious perspective.

It's important this support is on offer. Everyone should have access to like-minded pastoral care, regardless of their religion or belief background.

We'll pop the full interview below.

22/01/2025

BREAKING: Harriet Harman has today tabled an amendment to the Government’s Hereditary Peers Bill which aims to end the automatic right of Church of England bishops to sit in the House of Lords.

This amendment is an important move towards a more democratic House of Lords. The presence of bishops in Parliament gives undue weight to one particular religious group, sidelining the interests of the strong majority of people in the UK who are not members of the Church of England.

It is simply not appropriate for unelected representatives of one religious denomination to hold a privileged place in our legislative process. We congratulate Baroness Harman for her leadership on this issue and urge others to support this vital reform.

10/11/2024

03/11/2024

This year I was lucky enough to lead a naming ceremony for baby J. It was a wonderful family affair.

16/10/2024

BREAKING:

Former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said

'I will (if the Government is not willing to table an amendment) table an amendment to remove the 26 bishops from the House… to make the upper house a fairer and more reflective chamber.’

In a debate about the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, Mr Williamson said:

‘There is a big opportunity here as well as unfairness and injustice. So many people of so many faiths, and so many people of no faith at all, see the fact there are 26 bishops here... And that this is not reflective of a United Kingdom and not reflective of what this country looks like today. So I will (if the Government is not willing to table an amendment) table an amendment to remove the 26 bishops from the House… to make the upper house a fairer and more reflective chamber.’

This is Humanists UK's view too.

For the longest time, the UK has sat in an uncomfortable club of two with Iran, as the only two sovereign states in the world where religious clerics vote on laws that affect everyone.

08/10/2024

Really important assisted dying update from Wales. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The Senedd will hold its first debate on assisted dying in over a decade. Here's everything you need to know and why it's essential for creating a more compassionate law. 👇

The Senedd does not have the power to change the law on assisted dying, as it is currently a matter governed by criminal law which is not devolved.

However, if assisted dying were in some circumstances taken out of criminal law and made a health matter, then responsibility would transfer to the Senedd, Welsh Government, and NHS Wales.

As such, it is essential that the Senedd has a say in any assisted dying law coming from Westminster.

The Welsh Government needs an in-depth understanding of any proposals. Support for assisted dying in the Senedd would put pressure on Westminster to enact a change in the law across the UK.

It's our hope that before long, the UK's inhumane blanket ban will end, and that both terminally ill and incurably suffering people will be heard, and have the right to die with dignity, in a time, manner, and place of their own choosing.

Full story in comments.

24/07/2024

13/05/2024

No child should be made to pray or worship a god.

28/03/2024

The Assisted Dying Bill Scotland has been published today. Humanists UK welcomes the bill and hopes it passes the next stage, but urges politicians not to ignore people like Tony Nicklinson, who would not be eligible for the proposed law. Currently, the bill is limited to only people who are termina...

11/03/2024

The reports coming out of Hull are alarming, and heartbreaking for all of us who dedicate our lives to help the bereaved and caring for those who died.

We are thinking of the devastated families and cannot imagine the pain and suffering they must be enduring.

We want to reassure all of the families that trust us with the care of your loved one, that we do not take this trust lightly.
Each person is shown the same respect and care that we would show to our own mother, father, husband, wife, daughter, son.
This is what my grandfather taught me when I started working for him as a teenager and is what I have passed on to the over 700 students I have taught since as a tutor and assessor for the
Independent Funeral Directors College

As a quality assurance assessor (used to be known as an inspector) for the trade association for independent funeral directors, SAIF, I have made over 800 visits to member companies, ensuring standards and processes are robust.

I have also sat on the Executive Board of SAIF for 13 years. Education and standards are the cornerstone on which our profession is built and it hurts to know that there are individuals acting so contrary to the ethics that the rest of us uphold.

Please, when selecting a funeral director, do not be afraid to ask questions. Get to know us, do you feel comfortable with us? Are you happy with how the person who has died will be cared for? A reputable funeral director will be happy to answer all of your questions without hesitation. And lastly, please look for the logo. Choose a business that follows the SAIF code of practice and is overseen by them.

Gemma

15/02/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/VAatvKuc6BLrGtqr/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Human beings did this. There are no gods to hold accountable.

It falls upon the human species not only to protect the Earth for the benefit of its own continuation, but for the preservation of Earth's wondrous and remarkable biodiversity.

We are part of nature, not separate from it.

The science on climate change is clear. And as humanists, we listen to the science, and adjust ourselves accordingly.

For more about Humanist Climate Action, check the comments.