Winchester Quaker Meeting House

03/06/2026

57 years since the Stonewall uprising. Quakers proudly supporting the LGBTQIA+ community 🌈

This month marks 57 years since the Stonewall uprising in 1969, when a police raid of a gay bar in Greenwich Village incited a riot and days of protests, one of the catalysts for the gay liberation movement in the United States. And Quakers were there.

Quakers came out to the streets to give first aid to injured protesters. Then the next year, when gay rights leaders were organizing the first Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade to commemorate the Stonewall uprising, they asked Quakers to teach parade marshalls about nonviolent civil disobedience. Quakers were the first and only religious group to march in that first gay pride parade, and they have done so ever since.

Quakers are not a monolith, and to this day some are not LGBTQ affirming. But many Friends were and continue to be proud allies and members of the q***r community.

12/05/2026

15th of May is National Conscientious Objectors' Day. 🕊️

09/05/2026

The 2026 Swarthmore Lecture by Stuart Masters looks at the complex legacy of early Quakers.
Further study available via Woodbrooke.

Thank you to everyone who joined us this weekend for Stuart Masters’ 2026 Swarthmore Lecture, Tangled Roots: Navigating the Complex Legacy of Early Quakers. We hope you found it thought-provoking.

If you missed it, or would like to watch again, you’re warmly invited to a shared premiere of the recording on our YouTube channel at 19:00 on Wednesday 6 May. You’ll be able to join the conversation with others in the live comments. After the premiere, the lecture will remain available to watch at any time.

The accompanying book is now available from the Quaker Bookshop in London and online: bookshop.quaker.org.uk/

We’re also offering further opportunities to explore the themes of the lecture in more depth with Stuart, including day events in Edinburgh and Oxford in July, as well as an online book group later in the year.

Find full details about the YouTube premiere and upcoming events here: https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/research/swarthmore-lectures/

Photo Credit: Mike Pinches for Quakers in Britain

09/05/2026

Our young Friends' Junior Yearly Meeting epistle 2026 ✨

04/05/2026

Wi******er and District Garden Festival

Come and see the Wessex Sculptors in our meeting house garden during this beautiful festival. The backdrop of our lovely garden is the perfect setting for these wonderful creations. 🦋🌱

https://garden-festival.co.uk/programme/GardenFestivalProgramme2026.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawRl34FleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4WBoWhgK9ZJHpCM25epIjQyjkGRwVFBudY56KDfTg7zX5qMysT6TFoIdIu9A_aem_c3I3UJmjoZb3e54DPhrDBg

12/04/2026

Craftivists callout...
Can you knit or crochet to help with this important event: highlighting the clash of values of Clarion Events who run many events, including the Baby Shows, and also the DSEI Arms Fairs!
Promoting both the health of our children and the potential destruction of them!
Items will be handed out, with flyers, at the Birmingham Baby Show next month.
Contact Quaker Roots directly for any further information.
Thank you. 🕊️

06/03/2026

Westminster Meeting House raided again by Met police.

Yesterday evening, 5 March 2026, for the second time in a year, the Metropolitan Police raided a Quaker Meeting House and arrested a number of young nonviolent activists who were meeting there, on the grounds that they were conspiring to commit a criminal act.

The room in Westminster Quaker Meeting House was let to Take Back Power to hold nonviolent direct action training. Quakers support the principle of nonviolent direct action, which aims to protest without harming people.

Oliver Robertson, head of witness and worship for Quakers in Britain, said: “For Quakers, faith and action are inseparable. Peaceful protest, prayer and nonviolent action are integral parts of many Quakers' religious life.

“Whilst we take the planning of criminal acts very seriously, we believe that this incident is a deliberate targeting of committed young people who want to make our country a more equitable place. This raid is part of a systematic stifling of dissent.

“That this is the second time in a year that the police have raided our meeting house dramatically illuminates the broader trend in the UK of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.”

https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quaker-meeting-house-suffers-second-met-police-raid

05/03/2026

The meeting house magnolia tree is coming into bloom and it is as glorious as ever in our beautiful garden 🩷

05/03/2026

Quaker statement on working for peace in the middle East.
"Stability and security are achieved through dialogue, diplomacy and careful long-term peacemaking, not through threats or weapons, which bring destruction, pain and death."

​Quakers in Britain have called on the UK government to focus on building a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East.

15/01/2026

Wi******er residents are invited to join a free community event that will shine a light on the hidden dangers of air pollution and explore practical solutions for cleaner air and healthier streets.

Let’s Clear the Air aims to spark lively, informed conversation about the air we breathe and the future of active travel in Wi******er.

As the first event in a new series of climate-focused talks, Let’s Clear the Air brings together two knowledgeable and passionate speakers:

Hazel Agombar – Local air-quality campaigner and Mums for Lungs volunteer
Air pollution: its impacts and how to breathe cleaner air

Ben Marsh – Rights of Way & Access Officer, South Downs National Park Authority
The realities of delivering active travel and access improvements in the South Downs National Park

The evening will offer a relaxed, welcoming space for anyone concerned about air quality, curious about climate issues, or interested in positive local action.

Venue: South Downs Social Café, 3–4 Kings Walk, Middle Brook Street, Wi******er, SO23 8AF
Date: Thursday 22 January
Time: 7–9pm (doors open and refreshments available from 6pm)
Tickets: Free – booking essential

Reserve your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-clear-the-air-exploring-air-pollution-active-travel-in-winchester-tickets-1978714587597

Start the year with fresh ideas and inspiring talks on climate action, exploring air pollution and active travel in Wi******er.