Volunteer role: In-Person Social Host for Faith to Faithless - Manchester

Faith to Faithless, part of Humanists UK, provides dedicated support to individuals who leave high-control religious groups.

The service is led largely by people with lived experience, who understand the unique challenges of stepping away from a closed community. Leaving a high-control religion can be a deeply disruptive transition; people often face sudden isolation through the loss of lifelong family and social networks, and the challenge of building an independent life from scratch. In some cases, individuals may also experience other pressures or religious abuses, or struggle to find understanding from public services.

We exist to ensure that nobody has to walk that journey alone. Through peer support and social events, we create safe, welcoming spaces where people can rebuild their confidence and find their feet in wider society.

Read more about what Faith to Faithless does on our website.

We are looking for a friendly and motivated volunteer to team up with our current In-Person Social Host in Manchester. This is an exciting opportunity to support Faith to Faithless by contributing to our efforts to better support people who have left controlling religions, and to create a community of friends who share similar experiences.

We arrange social events for ex-religious people in several cities in the UK, and have been holding them in Manchester for some time. These are simple events, perhaps in a cafe or pub, or going for a walk in a park. The venue, date, and time of the event, as well as the frequency of them, is the decision of the volunteer hosts. The promotion of the event and inviting the attendees is done by the staff team.

As a Social Host, you would arrive early for the event and welcome people as they arrive, starting up conversations with people and introducing them to the other attendees. It really is just like a group of friends meeting to chat. People may, and usually do, chat about their experiences leaving religion, or they may prefer to chat about something else. These spaces enable people who may have lost connections with many religious friends and family members to meet others who share a similar past and hopefully build ongoing friendships.

Take a look at the full role description and person specification to help you decide whether the role is right for you, and consider what you would get out of the role as well as what you might bring to it.