Events

Sunday 13th July 6.30pm LSS Library 150th Anniversary To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Secular Society Library there will be readings from a few of the nearly 2,000 titles. This event will launch the revamped library, catalogue and access for members. It has the largest selection of books and pamphlets about Secularism, Freethought and Humanism outside of London as well as many books devoted to radical causes and ideas. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.   Image by Manuel Rios from Pixabay

Join us at Secular Hall for a talk exploring the rich and often overlooked history of Rationalist thought in India. The evening will begin with a talk tracing the roots of Indian Rationalism from ancient times to the present, highlighting key figures who challenged orthodoxy with reason and critical inquiry.    This will be followed by a representative of the Asian Rationalist Society of Britain, who will present the history, mission, and current work of the Society in promoting secular, rational values within the British-Asian community.   All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.

Sunday 29th June 6.30pm The Ghost Signs of Leicester and Leicestershire Colin Hyde   Colin will give an illustrated talk on painted advertisements, known as Ghost Signs, on the walls of local buildings. Leicester has a variety of ghost signs that advertise everything from foodstuffs and pubs to clothing and shoes, funeral directors and car repair to engineering and manufacturing.    Once you know to look for them, they are hard to miss. Colin Hyde manages the East Midlands Oral History Archive. He also has a passion for photographing Leicester’s buildings and streets All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.    

  In his book The Six Ways of Atheism Geoffrey Berg provides six succinct but profound arguments for Atheism. He does this in a way that has never been done before to prove that belief in God is actually contrary to Logic. Geoffrey is a libertarian, rationalist thinker, keen to develop an innovative, economically right-wing version of politics. He endeavours to fundamentally challenge the present centre-left academic and media near-consensus. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.  

Sunday 15th June 6.30pm FILM - Power Without Responsibility?   This film explores the consequences of a press that wields significant power but lacks accountability This film, produced by Hacked Off , examines how the press has fuelled discrimination, misreported on climate change, and intruded into private lives, all under the oversight of a press-controlled complaints body, IPSO.   All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits.  Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover costs.

 The National Secular Society, in partnership with Leicester Secular Society (LSS), will hold a panel discussion this summer to explore how to end caste discrimination in the UK. Caste systems are rooted in religious and cultural beliefs and are upheld in some south asian communities. Research has found evidence of caste discrimination and harassment in employment, education and in the provision of services. There are an estimated 50,000 – 200,000 people in the UK who are regarded by some as 'low caste' (sometimes known as 'dalits') and are at risk of caste discrimination. But unlike discrimination based on race, sex, sexuality or religion or belief, caste discrimination is not explicitly prohibited in UK law. The discussion will bring together campaigners and experts to explain how caste discrimination and prejudice affect the lives of people in the UK, and why laws against caste discrimination have been opposed by some religious groups. Several MPs have r...

Russell Sandberg is Professor of Law at the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University where he specialises in Law and Religion, Legal History, Family Law and Interdisciplinary approaches to law   We’ll be live streaming the event at the Secular Hall, so feel free to join us in person or tune in online.   Zoom details: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/ 85663017127?pwd= dk00NEhWUGxRK085VHBGS3E3K1VjZz 09 Meeting ID: 856 6301 7127 Passcode: 019219 All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.

 When Gauri Lankesh, a prominent journalist in Bangalore, was assassinated outside her home in 2017, the shock reverberated across India. Why was she targeted, and who was behind it?   In his book I Am on the Hit List, Professor Rollo Romig reveals a country that has been deeply affected by dogma, dissent, and the decline of democracy. Professor Rollo Romig will discuss his book (via Zoom from New York) in conversation. We’ll be live streaming the event at the Secular Hall, so feel free to join us in person or tune in online.   Zoom details: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/ 85663017127?pwd= dk00NEhWUGxRK085VHBGS3E3K1VjZz 09 Meeting ID: 856 6301 7127 Passcode: 019219   All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 ...

This talk will be questioning the distribution of economic and material wealth in the world. It will examine the effects of climate change, pollution and habitat destruction and how this looks when seen through the lens of our our moral values and ideas of fairness. Jamshed's life has been full of many adventures and learning experiences and he has gathered many stories to share and life lessons. He is of dual hertitage, his mother's family being from Shropshire and his father's from the Gujarat in India. He grew up in Leicester. Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

This talk looks at the rise of a new counter- Enlightenment that defends religion and Christianity in particular. The New Theists argue ‘not that religion is true, but that it is useful.’ Daniel is the new editor of the Freethinker .   We’ll be live streaming the event at the Secular Hall, so feel free to join us in person or tune in online.   Zoom details: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/ 85663017127?pwd= dk00NEhWUGxRK085VHBGS3E3K1VjZz 09 Meeting ID: 856 6301 7127 Passcode: 019219 All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.  

In his talk he will shed light on the practices of the Church of Scientology and talk about his advocacy for those affected by its activities. He campaigns against the London Underground adverts promoting Scientology. In addition, Alex will discuss the broader implications of religious organisations on individual freedoms and societal structures. Alexander Barnes-Ross (Apostate Alex) is an activist calling for an end to Scientology's abusive practices. The Scientology cross came into use in 1969. Given Hubbard's private affinity for Crowley and antipathy to Christianity, it's been suggested that the cross may have been inspired by Crowley's Rose Cross or might be a "crossed-out cross" i.e. anti-Christian symbol.   All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.     Image ...

Our Summer Programme starts with the Tadhamon Singers sharing songs, images and accounts from their tour of Palestine and subsequent campaigning activities in support of the Palestinian struggle. Tadhamon Singers are a group of women from Sheffield who took part in a solidarity visit to Palestine in 2022. Since then they have supported the Palestinian cause through presentations, concerts, singing in protests and campaigning activities. During their tour in the West Bank, Palestinians kept asking “please share our story”. Their presentation outlines aspects of their experience over time and bears witness to the resistance, resilience and hope that is part of Palestinian ‘sumud’ or steadfastness. They will illustrate how they use the power of song to show  solidarity and engage in activism in support of justice and equality for the Palestinian people. All welcome - admission free . ...

Why presentations using slides are so bad and the science on how you can fix it. Rajin Chowdhury is an Anaesthetic/ICM Registrar who is also a keen Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Trainer.  During his student days he was involved in the Sheffield Debating Society from 2006, being elected to the committee to manage the website and eventually becoming President in his final year. He represented the University at the European University Debating Championships 2009. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.   Image by Jonathan Hammond and OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

How did a remarkable collection of German artworks come to Leicester in the middle of World War Two? Nick Matthews looks at Leicester’s German Expressionist collection and two remarkable men: museum director Trevor Thomas and curator Hans Hess.   Birds’ Hell , 1937–1938 By Max Beckmann - https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-max-beckmann-holle-der-vogel-6089482 , Public Domain, Link

 An informal evening with the creative talents of Red Leicester Choir and Leicestershire Guild of Storytelling. Hear songs with a story to tell and enjoy tales to make the heart sing.   Members of Red Leicester Choir Red Leicester is Leicester’s socialist choir singing songs expressive of social and political protest, and songs of worldwide celebration, struggle and change. To find out more about them, including how to join us, please click here.   The Leicestershire Guild of Storytelling is a not for profit community association and, using their brand ‘The Story Tree’, aim to promote the traditional oral storytelling art in Leicester and Leicestershire. This is done by: running a free monthly club night to which anyone is welcome to come and tell a story or simply to listen to others tell; booking the best professional storytellers to come and perform in Leicester; providing training and workshops for those interested in develo...

Originally from Edinburgh, Eoin Carter is a doctoral researcher in the history and philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge, where he is completing a PhD on Richard Carlile and other pioneers of the British freethought movement. Alongside promoting awareness of secularism's long history, his work provides historical context to debates of secular interest in our own time, from freedom of speech and the right to offend to the ethical implications of emerging technologies. He is also a member of the National Secular Society Council. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.  

Ned Newitt This talk is about post war housing and slum clearance and looks at how the housing shortage was tackled in Leicester. It also surveys the problems of high rise flats, the use of non traditional construction and layouts and how this became a nightmare for many tenants.   Ned was born in Southend-on-Sea in 1946. He studied at Cardiff College of Art and came to Leicester in 1971. From 1984-2003, he was a Leicester City Councillor. He is a long standing member of the Society and is the current Chair.   Ned has written several books, most relating to the history of Leicester, including -   The Secular Hall - A History ...

The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was set up at the start of the Second World War to ferry new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, maintenance units (MUs), scrapyards and active service airfields. It also flew service personnel on urgent duty from one place to another and performed some air ambulance work. Notably, around 10% of its pilots were women, and from 1943 they received equal pay to their male colleagues, a first for the British government. Dorothy was invested as Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (formerly the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators) in 2014. It was the first time in the organisation’s 85-year history that it had been headed by a woman. She is an experienced pilot of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft with around 9,700 flying hours in about 95 different types. All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker ...

Dr Anthony B. Pinn will give a Zoom talk , in conversation, about Black Humanism: its history, its present, and the rich cultural sensibilities that infuse it. Dr. Pinn, is the Professor of Humanities and Religious Studies at Rice University Houston, working at the intersections of African-American religion, constructive theology, and humanist thought. He is founder and executive director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning in Houston, Texas, and Director of Research for the Institute for Humanist Studies in Washington, D.C. He is the author of the book: “The Black Practice of Disbelief.” We’ll be live streaming the event at the Secular Hall, so feel free to join us in person or tune in online.    Zoom details: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/ 85663017127?pwd= dk00NEhWUGxRK085VHBGS3E3K1VjZz 09 ...

Two local authors examine present day environmental concerns and how they have addressed them in their recently published novels. Fiona is a prolific reader and has a monthly blog about the best books she has read as well as about the general process of writing. She also has a page on wild swimming, something she loves to do and which doesn’t appear to feature much in literature. She is the author of "the Swimmer’s Almanac Trilogy" and is also a keen wild swimmer. All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.  

An update from the Great Central Railway on their project to reconnect two halves of the railway and create an eighteen mile heritage line across the shires, one of the biggest schemes ever attempted in railway preservation. Tom will set out the current situation and the progress towards "bridging the gap". All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.    

Long Covid has emerged as a constellation of symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and cognitive impairment following infection with Covid-19. This talk will address how common it is, what is causing it and what treatments are on the horizon. Chris Brightling is NIHR Senior Investigator and Clinical Professor in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leicester. His research focusses on improving the clinical management and understanding the mechanisms of airway diseases such as asthma, chronic coughs and COPD. He is the national lead for the post-COVID consortium PHOSP-COVID and local research lead for the COVID-19 pandemic. All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.    

A talk by Professor Satvinder Juss A revolutionary inspired by socialism, Bhagat Singh was a key figure in India’s independence movement. He founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha and played a leading role in the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, advocating for armed resistance against British rule. His powerful intellect was evident in writings like "Why I Am an Atheist", penned during his imprisonment, where he explained his rejection of religion and emphasized rationalism. In To Young Political Workers, Singh critiqued political stagnation and called for a socialist revolution. In 1928 Bhagat Singh plotted to kill the police chief responsible for the death of Indian writer and politician L. L. Rai. Unfortunately the wrong man was killed and in 1931 Bhagat Singh was hanged for murder at the age of 23. Bhagat Singh’s legacy endures as a symbol of revolutionary courage and intellectual brilliance. Satvinder is professor of law at King's College London and a ...

Sunday 26th January 6.30pm Burns Night The traditional celebration of the life and works of Rabbie Burns with pipes, poetry and the Canora Ceilidh Trio. Includes tasty traditional fare and a shot of Scotch. Tickets £16 (£12 members). For tickets contact Mike either by email to tickets@Lsec.org.uk or phone 07722 782727. Please indicate if you want the vegetarian option. No bar, bring your own drinks.

Angelo Errico For many people, one of the biggest worries as they grow old is being able to give their family a helping hand & make sure that when they die, what they have worked all their life for goes to the people they love the most. All welcome - admission free. Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome - £5 suggested to cover speaker and other costs.    

Dr Dhaliwal will talk on the Sikh Court and say something about the Sikh fundamentalist constellation in the UK and the tension between caste discrimination and Sikh fundamentalism.   Sukhwant is a lecturer at the London Metropolitan University and has worked for over ten years in the women’s voluntary sector, particularly for Black and minority women’s organisations supporting women and children fleeing violence and abuse. Since moving to research and academia, she has been on 15 research projects covering the intersection of ‘race’ and other equalities strands (gender, age, disability, religion and belief) with social issues, sexual violence prevention, religious fundamentalism, and radicalisation. She continues to work closely with feminist partners on writing and research..   We’ll be live streaming the event at the Secular Hall, so feel f...

  Image by Monika Grafik from www.pixabay.com

We will  need to largely provide our own entertainment for the event. Please contact events@lsec.org.uk if you can help with a quiz, play an instrument, sing us a song, give us a reading or be prepared to assist with organising.   Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay