What we’re about
Welcome to Central London Humanists!
CLH provides a meeting place for humanists, the secular, and other non-religious people, particularly those who live or work in the central London area of the UK.
Every month we hold a talk/lecture and several social events. Our social activities include group socials, a book group, picnics, walks, museum & cultural visits and theatre trips.
If you're not religious, or doubting your faith or belief and like open-minded communities, and would like to meet like minded people, come along and join us!
As we don't have a membership fee, a donation of £3 is suggested at each meeting. This goes towards our running costs, partnership fees and charitable donations. If it's your first time, we don't expect a donation.
We are a partner group of Humanists UK.
We are an Associate Member of Humanists International.
We're also on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Some of our previous talks are available on YouTube.
Anyone who joins us on Meetup can participate fully in events. They can suggest events, participate in organising events and much more.
As we are such a large group, each year we hold an AGM and elect a committee to help manage the group. To be a voting member of Central London Humanists, or to be a member of the committee, you must be a paid up member of Humanists UK (to join go here).
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- South Kensington -short stroll amazing architecture -a walk with Robert HallSouth Kensington Underground Station, London SW7 2NB
## South Kensington – short stroll seeing amazing architecture
## A guided walk of +-2 hours walking 3.6 Km / 2.25 miles
There is a great deal of amazing architecture of all kinds on this walk but please bear with your walk leader who knows next to nothing about architecture! In addition we will discover which was the first museum in the world to contain a restaurant, how Russian spies communicated with Moscow and Kensington’s oldest pub where the ghosts of dead priests desperately seek a way out. Refreshments after the walk will take place at a pub once owned by Charlie Chaplin.
Date: Saturday 19th of April 2025
Time: 2 pm with a prompt departure at 2.15 pm.
Place: Outside South Kensington Underground Station
Finishes: About 4.30 pm at The Zetland Arms
Maximum: 40 people
Cost £3
Meet near the flower stall opposite Pret, 15 Old Brompton Rd, South Kensington SW7 3HZ. (South Kensington underground station is a few metres away: after the ticket barriers walk straight up the stairs – don’t head for museums. District, Circle and Piccadilly lines). You can also find us with what3words.com using ///trace.almost.lofts
There are toilets at Pret or other local cafes.
We end for optional refreshments at the Zetland Arms, 2 Bute Street, South Kensington SW7 3EX. It is a short stroll from here to South Kensington underground station
Walk is led by Robert – 07981963681He can be contacted for further information but please note he won’t be able to respond to messages or calls after the walk has started.
The formal bit:
Maximum group size is 40 people. If you have signed up but find you can't attend, please change your RSVP on Meetup (it’s very easy to do) as soon as possible so others can join.You are responsible for your own actions and safety; there is no liability on the walk leader or CLH for anything that may happen on the walk. You must be able to walk at 2.5 mph and able to walk for 2.5 miles. It is participants responsibility to keep up with the walk leader. To safely cross roads, where appropriate, pedestrian controlled lights will be used and obeyed unless it is obvious that the whole group can cross safely. When stopped at a point of interest please be mindful of not blocking pavements so that members of the public can pass by safely.
Don’t forget this is the UK and it may rain at any time! Walk will go ahead whatever the weather unless dangerous conditions so please bring clothing for all seasons.
The majority of Central London Humanists events are free, but we kindly ask for a £3 contribution per head. This helps towards the running and organising of events, as well as various admin expenses. If you can't attend and would still like to contribute, please click here.
Maximum group size is 40 people. If you have signed up but find you can't attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible so others can join.
These walks are not suitable for dogs, sorry.
CLH events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.
- Earth Day Meetup 2025 with Humanists Climate ActionLink visible for attendees
Join Humanist Climate Action and Central London Humanists to celebrate Earth Day 2025.
We invite members and guests to join us to learn and discuss;
- What are the biggest climate threats to cities like London in the next 10–20 years?
- How does climate change worsen urban air pollution, and what does this mean for public health?
- Building Climate Resilience: How can authorities drive long-term adaptation, accountability, and community engagement?
- How can policy be improved to ensure safe, sustainable, and affordable living conditions for all Londoners?
- What successful climate adaptation policies from other cities could be implemented in London?
Speakers include;
Lori Marriott, Coordinator, Humanist Climate Action
Christian Jensen, Campaign Co-Ordinator, Central London Humanists
Rosa Appleby Alis, Mums for LungsHumanist Climate Action is a volunteer-led network of Humanists UK members and supporters committed to redefining lifestyles and campaigning for policies that promote low-carbon, ethical, and sustainable living in the light of the degeneration of the Earth’s climate and biodiversity. We bring humanists together to facilitate individual and collective action on these issues.
Humanists are guided by reason and science and recognise a moral duty towards the welfare of our fellow beings and the natural world. Humanists seek to engage in dialogue and debate rationally, intelligently, and with evidence, and promote the belief that humans are part of a wider natural world which must be treated sustainably for the sake of current and future generations.
For a view of the place of environmentalism within the humanist movement, please read Richard Norman’s ‘Why Humanist Climate Action?’
Humanist Climate Action is run by a committee of volunteers.
Get involved here!HCA Aims:
- To promote environmentally friendly policies, and to endorse and support the actions of other environmental campaigning groups that have similar objectives.
- To challenge beliefs that are not evidence-based and disinformation about environmental issues, particularly climate change.
- To encourage humanists to adopt greener lifestyles, following the best available scientific evidence.
- To ensure that the humanist voice is heard in religious or belief-led initiatives on environmental issues.
During the event there will be a chance to meet fellow members and learn about how to support Humanist Climate Action.
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Our speaker events are free, but we kindly ask for a £3 contribution per head. This helps towards the hire of the venue and equipment, and various other admin expenses. If you can't attend and would still like to contribute, or would prefer to pay online, please click here.
This event will be recorded, and participants will have the ability to not appear in the recording.
See here for the full list of FAQs related to CLH and our events and other activities
- CLH Book Group 📚 The Ministry of Truth by Dorian LynskeyRoyal Festival Hall, London
April's book: The Ministry of Truth: A biography of George Orwell's 1984 by Dorian Lynskey
Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing
The Ministry of Truth charts the life of George Orwell's 1984, one of the most influential books of the twentieth century and a work that is ever more relevant in this tumultuous era of 'fake news' and 'alternative facts'.
'Fascinating . . . If you have even the slightest interest in Orwell or in the development of our culture, you should not miss this engrossing, enlightening book.' – John Carey, The Sunday Times
George Orwell's 1984 has become a defining narrative of the modern world. Its cultural influence can be observed in some of the most notable creations of the past seventy years, from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale to the reality TV landmark Big Brother, while ideas such as 'thought police', 'doublethink', and 'Newspeak' are ingrained in our language.
In the first book to fully examine the origin and legacy of Orwell's final masterpiece, Dorian Lynskey investigates the influences that came together in the writing of 1984 from Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War and in wartime London to his fascination with utopian and dystopian fiction. Lynskey explores the phenomenon the novel became when it was first published in 1949 and the changing ways in which it has been read over the decades since, revealing how history can inform fiction and how fiction can influence history.
'Everything you wanted to know about 1984 but were too busy misusing the word "Orwellian" to ask.' – Caitlin Moran
The meeting starts at 7:15. At 7:30 pm we will break up into small groups. Those familiar with the CLH Book Group meeting know how this works: in each group we take turns introducing ourselves and giving our 1 minute thoughts on the book. It's important not to go over a minute and not to interrupt other people's minute so that everyone gets a chance to participate. After this first round, each group discusses for another 20 minutes or so.
We then shuffle the groups so as to talk to as many different people as possible and in the new groups repeat our introductions and 1 minute thoughts. We'll do this a couple of times before coming all together at the end in one last big group.
While we are very social and welcoming, the book group's primary focus is on discussing books. Feel free to turn up if you haven't managed to finish this month's book but note that the group works best when we have all read at least half of the book and are prepared to share our opinions.
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£3 per person to attend. If it's your first time, come and try us out for free!
If you prefer, you can pay online, by clicking here.We encourage dialogue, debate and sharing of information on our site but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any views expressed here are those of the individual posting them and may not reflect those of CLH.
- CLH Humanist Science Fiction GroupLink visible for attendees
Hello fellow Humanist Sci-Fi fans!
This is our online meeting where we will be able to explore and discover what we all like regarding our favourite sci-fi series, films, characters and books.
One topic to consider is what makes some sci-fi more Humanist than other and why, with examples please :D
As we will only be 6 days ahead of May 4th we will be celebrating Star Wars Day! We will be having a quiz about Star Wars - A New Hope (episode 4 but the very first film to be released 48 years ago!) and it's main characters. So you may want to watch / re-watch the film before we meet up.
A big question we will discuss as well is "Which sci-fi setting is the most likely to happen/best predictor of our future?" Utopia, dystopia or something in between and which flavour? Will one setting lead to another? Are the setting's predicted timelines accurate? Place your bets.
We also collaborated with the CLH book group and read "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir of "The Martian" fame last month. If you couldn't make that meeting or are just learning about it now, we are happy to stay on a bit longer after the meeting and do a second round of discussion.
Please also bring suggestions for ideas that would be interesting to cover and future events to add to the calendar both online and in person e.g. the Star Trek Convention which will be in Blackpool at the end of August.
Looking forward to hopefully seeing lots of you so we can boldly do lots together!
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How to Join:Register here on Meetup. We do not charge to attend our online events – but we ask for a £3.00 donation from those who are able, to help cover the group's costs (we do not have a membership fee like other groups).
An online donation of £3 can help us continue offering events like this and more - please use this link.………………
Central London Humanists is a volunteer-run community group. We aim to provide a safe space for the humanist community in London to come together for fellowship, learning and fun. We receive no financial support and are entirely funded by donations from our membership and event attendees.
Our events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.………………
Stay Connected with Central London Humanists- Subscribe to our mailing List
- For more events follow us on Meetup
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- Listen to the Humanism Now Podcast
For any questions email us at info@centrallondonhumanists.org.uk
