On 7 August 2024, Unitarians from across the UK met online at a meeting convened by Ann Howell, our Unitarian Social Action Officer, to consider our response to the civil unrest and far-right violence affecting large parts of the UK at the start of August 2024. We discussed a wide range of topics, including people feelings around attending protests, how to stay safe when doing so, and how to hold a space in our worship gatherings for people needing to process what is going on and their feelings of distress and trauma.

Again, we revisited the topic of behavioural covenants; in increasingly diverse congregations, we need to find ways to balance people’s right to expression and freedom of speech, with their rights to feel safe and not hear racist views expressed in places of worship – a challenge for all community and worship leaders in the modern world. We agreed to produce a resource pack on this, currently being coordinated by Ann Howell. Thanks to her and the other convenors for putting this together and creating this space for us!