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Please follow this link to the Spring 2016 Bulletin. It's continued to be a busy period for the Society challenging religious privilege on many fronts. We've been busy working on the protection of free speech, on equality and on human rights. There's an update on our efforts to block increased religious discrimination and counter other undue religious influence in state schools. Education remains our most important campaign across the nations of the UK.

Education may be among the clearest area where religious privilege intrudes onto the rights of Britons, but secularism is a fundamental principle of fairness we'll always stand up for – whether it's challenging faith schools and compulsory worship or helping a small group on the Western Isles stand up to local Sabbatarians over the right to swim on Sundays.

This time of year I always look forward to Secularist of the Year – our annual awards reception – which gives us the opportunity to celebrate and reward inspiring activists and campaigners and also to meet members from around the country as well as honorary associates. We're very excited to exclusively announce this year's shortlist in the Bulletin (see below) – I'm sure you'll agree that they'd all be worthy winners.

Tickets are currently on sale for Secularist of the Year 2017 – just £40 for members. I sincerely hope you can join us for this special event which is always an uplifting and enjoyable time.

Also in the Bulletin you'll see that we've launched a major new report – Rethinking religion and belief in public life: a manifesto for change. Effecting meaningful change, however reasonable, takes effort and support. Without members like you there would be no National Secular Society. That is why we want to thank you for your continued support.

With best wishes,

Terry Sanderson
President

The shortlist for Secularist of the Year 2017 announced for the first time with the Spring Bulletin is:

• Prof. Ted Cantle CBE
  For his advocacy of integrated education and social cohesion.

• Asma Jahangir (former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion)
  For her principled advocacy of universal human rights and commitment to secular justice.

• Prof. Steven Kettell
  For co-ordinating a secular response to the Commission on Religion and Belief.

• Houzan Mahmoud/The Kurdish Culture project
  For their initiative to provide a platform for Kurdish writers, feminists, artists and activists to advance gender equality, freedom and universal rights.

• Scott Moore/Let Pupils Choose, a Northern Ireland Humanists campaign
  For challenging compulsory worship and religious privilege in Northern Ireland's schools.

• Yasmin Rehman
  For her advocacy of a secularist approach to tackling hate crime and promoting the human rights of women.

Finally. Along with the Bulletin, members have been sent an update on our 150th anniversary appeal. We are extremely grateful for everyone who has given so far.

Over the last year the National Secular Society worked on 55 different campaign strands. From faith schools to freedom of speech, and from local campaigning to lobbying at the United Nations. As more fronts of religious privilege open up, our work continues to increase. Maintaining a professional campaigning organisation – the UK's only organisation working exclusively for a secular state – requires resources.

If you'd like to make a donation (or second donation) to the appeal as it enters its final months, we would be extremely grateful.

Please consider making a donation to help the Society continue our campaigning work and meet the challenges of the future.

Kind regards,

Terry