As we have done several times previously, Unitarians from across the UK gathered on Zoom with mugs of coffee to discuss communications, this time with special guests Victor Anderson, a policy advisor and economist from Brighton Unitarians, and Rev. Julio Torres, Citizens UK liaison. Having met Rev. Torres in person at last year’s ‘Unitarians Leading Into The Future’ event in Prague, it was a pleasure to see him again. The event was hosted by Lizzie Kingston-Harris, the Unitarian Congregational Connections Lead, and Ann Howell, the Social Action Officer.

As has happened previously, we began with a focus on the topic in question, looking at issues such as how to support people to register to vote, how to support people to vote whether in person or by post, and the issues around renting out church property for election-related purposes. We shared useful resources, including this handy page from Mencap about how to support people with learning disabilities to vote: Mencap and Accessible Elections and this link to the UK Parliament Outreach service, who can offer workshops within communities to help people understand how the UK Parliament works: UK Parliament Outreach Community Work Team.

After that, the discussion became more freewheeling, covering various topics relating to this, such as the limits of leasing space for worship, issues around insurance and free speech, and the thorny topic of behaviourial covenants. As our congregations become more diverse, and the views within them more diverse (especially in the social media age), what guidance is available for community leaders needing to balance the need for free speech and free discussion, with respect for all and the need to keep our places of worship safe spaces? We didn’t necessarily find The Answer, but we found several parts of it. Thanks to all involved in organising!