Sunday 6th January 2013 was when it all started. Almost 200 people turned up at The Nave on St. Paul’s Road in Islington for a get-together that promised to ‘solace worries, provoke kindness and inject a bit more whizziness into the everyday.’
Our first speaker, children’s author Andy Stanton, told us how his first book took almost a decade of dropping out and dead end jobs to write.
As you can see from the artwork, we called ourselves The Sunday Assembly back then. Little did our co-founders Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones realise how that ‘The’ would be overtaken, with hundreds of assemblies to follow and dozens of Sunday Assembly communities in the UK & internationally!
Our 5th birthday speaker was Rufus Hound. Tying in with our theme of Light in the Darkness, Rufus spoke about the role of hope in our lives, how faith can provide it and how those without faith can still can embrace it.
2020: Change of Heart Conservationist Margot Raggett helped us explore how we can make changes for the better, both in our personal lives and in the world around us. Comedic singer/songwriter Gecko returned to entertain us.
2021: Improv your Year Our 8th birthday speaker was none other than Sunday Assembly London co-founder Pippa Evans. Pippa explained how life is one big improvisation and all of our interactions with the world are made of quick decisions based on what’s available to us.
We couldn’t celebrate this birthday in person, but the good news is that because we were using Zoom and YouTube, we recorded it! Watch the recording here
2022: It’s My Party and I’ll Dry if I Want To A hybrid assembly. Our guest speaker was Laura Willoughby, co-founder of Club Soda. Laura taught us all about ‘mindful drinking’, and how we can empower ourselves to make conscious decisions about our alcohol consumption. Gecko performed for us again too.
Those of us who gathered in Conway Hall had a birthday lunch in Nando’s afterwards.
2024: Send in the Clowns Embracing the playfulness that none of us should lose as we age, our guests were clown Afa Simpson and poet Paul Matthews.
2026: 13 and we feel lucky! Fast-forward to our first teenage birthday and we kept up our recipe for success with a speaker from our community (Hanna Finn on everyday creativity), plenty of singing and generous helpings of tea and homemade cake, followed by a local lunch and a trip to the pub.
Thank you to everyone who’s celebrated our birthdays with us and the many assemblies in between. You’ve helped to build an in-person community and that’s no small thing. Here’s to another year of Living Better, Helping Often and Wondering More.
We meet at the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green at 11am on the first & third Sundays of the month (most months). You can arrive any time from 10:30am with no need to book and no pressure to pay (though donations are very welcome).
If you’re looking for learning, laughter and a little less loneliness in London, we can’t wait to welcome you in 2026. We were all Sunday Assembly London first-timers once, and we know how daunting it can be – but once you’ve taken that step through our doors, the rest is a piece of cake!
Happy New Year and Happy Birth-month to Sunday Assembly London! (Our first assembly was in January 2013.)
Many of us start each new year with big plans for a new creative hobby. Pottery classes and embroidery workshops fill up quickly, but for many people their new hobbies end up being one off experiences rather than lifelong creative pursuits.
Being creative is not just about becoming really skilled in knitting or drawing, or some other craft. It’s a way of making decisions and coming up with solutions to problems. There is plenty of research suggesting that being in the habit of small scale creativity stimulates multiple areas of the brain, promoting better memory, focus and problem-solving skills.
Our guest speaker: Hanna Finn
Sunday Assembly London’s own Hanna Finn has spent decades developing her skills in crochet, embroidery, weaving, baking, hat making and many other creative pursuits, and also regularly arranges her dinner to resemble a face.
Hanna took us through the kind of creative activities anyone can incorporate into their everyday life without spending any money or taking hours to master.
Birthday cake
We invited all the bakers in the Sunday Assembly London community to bake us a birthday cake and bring it along.
Those who were more King Alfred than Mary Berry were encouraged to give us a charitable donation in honour of our birthday and help yourself to what’s on offer!
Our singalongs
‘As usual, there will be four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s themes. You’ll find out which ones at the assembly, or you may spot clues on our social media closer to the time.
The lyrics will be projected on screen and everyone’s welcome to sing (and dance) along.’
The songs were
Celebration – Kool & The Gang
Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
One Day Like This – Elbow
Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
About Sunday Assembly London
Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.
Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.
The Outside Project: Creating an LGBTIQ+ Safe Haven
11:00 am, July 6 2025
Speaker: Carla Ecola
Poet: Annie Hayter
Live Better is a value we hold dear at Sunday Assembly London, but what if your dream turns to crisis? Many LGBTIQ+ people move to London to live as themselves and find connection among a larger population – only to struggle without stable work, housing and social networks. One special organisation has led the way in helping them since 2017.
The Outside Project was founded as the UK’s first shelter, centre and domestic abuse refuge for the LGBTIQ+ community. This London Pride weekend, we were honoured to welcome The Outside Project’s co-founder and director Carla Ecola (preferred pronouns: they/them).
Carla is a queer homelessness activist who saw the gap in crisis services for LGBTIQ+ people whilst working as an Outreach Worker in their twenties.
We found out how they support LGBTIQ+ people in London without a home or a place to feel safe – driven by Carla and the team’s own personal experiences – and hear about the challenges they’re facing today.
We also had poetry from Annie Hayter, who delights in writing about queer transformations and flatulent saints. Their work has been found in The Big Issue, Rialto, MAGMA, Time Out, and on BBC Radio 3.
Annie’s verses took us from grandparents to geese with a blend of lightness, elegance and honesty.
The Outside Project takes its name from a George Michael song. In celebration of that, our Sunday Assembly London band performed four pop songs from LGBTIQ+ artists for us to sing our hearts out to. It was hard for some of us to resist a dash of dancing too.
Love Shack – The B-52’s
A Little Respect – Erasure
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Freedom! ’90 – George Michael
As always, we projected the lyrics for everyone to follow. But if you’re not into singing, there’s no pressure at all to join in.
We’re proud to host events where LGBTIQ+ members, volunteers, speakers and poets give each other a sense of belonging within a secular community that welcomes all.
A little old place where we can eat together: lunch at Love Shack!
In honour of our speaker Carla Ecola and their topic, the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ shelter, our lunch venue was Love Shack. Right up the road from Sunday Assembly London, Love Shack is a wonderfully welcoming vegan restaurant that recently joined the Safe Space London directory of trans-friendly businesses.
We had one of our biggest Lunch Club turnouts in a while! Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate our community, the LGBTIQ+ community and the local East London community.
(We chose the venue, then we chose the song!)
Conversations on Kindness: How the Power of Kindness can Change the World
11:00 am, July 20 2025
Speaker: Bernadette Russell
Poet: Adam Lind
Here at Sunday Assembly London, kindness is one of the qualities that we value the most and try to cultivate within our community and beyond. Today we welcomed expert on kindness to help us continue to spread the love!
Bernadette Russell is a storyteller, performer, and expert on kindness and hope. For over a decade she has toured the US and UK speaking about the life-changing experience of practising kindness. This was her fifth time speaking at Sunday Assembly London.
With wit and poignancy, Bernadette told us about how London’s 2011 riots inspired her to spend the following year doing an act of kindness every day, touching others’ lives and her own in unexpected ways. She extended her kindness to us by giving us sunflowers and teacakes!
Adam Lind gave us the rare privilege of hearing him perform his poetry. He connected with us through three authentic poems whose themes included perceptions of masculinity and setting an example to future generations.
Thank you to Bernadette and Adam for being so appreciative of our Sunday Assembly London community. Their latest books, Conversations on Kindness and Floating Home, are available via our online bookshop.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected today’s theme of acts of kindness:
With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
All The Small Things – Blink 182
Lean On Me – Bill Withers
Shine – Take That
Summer Sync-Up activities: August 2025
Did you know that some animals hibernate in summer?* That wouldn’t suit us at Sunday Assembly London. While our assemblies were taking a break in August, we had an array of Sunday events to keep us connected.
Sunday 3rd August: picnic; ice cream crawl
At 12pm, we got together in Lincoln’s Inn Fields (near Holborn Tube station) for a bring-your-own picnic lunch.
Then we walked a route around London to sample a series of ice cream treats. We had a delightful ice cream crawl in September 2024 and couldn’t wait to do it again.
We met at 3pm opposite Kentish Town Station (Tube – Northern line; the National Rail Thameslink station is next door) at 3pm. Anyone who wanted to skip straight to dessert was welcome to come along without being at the picnic first!
Sunday 10th August: Lido swimming
A refreshing swim at the Serpentine Lido.
Sunday 17th August: picnic; art walk
At 12pm, we were back at Lincoln’s Inn Fields for another bring-your-own picnic lunch.
We enjoyed the “world turned upside down” near LSE and the Wellcome Collection’s current inclusive exhibitions are fantastic.
Saturday 30th August: walking adventure in Box Hill, Surrey
Emily ran a very special event for those of us wanting to adventure a little bit further afield than Central London.
Meeting at Box Hill & Westhumble station at 12:15pm, we embarked on a 5 mile walk.
Moderate difficulty – see National Trust classification
Dogs and Children welcome – we go at a leisurely pace
As we said beforehand: ‘We’d love as many people as possible to join us for some or all of these activities, even if you’ve never been to a Sunday Assembly before. We know it’s not always easy to make and keep connections in London, so we’re waiting to welcome you!’
If you want to find out more about our not-just-assemblies events, email Tanya at community@sundayassembly.com. Or, as with our assemblies, just turn up!
*Aestivation? We don’t know the meaning of the word…
Fight the Good Fight: How to Have Conflict
11:00 am, September 7 2025
Speaker: Katie Goldfinch
Poet: Yvonne Murray
Conflict is unavoidable in life: in our relationships with family, friends, colleagues or and strangers. How can we manage it better?
Katie Goldfinch is a broadcaster, mediator and host of the podcast How Not to F*** Up Your Kids.
Katie specialises in conflict resolution for neighbourhood disputes and intergenerational family dynamics. She is also currently working on a global peace building project with the Institute of Global Negotiation to disseminate conflict resolutions tools internationally.
By encouraging us to explore our own and each others’ definitions of conflict, and to practise active listening, Katie helped to us to understand how we can improve the quality and outcome of conflict at the personal level.
Yvonne is a Murray poet, inspirational motivator and author who loves to manipulate words into stories, hurts into lessons and to empathise with those who share similar paths.
Yvonne read three of her poems, Peace in Pieces, Punchbag and Fight the Fight Good, moving us with her imagery and empathy. The third poem was specially written for our assembly and you can watch a video on Yvonne’s Instagram.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected today’s theme of conflict.
Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting – Elton John
We Can Work It Out – The Beatles
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
Weird Science: An Introduction to Anomalistic Psychology
11:00 am, September 21 2025
Speaker: Professor Chris French
Poet: Lydia Daisy
We live in a weird world! And according to polls, over half the UK population believes some it may be down to paranormal phenomena.
Every ancient society we know of had some kind of supernatural belief system. Statistics suggest, even today, a steady increase in interest in this realm of enquiry.
But can belief in, and reported experience of, paranormal phenomena, actually be explained in terms of psychological factors?
We welcomed back Professor Chris French, Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. Chris talked about the remarkable field of anomalistic psychology: the psychology of strange experiences and behaviours.
Chris’s entertaining, insightful talk demonstrated the scientific backing for healthy scepticism.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected today’s theme and today’s date.
Bad Day – Daniel Powter
Ghost Riders in the Sky – Johnny Cash
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
September – Earth, Wind & Fire (it’s about the 21st of September!)
Thank you to the volunteers who stepped up to become our impromptu singers alongside our band. A true Earth, Wind & Choir Day!
Thank you
What a great blend of attendees we had today too. From regulars who’ve been coming since Sunday Assembly London started in 2013, to first-timers, to visitors from Sunday Assembly Brighton and Sunday Assembly LA!
Hope Sings: The Choir with No Name
11:00 am, October 5 2025
Speaker: Kate Wareham
We believe firmly in the wonder of singing together. Today we welcomed another organisation using the power of collective song to empower, build connection, confidence and joy.
The Choir With No Name is a unique community choir made up of people who have experienced homelessness or marginalisation. Kate Wareham, their CEO, shared some of the community’s moving stories about how music creates a safe, inclusive space where people find their voices.
Kate has a PhD in music psychology, focusing on music and homelessness. Before Choir with No Name, she worked in community and arts organisations including The Children’s Society, Yorkshire Dance, St John Ambulance and Home-Start.
We were also led through some fun games by our resident Games Master Matt Lockwood.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected today’s theme.
Sing – Travis
Make Your Own Kind of Music – Mama Cass Elliot
Your Song – Elton John
Scare Away the Dark – Passenger
Colours of Our Mind: The Science of Synaesthesia
11:00 am, October 19 2025
Speaker: Mary Spiller
Poet: Lydia Daisy
Did you know some people can taste words or see music? Welcome to the fascinating world of synaesthesia: a unique way of experiencing the world where the senses blend together.
Mary Spiller, Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, offered us a glimpse into this wondrous phenomenon.
Mary’s research explores how our senses can cross-wire in surprising and creative ways, opening up fresh ways of seeing the world.
We’re thrilled to welcome Lydia Daisy back. Artful in her words and her performance, she expressed her defiance of a system that treats creativity as a threat.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to bake delicious treats for our bake off, with flavours ranging from pumpkin to banoffee. They were both eerie and cheery. Some of the treats went so fast it was almost like they were never really there…
Keep Calm and Carry On: Connection Through Our Shared Humanity
11:00 am, November 2 2025
Speaker: Neil Shah
Stress touches every one of us – shaping our health, our relationships, and the way we experience daily life.
Ahead of National Stress Awareness Day on 5th November, we welcomed Neil Shah, founder of the Stress Management Society and a leading voice on resilience and wellbeing.
Neil is the driving force behind Stress Awareness Month, a national campaign raising awareness of the impact of stress and how we can manage it together. His mission: to empower people to live happier, healthier lives.
Neil explained how his own mental health experiences have motivated his work, and how suicide rates and stress have increased in recent years as community cohesion has decreased. He also gave the first public performance of a poem on these themes, expressing how what we may see as breakages are ways to let the light in.
We were also treated to a performance by the newly formed Sunday Assembly London choir. Following their rehearsal on 22 October, they performed Focus Is Power by Self Esteem.
Reviving a little bit of Sunday Assembly heritage, this was a perfect opportunity for Sunday Assembly Londoners who want to try being in a choir but can’t commit to regular weekly rehearsals and frequent events or shows.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They had lyrics reflecting today’s theme.
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley and The Wailers
Hand In My Pocket – Alanis Morrissette
I’ll Stand By You – Pretenders
Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
De-Masking Masculinity: What Does Being a Man Mean Today?
11:00 am, November 16 2025
Speaker: Kris Genijn
From Hollywood heroes to social media influencers, our culture today is full of mixed messages about what it means to be a man. These myths of toughness, dominance and emotional silence have shaped generations and left many men disconnected from themselves and others.
By unpicking these stories, we can live more thoughtfully and supportively.
Kris Genijn leads De-Masking Masculinity workshops at transformational festivals like Medicine, Nowhere and Burning Nest. He blends humour, vulnerability and cultural critique to ask: what have we lost in trying to “man up”?
Kris invited us to consider how tenderness, play and presence can be reclaimed as strengths, helping us move beyond stereotypes.
He also led us through a series of energy alchemy exercises: using breathing and movement to help us shed our inhibitions and release our energy.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s theme of masculine identity.
Piano Man – Billy Joel
The One and Only – Chesney Hawkes
Father and Son – Cat Stevens (Yusuf)
All These Things that I’ve Done – The Killers
As always, the lyrics were projected on screen and everyone was welcome to sing (and dance) along.
Thank you to our band for adding versality to virtuosity, with multiple lead vocalists and instrumentals.
The Sound of Movement: More Than Meets the Ear?
11:00 am, December 7 2025
Speaker: Dr Tommaso Perego
Poet: Yvonne Murray
From Christmas playlists in every café to the festive hum of the high-street, sound seems to move all around us at this time of year.
Understanding how we experience sound in space goes far beyond the mechanics of the ear. But how do our brains make sense of it all? This ‘Sound Day Assembly’ was an opportunity to find out.
Dr Perego is a composer, sound designer and senior lecturer at the University of East London. His research explores sonic movement; how we perceive sound in motion and space and how that shapes everything from performance and architecture to multimedia and art.
He gave us a playful exploration of sound, space and perception and we discovered why even the Christmas jingles that chase us through the shops can tell us something fascinating about being human.
Yvonne Murray is a Murray poet, inspirational motivator and author who loves to manipulate words into stories, hurts into lessons and to empathise with those who share similar paths.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s theme.
Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
Sound of the Underground – Girls Aloud
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Don’t Stop Movin’ – S Club 7
The lyrics were projected on screen, with everyone welcome to sing (and dance) along.
Winter Fayre 2025: sharing your creativity with our community!
We invited our community to display (and sell if they wanted) their creations at our Winter Fayre. The stalls were open either side of this assembly i.e. 10:20 to 11am, 12:15 to 1pm.
Thank you to all our makers – from cards and crocheted toys to games and hats – and to all our shoppers!
Yule Rock 2025: we sang Xmas pop, loud and proud!
7:30 pm, December 12 2025
Rich Mix, Shoreditch
Every December, it’s our privilege to host Yule Rock and spread the combined joy of community and festive singing. Yule Rock also raises vital funds for our small volunteer-led charity. And we’re never far away from being reminded that the world needs warmth and harmony.
Heartfelt thank yous to:
Everyone who supported the event by coming to Rich Mix London
Our volunteers
Our host Helen Arney
Our raffle prize donors: The Star of Bethnal Green, The Three Colts, The Backyard Comedy Club, Baked by Steph, Helen Arney
Sunday Assembly London turns 13 next year and we can’t wait to welcome even more people to our secular celebrations of life!
Our Yule Rock 2025 songs
Troika
Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin’ Stevens)
Step Into Christmas (Elton John)
Driving Home For Christmas (Chris Rea)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love)
It’s Christmas Time (Status Quo)
Last Christmas (Wham!)
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Andy Williams)
What Feliz Navidad Means To Me (Trad./Stevie Wonder)
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)
Wombling Merry Christmas (The Wombles)
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Wizzard)
Underneath The Tree (Kelly Clarkson)
Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) (The Darkness)
Let It Go (Frozen)
Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues/Kirsty MacColl)
Stay Another Day (East 17)
All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
Merry Xmas Everybody (Slade)
The rest of this post is our original post promoting Yule Rock, kept for future reference.
We’ve been itching to announce this year’s Yule Rock, our annual large-scale singalong of Christmas pop songs. And only some of that itching is being caused by our festive jumpers and antler headbands.
What is Yule Rock?
As reliable as an over-illuminated convoy of soft drink trucks, but with far more musical variety, Yule Rock is an evening for unashamedly celebrating the combination of communal singing and classic pop that is unbeatable at Christmas time: a combination that brings people together in joy and harmony (harmonies not guaranteed) like no other festive tradition can.
Yule Rock was acclaimed as one of London’s top ten December activities by Visit London in 2022.
Where and when is it happening?
This year, Yule Rock takes place at Rich Mix in Shoreditch on Friday 12th December from 7:30pm.
It has its ideal compère in Helen Arney: comedian, presenter and geek songstress, hosting Yule Rock for the second year running.
Because belting out festive favourites is thirsty work, there will be a bar. There will also be a raffle.
How is Yule Rock different from Sunday Assembly London’s usual events?
Yule Rock builds on a key part of our twice-monthly gatherings at Backyard Comedy Club, where everyone’s invited to sing along to four pop songs in a welcoming non-religious environment. The songs are performed by our in-house band, loosely matched to the topic of each assembly’s guest speaker’s talk, and accompanied by a projected slideshow of the lyrics. This mass karaoke has been a staple of Sunday Assembly London’s appeal since its beginnings in 2013.
Yule Rock goes bigger, bolder and baublier than a standard Sunday Assembly. It boasts more band members, 20 songs and a larger venue, with room for 200.
When I get festive, I get really festive. Can Yule Rock handle that?
Yes! We encourage everyone to dress in their Yuletide best and sing their hearts out.
Yule Rock is for anyone who treats Whamageddon as their winter wonderland, who’d never throw shade on Slade, and who knows when it’s time to swap Noel & Liam for pure Noël. The boys of the NYPD choir will approve, even if the fashion police won’t.
Sum it up for me.
Yule Rock is a fine tradition, a firm prediction (if you like puns) and, for the family and friendship groups that come back year after year, a fun addiction.
Our volunteer-led team work hard to make it an unforgettable evening. We can’t wait to add some vocal sparkle to your festive season.
If I wait a bit longer to decide, will there still be tickets?
We can’t guarantee it. Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. This year, to save you from tears (except the ‘of joy’ kind), we really do recommend booking your tickets now! [Thanks to everyone who did!]
Yule Never Believe It: Rational Rituals and Secular Ceremonies
11:00 am, December 21 2025
Speaker: Alan Gregan
As a non-religious community with a history of big festive pop singalongs (Yule Rock), we know how meaningful Christmas is to so many people. What if we marked other points in the year with the same level of ritual? What traditions could we revive or create? Today’s Winter Solstice was the ideal time to explore it.
Alan Gregan is a long-standing member of the Sunday Assembly London community, an atheist physics teacher and founder of the Fountayne Fire Society. What started as folk songs round a bonfire has since swelled into elaborate ceremonies to mark solstices, equinoxes and other major moments.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. It’s that time of year, and our Yule Rock 2025 spectacular was fresh in our minds, so we joined in on some festive favourites.
Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) – The Darkness
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
Stay Another Day – East 17
Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade
As always, the lyrics were projected on screen and everyone was welcome to sing (and dance) along.
Every December, it’s our privilege to host Yule Rock and spread the combined joy of community and festive singing. Yule Rock also raises vital funds for our small volunteer-led charity. And we’re never far away from being reminded that the world needs warmth and harmony.
Heartfelt thank yous to:
Everyone who supported the event by coming to Rich Mix London
Our volunteers
Our host Helen Arney
Our raffle prize donors: The Star of Bethnal Green, The Three Colts, The Backyard Comedy Club, Baked by Steph, Helen Arney
Sunday Assembly London turns 13 next year and we can’t wait to welcome even more people to our secular celebrations of life!
Our Yule Rock 2025 songs
Troika
Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin’ Stevens)
Step Into Christmas (Elton John)
Driving Home For Christmas (Chris Rea)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love)
It’s Christmas Time (Status Quo)
Last Christmas (Wham!)
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Andy Williams)
What Feliz Navidad Means To Me (Trad./Stevie Wonder)
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)
Wombling Merry Christmas (The Wombles)
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Wizzard)
Underneath The Tree (Kelly Clarkson)
Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) (The Darkness)
Let It Go (Frozen)
Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues/Kirsty MacColl)
Stay Another Day (East 17)
All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
Merry Xmas Everybody (Slade)
The rest of this post is our original post promoting Yule Rock, kept for future reference.
We’ve been itching to announce this year’s Yule Rock, our annual large-scale singalong of Christmas pop songs. And only some of that itching is being caused by our festive jumpers and antler headbands.
What is Yule Rock?
As reliable as an over-illuminated convoy of soft drink trucks, but with far more musical variety, Yule Rock is an evening for unashamedly celebrating the combination of communal singing and classic pop that is unbeatable at Christmas time: a combination that brings people together in joy and harmony (harmonies not guaranteed) like no other festive tradition can.
Yule Rock was acclaimed as one of London’s top ten December activities by Visit London in 2022.
Where and when is it happening?
This year, Yule Rock takes place at Rich Mix in Shoreditch on Friday 12th December from 7:30pm.
It has its ideal compère in Helen Arney: comedian, presenter and geek songstress, hosting Yule Rock for the second year running.
Because belting out festive favourites is thirsty work, there will be a bar. There will also be a raffle.
How is Yule Rock different from Sunday Assembly London’s usual events?
Yule Rock builds on a key part of our twice-monthly gatherings at Backyard Comedy Club, where everyone’s invited to sing along to four pop songs in a welcoming non-religious environment. The songs are performed by our in-house band, loosely matched to the topic of each assembly’s guest speaker’s talk, and accompanied by a projected slideshow of the lyrics. This mass karaoke has been a staple of Sunday Assembly London’s appeal since its beginnings in 2013.
Yule Rock goes bigger, bolder and baublier than a standard Sunday Assembly. It boasts more band members, 20 songs and a larger venue, with room for 200.
When I get festive, I get really festive. Can Yule Rock handle that?
Yes! We encourage everyone to dress in their Yuletide best and sing their hearts out.
Yule Rock is for anyone who treats Whamageddon as their winter wonderland, who’d never throw shade on Slade, and who knows when it’s time to swap Noel & Liam for pure Noël. The boys of the NYPD choir will approve, even if the fashion police won’t.
Sum it up for me.
Yule Rock is a fine tradition, a firm prediction (if you like puns) and, for the family and friendship groups that come back year after year, a fun addiction.
Our volunteer-led team work hard to make it an unforgettable evening. We can’t wait to add some vocal sparkle to your festive season.
If I wait a bit longer to decide, will there still be tickets?
We can’t guarantee it. Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. This year, to save you from tears (except the ‘of joy’ kind), we really do recommend booking your tickets now! [Thanks to everyone who did!]
Are you a cheerful people person, and a natural community-builder? We’re looking for one or more Front of House Leads to support our team of volunteers as they welcome attendees to Sunday Assembly London.
Front of House Lead is the ideal role for a gregarious person who wants to give their time to a community and build their experience of events organisation, fundraising, and community management. It is a great way to get involved in Sunday Assembly London behind the scenes. It’s all about making sure everyone feels safe and welcome!
What will you be doing?
Assemblies take place twice a month, on Sundays, and front of house volunteers do a range of different things to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day. We ask front of house volunteers to arrive at 10am, and the event finishes at 1pm.
You’ll also join regular meetings with the Coordination Crew to plan upcoming Assemblies, and contact the volunteers to ensure everyone is prepared for each event. It is roughly 8 hours of volunteering a month.
What difference will you make?
It’s vital that new attendees and regulars alike feel looked after at our events, so that we can keep building a community worth being a part of!
You’ll be able to develop and support a team of volunteers, and help to make decisions about how the Assembly is run.
We’re open to this role being a job-share, with two or more FOH Leads on a rota: giving you all the rewards without the pressure of having to be at every assembly.
Our Summer Sync-Up deserved a sequel! We planned an array of fun activities to go alongside our autumn assemblies, including…
Halloween Bake Off – Sunday 19th October
‘Today’s assembly comes with extra cake! Whether you’re making, tasting or both, help us turn Backyard into Bake-yard. With Halloween as our theme, it could be a case of “traybake or treat?” (That’s all the wordplay we’ve got for now, though we may have a pun in the oven.)’
Thanks to everyone who took the time to bake delicious treats for our bake off, with flavours ranging from pumpkin to banoffee. They were both eerie and cherry. Some of the treats went so fast it was almost like they were never there…
Sunday Assembly London one-day choir – Wednesday 22nd October, Sunday 2nd November
Reviving a little bit of Sunday Assembly heritage. Following a rehearsal in October, our pop-up choir (or do we mean pipe-up choir?) performed an uplifting song for our fellow Sunday Assemblers during our first November assembly (or “Novembly” as no one was calling it) on the 2nd, Keep Calm And Carry On.
This was a perfect opportunity for Sunday Assembly Londoners who want to try being in a choir but can’t commit to regular weekly rehearsals and frequent events or shows.
The chosen song was Focus Is Power by Self Esteem.
Thank you to the choir for reinforcing the power of literally singing from the same songsheet.
For even more singing joy… join us at Yule Rock ’25!
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12 December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get your tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
Did you know that some animals hibernate in summer?* That wouldn’t suit us at Sunday Assembly London. While our assemblies were taking a break in August, we had an array of Sunday events to keep us connected.
Sunday 3rd August: picnic; ice cream crawl
At 12pm, we got together in Lincoln’s Inn Fields (near Holborn Tube station) for a bring-your-own picnic lunch.
Then we walked a route around London to sample a series of ice cream treats. We had a delightful ice cream crawl in September 2024 and couldn’t wait to do it again.
We met at 3pm opposite Kentish Town Station (Tube – Northern line; the National Rail Thameslink station is next door) at 3pm. Anyone who wanted to skip straight to dessert was welcome to come along without being at the picnic first!
Sunday 10th August: Lido swimming
A refreshing swim at the Serpentine Lido.
Sunday 17th August: picnic; art walk
At 12pm, we were back at Lincoln’s Inn Fields for another bring-your-own picnic lunch.
We enjoyed the “world turned upside down” near LSE and the Wellcome Collection’s current inclusive exhibitions are fantastic.
Saturday 30th August: walking adventure in Box Hill, Surrey
Emily ran a very special event for those of us wanting to adventure a little bit further afield than Central London.
Meeting at Box Hill & Westhumble station at 12:15pm, we embarked on a 5 mile walk.
Moderate difficulty – see National Trust classification
Dogs and Children welcome – we go at a leisurely pace
As we said beforehand: ‘We’d love as many people as possible to join us for some or all of these activities, even if you’ve never been to a Sunday Assembly before. We know it’s not always easy to make and keep connections in London, so we’re waiting to welcome you!’
If you want to find out more about our not-just-assemblies events, email Tanya at community@sundayassembly.com. Or, as with our assemblies, just turn up!
*Aestivation? We don’t know the meaning of the word…
Happy 12th birthday Sunday Assembly! And Happy New Year!
Along with the requisite fireworks, bubbles and the dash for snogs at midnight, the idea of New Year also brings forth the pressure of New Year’s Resolutions.
Whether it’s to lose that last ten pounds, quit smoking or finally take up the Cha Cha, more and more people are realising that the conventional idea of New Year’s Resolutions, are all based on external measures, and can actually be harmful to our wellbeing. Even when they are about health and fitness, the underlying purpose tends to be for something outside of ourselves, putting us under pressure to be ‘better’.
Following a 16 year career in social work, Tamu Thomas is now a leading somatic specialist, leadership coach, author and workshop facilitator with a specialism in combating ‘toxic productivity’. In this talk she invited us all to consider resolutions that make us feel vibrant and alive rather than as a covert means to fix ourselves.
Living more sumptuously is about feeling full, satiated, satisfied, and Tamu believes that when we each do this individual work, we collectively benefit from a more positive, productive, and purposeful culture.
The Art of Healing: Transforming Mental Health Hospitals
January is Mental Wellness Month, a time to promote awareness and understanding of our challenges around mental health, as the numbers of people needing support continues to rise in the UK. For any of us who have spent time in hospitals know, they are often the least uplifting of places. Harshly lit, clinical, noisy and sparsely decorated, many hospital spaces seem at odds with a sense of care or healing, beneficial to both patients and staff.
It was a recognition of this grim state of affairs that led to the foundation of Hospital Rooms, the UK arts and mental health charity, which aims to bring creativity, colour, and kindness to mental health hospitals and transform them into places of hope, dignity, and recovery for all.
Co-founder Tim Shaw was with us to talk about the charity’s collaborations with artists, service users, and the NHS, to craft innovative artwork and creative programmes while dispelling stigmas and advocating for culture and creativity in mental health as a universal human right. Hospital Rooms has worked with artists such as Richard Wentworth, Anish Kapoor and Sonia Boyce and were awarded Quality Improvement Project of the Year 2018 by NAPICU.
We also welcomed Rachel Lewis, a poet and creative facilitator interested in hidden pain, everyday joy and love beyond romance. Her first pamphlet on eating disorder recovery, Three Degrees of Separation, was published by Wordsmith HQ.
Men’s Sheds: Craft, Connection and Community
11:00 am, February 2 2025
Speaker: Mike Jenn
In 1999, in a rural area of Australia, a woman noticed that many of the retired, local miners and veterans were suffering from a sense of isolation and purposelessness; missing working with their fellow men. Coinciding with a developing awareness of a crisis within men’s mental health, a pilot workshop was put together, inviting men to come and restore furniture and fix appliances, allowing them to connect with the people around them, and learn new skills.
Men’s Sheds, as they came to be known, are now a global phenomenon, with nearly 3,000 sheds operating in 12 countries, including Ireland, UK, New Zealand, Canada, US, Kenya, and South Africa.
In 2014, Professor Barry Golding coined the term “”shedagogy”” to describe “a distinctive, new way of acknowledging, describing and addressing the way some men prefer to learn informally in shed-like spaces mainly with other men”
We are joined by Founder and Life President of the UK’s branch of MSA, Mike Jenn, who has worked in practical social innovations for 50 years across community education and relieving deprivation. He shared with us how the charities’ “shedagogy” continues to grow and change lives; fostering community, creativity and tackling life-shortening isolation for many.
We were also treated to some ‘Shedding your inhibitions!’ games by our resident Games Master, Matt!
Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want!
Desires often get a bad press. From religion to popular culture, they’re painted as dangerous and uncontrollable forces to be suppressed or ignored.
Yet our desires are really messengers of what matters most. A healthy relationship with our needs and wants is vital – it’s the foundation of personal autonomy, authentic relationships, and our own sacred unfolding.
For our Valentine’s Special, we welcomed back Adam Taffler, a facilitator and authentic communication coach, to help us all understand how to better articulate what we need and want in our relationships. Adam’s mission is making human connection a higher priority in culture. Known for founding the Togetherness movement and creating Shhh Dating (a silent speed dating experience), he designs spaces where genuine connection flourishes.
We also had poetry from Michael McKimm, an East London-based poet, originally from Ireland. His most recent book Because We Could Not Dance At The Wedding is about love in a long-term gay relationship and finding joy in an uncertain world.
Our four songs
Courtesy of the Sunday Assembly band, we sang four songs with the theme of wanting:
– You’re The One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – Don’t You Want Me – Human League – We Can Work It Out – The Beatles – Wannabe – Spice Girls (cunningly disguised as Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana)
Notices
Topics of our notices included:
– Our Book Swap table (where swapping is not compulsory) – An invitation to volunteer at the Mile End parkrun on 16 March – Our sister assembly in Reading, The Sunday Alternative – Our next Article Club on 20th February – Our first ever comedy fundraiser, bringing four fantastic comedians to you on 10th April – details below
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, Lunch Club (at Nando’s) and drinks & games at The Three Colts.
Thanks to our host Stuart, co-host Alan, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, laughter and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
Everyday Jews: cultural insights, comedy and a community story
The book was inspired by Keith’s growing sense, as a Jew, that the Jewish people are now so public, so significant, so loved and so hated that the everyday stuff of Jewish life risks becoming ‘hollowed out’. In response, he aims to show that Jews can also be boring, mediocre and mundane, and that the ‘secular’ aspects of Jewish religious practice are often ignored but are the beating heart of Jewish religious life.
We learned how synagogues are as much about supper quizzes and social life as they are about communing with the divine, and the value in remembering that Jewish life can have its mundane and mediocre moments too.
We also welcomed jogger, chess player and stand-up comedian Rabbi Mendy Korer to this Assembly!
Founder of Chabad Islington, the only Jewish community centre in Islington, he loves to find ways to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, particularly through the human, spiritual and comedic relatability of Chassidic ultra-orthodox Jews.
Our songs
Our Sunday Assembly band performed three songs written and/or sung by Jewish artists:
The Life of Riley – The Lightning Seeds
Eternal Flame – The Bangles
Valerie – as sung by Amy Winehouse
This Much I Know
Today we reintroduced This Much I Know: a segment where we hear from a member of the Sunday Assembly community on a topic close to their heart.
This time, David Goldstein explained why he started coming to Sunday Assembly 10 years after hearing about us… and shared some big news about a grant application he’s been involved with. Find out more here
Notices
Topics of our notices included:
Our Book Swap table (where swapping is not compulsory)
Our first ever comedy fundraiser, bringing four fantastic comedians to you on 10th April – details below
Sunday Assembly’s annual conference, which this year is in Glasgow from 25th-28th September
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat (and a sip of Palwin Jewish wine from Keith) at the Backyard Comedy Club, Lunch Club (at Hulya’s Cafe) and drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.
Thanks to our host Hanna, co-host Shane, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, laughter and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
Use Your Voice: How to Unlock Your Courage and Amplify Your Message
Previously a guest poet at Sunday Assembly, we were delighted to welcome back writer, poet and entrepreneur Anna Herber as our speaker.
[Photo credit: Anna Herber, LinkedIn]
Anna helps people move through resistance and fear so they can share powerful messages that question the status quo and grow their impact.
For this special IWD talk, Anna celebrated women who have used their voices to create change, as well as some of the most common ways that women are silenced, and how to overcome them.
Drawing from her own experience, she showed us how to liberate our outspoken inner activist, truth speaker and wisdom keeper – overcoming procrastination and perfectionism, unlocking our courage and amplifying our authentic voice.
With Amy Anam Cara sadly unable to join us due to illness, community member Kay Scorah kindly stepped in.
We loved her Gender Stereowiped Nursery Rhymes, which included Jill giving Jack essential first aid and Mary profiting off organic wool sweaters!
Our songs
Our Sunday Assembly band had us singing along to four empowering songs from female artists:
Hold On – Wilson Phillips
Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
You Gotta Be – Des’Ree
Brave – Sara Bareilles
Notices
Topics of our notices included:
Our Book Swap table (where swapping is not compulsory)
Our first ever comedy fundraiser, bringing four fantastic comedians to you on 10th April – details below
Our next Sunday Assembly Article Club on Thursday 3rd April
Sunday Assembly’s annual conference, which this year is in Glasgow from 25th-28th September
An invitation from Ann to help steward the Mile End Parkrun on Sunday 18 May
An invitation from Tanya to come to the Enrich Festival in Watford on the weekend of 26th-27th April. Enrich Festival is an inclusive arts festival showcasing the immense talent of disabled and neurodivergent artists and performers. The Sunday Assembly London band are performing on the Sunday
A bonus guest poet
Inspired by Anna’s talk, community member Steph read out a poem by her friend, whose experiences in Afghanistan had moved him to urge his fellow men to support women.
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, then lunch, drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.
Thanks to our host Emily, co-host Matt, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, laughter and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
Thanks also to everyone who wore purple in support of International Women’s day.
International Women’s Day 2024 at Sunday Assembly
As part of last year’s Sunday Assembly IWD Special, we wrote personal pledges to Inspire Inclusion, that year’s theme. Here’s a selection of our pledges. Click or tap to enlarge:
The Mindful Photo Lab: love your camera, make some memories
11:00 am, April 6 2025
Speaker: Pierre Bureau
The smartphone and social media age has made taking photos a part of our lives like never before. But is there a more fulfilling way to approach photography?
On Sunday 6 April, we heard from guest speaker Pierre Bureau, Founder of Mindful Photo Lab and the East London Photography Festival: an exciting initiative that blends mindfulness, creativity, and community engagement through photography.
Pierre told us how he was inspired to start a community that used photography to improve mental health, and the festival’s mission to celebrate East London’s rich cultural diversity and its focus on fostering wellbeing and connection through visual storytelling.
Our songs
Our Sunday Assembly band had us singing along to four photo-themed pop songs:
Picture of You – Boyzone
Photograph – Ed Sheeran
Wishing (If I had a Photograph of You) – A Flock of Seagulls
Paparazzi – Lady Gaga
Thanks to our host Alan, co-host Andrew, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, laughter and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
Comedy Night: a good laugh, a great cause, zero bores!
7:30 pm, April 10 2025
COLAB Tower, London Bridge
Thanks to everyone who came to our comedy fundraiser with Quantum Leopard!
Ever since Sunday Assembly was founded – by two comedians – our three tenets have included Live Better and Wonder More. (We’ll get to the other tenet later.) Comedy nights are great for both: the uplift of shared laughter and the marvel of well-crafted comedy.
And what’s better than two comedians?
Four comedians! They entertained us on 10th April.
Our host was James Ross, whose Quantum Leopard comedy nights have won awards for showcasing stand-up that doesn’t punch down. He put together a fabulous line-up for us:
Mark Thomas: Mark’s been performing comedy on stage and screen for over 35 years. He mixes theatre, journalism and the odd bout of performance art
Ben Pope: From Cambridge Footlights to Edinburgh Fringe to London clubs, Ben’s been called ‘one of the best storytellers in comedy’
Jamie Mykaela: A comedy-cabaret artist who’s been described as ‘bawdy, brassy, vulnerable and intense’, with performances fuelled by 12 years of opera training
Alex Franklin: Acclaimed in 2024 for being ‘winningly weird’, Alex’s performances have blended musical comedy, science and the joy of being trans
The details for this not-on-a-Sunday spectacular were:
Thursday 10th April from 7:30pm to 10pm (doors open at 7:30pm; show starts at 8pm) COLAB Theatre, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HB
What happened to the ticket fees? None of it went to our host, thanks to his amazing generosity; the performers didn’t want a cut either. Every penny went to Sunday Assembly London, at a time when we really need it to ensure we have a future.
So while the audience were laughing to keep our lights on, they were upholding our other tenet: Help Often. And we’re so grateful to them.
It’s Not Easy Being Green: Living Well in a Climate Crisis
An educational assembly, connecting us to the most pressing issue of today’s world and our emotions around it. Read on to find out more…
The UN target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C looks likely to be broken soon. Despite great advances in renewables, fossil fuel use continues to increase, and the impact of climate change is being increasingly witnessed worldwide.
In a world that seems committed to business as usual, how do we continue to live well, overcome eco-anxiety and be optimistic for the future? How do we step outside any denial or numbness and better understand what meaningful action for us individually and as a society in the current period looks like?
With Earth Day coming up on 22 April, we were joined by Gale Burns: Greenpeace speaker and advisor, qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor and a founding member of the Climate Minds Coalition. He works with many organisations setting up listening structures so that new solutions can be found to challenging issues.
Gale condensed an overwhelming topic into a concise presentation: explaining the impact of climate change, the potential consequences of inaction, and what we can each do to live better and help the planet.
Stressing the importance of acting and learning in unison, Gale encouraged us to do a listening exercise. In pairs, we took turns to talk about the climate crisis, our personal perspective and the emotions we associate with it.
We were grateful to Sue Johns for stepping in as poet at short notice. Sue’s poems reflected on aspects of the natural world and its disharmony with the manmade world, from a bag stuck in a sycamore tree to animals’ reclamation of the world during lockdown in 2020.
Our songs
Our Sunday Assembly band had us singing along to four songs with links to environmental threats:
Weather With You – Crowded House
Ring Of Fire – Johnny Cash
Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
Set Fire To The Rain – Adele
This Much I Know: Leon Baruah
This Much I Know is an opportunity for our Sunday Assembly London community members to shine a light on a specialism, talent or passion they have.
Leon gave us an insight into his work with Viridian Logic in ecohydrology: natural flood management to benefit ecosystems.
Notices
Topics of our notices included:
Our Book Swap table (where swapping is not compulsory)
A thank you to everyone who supported our first ever comedy fundraiser on 10th April. We raised over £,1000 for Sunday Assembly London! We’re already talking about the next comedy night
Sunday Assembly’s annual conference, which this year is in Glasgow from 25th-28th September
An invitation from Ann to help steward the Mile End Parkrun on Sunday 18 May
The Enrich Festival in Watford on the weekend of 26th-27th April. Enrich Festival is an inclusive arts festival showcasing the immense talent of disabled and neurodivergent artists and performers. The Sunday Assembly London band are performing on the Sunday
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, lunch locally, and drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.
Thanks to our host Matt, co-host Hanna, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, laughter and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
Sunday Assembly London band at Enrich Festival 2025
3:30 pm, April 27 2025
Watford Palace Theatre
Our Sunday Assembly London band had great fun playing pop songs at Enrich Festival on Sunday 27th April, alongside a brilliant and inclusive line-up of talented performers.
How the festival describes itself:
‘Enrich Festival is an inclusive Arts festival showcasing the immense talent of disabled and neurodivergent artists and performers in the UK. It is produced by Herts Inclusive Theatre, an award winning charity that aims to break down barriers about disability through the Performing Arts.
Enrich Festival is delighted to return to Watford Palace Theatre on 26th & 27th April 2025. Join us as we showcase the immense talent of neurodiverse and disabled people in the Arts through drama, dance, film, art, comedy, music and poetry; complemented by inclusive and fully accessible arts-based workshops for all ages and abilities, there’s something for everyone across this weekend extravaganza!’
Our live band (which includes exceptionally talented neurodivergent musicians) made it their mission to get the whole theatre singing along to well-known pop songs. In true Sunday Assembly style, the lyrics were on a big screen so everyone could sing along if they wanted to.
A typical Sunday Assembly has four songs; the Enrich audience got ten songs! They included:
A Little Respect – Erasure
Let It Go from Frozen
Flowers – Miley Cyrus
What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
Grace Kelly – Mika
This Is Me from The Greatest Showman
Mamma Mia – ABBA
Well done to our band, thanks to everyone who came along and congratulations to Sunday Assembly London’s Tanya Byrne for making such an amazing festival happen!
We love Sunday mornings, but there’s nothing quite like a good night out. Having a drink and a dance. Staying out late. Catching up with old friends and making new ones. But what if going out-out comes with obstacles?
For someone with a learning disability, a night out can be life-changing. Fortunately there’s a special organisation that’s been making that happen for 20 years – and it began in a place that Sunday Assembly London know well.
On 4th May we were joined by Twinks Burnett, Marketing and Communications Manager for Bubble Club: an award-winning East London non-profit that co-creates high-quality, inclusive club nights for adults with learning disabilities as well as running development programmes for learning-disabled artists and DJs in the community.
Founded in 2005 – at the Backyard Comedy Club where Sunday Assembly London now resides – Bubble Club offers rare opportunities for fully accessible and carefully curated club nights for people who have felt excluded from mainstream venues, from live music and DJs to open mic nights and sensory spaces.
Twinks took us through the history of this groundbreaking organisation as well as its current challenges in the face of club & pub closures and council funding cuts.
Bubble Club community member Rufaro, aka DJ Awesome, read heartfelt poems he’d written about relationships, friendship and loneliness.
To the accompaniment of a bubble machine, we sang along as our Sunday Assembly London band performed four pop songs connected to today’s theme:
Murder on the Dancefloor – Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Shut Up and Dance – Kill the Moon
Wake Me Up – Avicii
I Want it That Way – Backstreet Boys
Notices
Today’s updates included:
Our book swap table: a flexibly defined feature of all our assemblies where books can be donated and/or taken
A call for volunteers for the Mile End Parkrun at 9am on 18th May. Contact Ann via our Facebook page for more details
Diane’s plans to lead a guided walk, Putting the Green into Bethnal Green, meeting at The Three Colts pub at 2pm on 18th May
A reminder about the Sunday Assembly Global Gathering in Glasgow in September
About the date…
If you marked today as Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth be with you”), then unlike Darth Vader we don’t find a lack of faith disturbing. All faiths and no faiths are welcome at Sunday Assembly London for our secular celebration of life. So come and say hello: you won’t be Solo!
Could a look into history give the modern buzzword ‘synergy’ real meaning, while bringing us closer to our Sunday Assembly goals to Live Better, Help Often and Wonder More? Today we tackled this question, while also reflecting on Mental Health Awareness Week and giving a nod to yesterday’s Eurovision Song Contest.
How did we cram all of that into 90 minutes? Read on to find out…
Throughout history, societies and economies have been governed by a succession of elites who have amassed enormous wealth while the bulk of their fellow citizens live in relative poverty.
They are often presented as exceptional, entrepreneurial, gifted individuals, when in fact they’re driven by insecurity and attempts to overcome their sense of inferiority.
Some pre-industrial societies managed to avoid this schismatic structure, finding a way to harness these energies for social benefit. What can we learn today from these synergistic societies?
We were delighted to welcome back John Graves: psychotherapeutic studies teacher, life coach and lifelong philosophy student. John explored the ingrained disparity between society’s wealthiest and poorest, explaining how our own society could achieve greater synergy: individuals’ assets and actions supporting the common good.
We also heard from East London poet Rowan. Rowan’s poetry expressed his ideas about loneliness and life’s journeys, including the virtues of a metaphorical unicycle.
Today’s songs
Our Sunday Assembly London Band performed four songs: three on the theme of togetherness, one in reference to Eurovision:
Come Together – The Beatles
Together in Electric Dreams – Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder
Happy Together – The Turtles
Waterloo – ABBA
Notices
Today’s updates included:
Our book swap table: a flexibly defined feature of all our assemblies where books can be donated and/or taken (but ideally taken as we have a lot at the moment)
A thank you from Ann to Aaron and David, the volunteers who joined her to help steward the Mile End junior parkrun before today’s assembly
A reminder about the Sunday Assembly Global Gathering in Glasgow in September
Marking the last day of Mental Health Awareness Week and its official theme of Community, our new Community Engagement Lead Tanya invited us to ‘leaf a message’ about our experiences of Sunday Assembly London’s community after the assembly. Thank you to everyone for their contributions, which you can read here
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, lunch locally, and drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.
As a bonus, we also had a guided walk. At 2pm, Sunday Assembly London volunteer and local resident Diane hosted a tour of the spaces that put the green into Bethnal Green, sharing her wealth of local knowledge.
Thanks to our host Alan, co-host Hanna, all our wonderful volunteers and everyone who filled the room with singing, good energy and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
Craftivism: The Art of Gentle Protest
11:00 am, June 1 2025
Speaker: Sarah P Corbett
We all have issues we’re passionate about. But what if shouting in protest isn’t your style? Could the answer be not to get cross, but to get cross-stitching?
That was the topic we explored at today’s assembly, with singing, sketching and superb news thrown in. Read on to find out more…
The global Craftivist Collective has helped change laws, policies, hearts and minds around the world as well as expand the view of what activism can be.
We were joined by its founder Sarah P Corbett: an award-winning activist whose ‘Gentle Protest’ methodology of strategic, compassionate, scientifically-backed and visually intriguing activism has helped craft a more beautiful, kinder and fairer society.
We learned about the unique appeal of craftivism: for skilled crafters, burnt-out activists, introverts, highly sensitive people or those struggling with anxiety. We heard how it replaces aggressive enemies with critical friends. And we discovered how embroidered hankies really can change how major companies operate.
Thank you to Sarah for her inspiring stories of Craftivist Collective’s meaningful, measurable impact: a tribute to the perseverance of a determined voice.
If you missed it, look online for Sarah’s TED talks (or should that be thread talks?). To get deeper into craftivism, Sarah’s latest book is available at a discount through Sunday Assembly London’s online bookshop.
Today’s songs
In the spirit of using our voices together, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band:
Paint it Black – Rolling Stones
Pencil Full of Lead – Paolo Nutini
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – The Beatles
Perfect Day – Lou Reed
Portraits
We love drawing people in to our twice-monthly assemblies. This time we took it literally when Matt encouraged us to pair up and sketch each other.
We had fun admiring each other’s results and trust that the National Portrait Gallery is making space as we speak.
A big announcement at today’s assembly
Sunday Assembly London have been awarded a National Lottery grant!
This goes a huge way towards covering our running costs for 2025. More than that, it helps our small volunteer-led charity to continue doing what we’ve proudly been doing for over a decade: hosting events and sustaining a secular community that helps people to Live Better, Help Often and Wonder More.
A massive thank you to Tanya for her work on the grant application!
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, lunch locally (taking advantage of the picnic-friendly weather), and drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.
Thanks to our host Hanna; co-host Andrew; all our wonderful volunteers (especially as it’s Volunteers’ Week from 2nd-8th June) and everyone who filled the room with singing, good energy and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
If you enjoyed yourself, please spread the word by sharing our social media posts or tagging us in your posts.
Dolphins: Their World and Ours
11:00 am, June 15 2025
Speaker: Pavan Kaur Virdee
Poet: Kay Scorah
Exploring our value Wonder More inspires us not only to look around at our own world but also to look into other realms, such as outer space and, today, beneath the waves.
In honour of World Ocean Day on 8th June, we were joined by London based marine biologist Pavan Kaur Virdee, who shared her life-long passion and knowledge about the world of dolphins. Pavan’s presentation introduced us to cetaceans found in UK waters, from playful bottlenose dolphins to mysterious minke whales.
We also heard how the ocean is under threat from noise pollution and plastic pollution, and how we can help. Even two minutes spent picking up plastic litter can help keep it out of rivers, away from the ocean and ultimately out of a food chain that leads to humans ingesting a credit card’s worth of microplastics every week.
Sunday Assembly London’s own Kay Scorah stepped in at short notice with specially written dolphin-themed verses.
We sang along to four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band, all with connections to the ocean waves:
Wellerman – Nathan Evans
Surfin’ USA – Beach Boys
Octopus’ Garden – The Beatles
Heroes – David Bowie (the lyrics mention dolphins!)
The return of our bubble machine added to the fun!
As always, we followed the assembly with tea, biscuits and chat at the Backyard Comedy Club, lunch locally (taking advantage of the picnic-friendly weather), and drinks & games at The Three Colts pub.
Thanks to our host Shane; co-host Matt; all our wonderful volunteers from tech to tea, and everyone who filled the room with singing, good energy and appreciation – especially our first-timers!
If you enjoyed yourself, please spread the word by sharing our social media posts or tagging us in your posts.
Community was the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year. As it came to a close on 18th May, we asked our attendees and volunteers to tell us how the Sunday Assembly London community has impacted them and their wellbeing.
To do this, we invited everyone to ‘leaf us a message’ by writing anonymously on a leaf and add it to our tree.
It was lovely to look through the leaves and see Sunday Assembly London’s deep, continuing impact. Here’s a selection:
The leaves transcribed:
‘SA is amazing for making friends and having fun’
‘SA enables me to be brave and venture away from the familiar shallows, knowing that if the waves are too big or the waves become too strong, there’s a lighthouse there to guide me home’
‘Singing together makes me feel part of something bigger than myself and puts life’s problems in perspective’
‘Making really wonderful friends’
‘First time attendee of Sunday Assembly and I loved the singing. It has been some time since I sung in a group so that was undoubtedly good for my mental health’
‘As a parent, it’s helpful to be able to talk to adults about something other than children but without needing a babysitter’
‘Met lots of wonderful humans over the years’
‘SAL has given me a place to go in Sundays so I don’t spend the day doing nothing’
‘A constant in my life through many twists and turns’
‘Purpose and friendship’
‘People at Sunday Assembly are open to vulnerable conversations and welcome deep discussion as well as much needed laughter. A very positive impact on my mental health’
These messages made us even prouder of our community members, and of those whose contributions have enabled us to sustain Sunday Assembly London since our first assembly in 2013.
Reflecting on our community and volunteers
Learning. Singing. Listening. Chatting. Laughing. Reflecting. Tea-drinking. Lunching. Donating. Volunteering. These are the things that have been making Sunday Assembly London a community for over 12 years.
To everyone who’s been part of our goals to Live Better, Help Often and Wonder More together: thank you.
And in honour of Volunteers’ Week 2025 (2nd-8th June), a word about our volunteers:
Sunday Assembly London is a volunteer-led charity. No single post could do justice to the amount of time, energy and love that our volunteer teams pool to make every assembly happen. Without volunteering, Sunday Assembly London wouldn’t be the thriving, welcoming community we are today. Without volunteering, Sunday Assembly London wouldn’t be. Thank you to all of you (all of us)!
To anyone who hasn’t discovered us yet, we’re waiting to welcome you to our secular get-togethers in East London! Explore our website to see when your next opportunity is and who our guest speaker will be. (Our song choices remain a closely guarded secret until the assembly itself, but guesses based on the theme of the talk are welcome!)
No need to book, no pressure to pay: just turn up and make a donation if you have a good time.
At Sunday Assembly on 2 March (Everyday Jews), we reintroduced This Much I Know: a segment where we hear from a member of the Sunday Assembly community on a topic close to their heart.
David Goldstein explained why he started coming to Sunday Assembly and shared some good news involving a grant application.
Here’s an abridged version of David’s speech.
“I heard about Sunday Assembly in 2013, its first year. I immediately liked the idea. Then I started coming along… 10 years later.
So what spurred me into coming?
2023 was the year I really started thinking that I needed something more in the structure of my life, other than family and work. There was a musical that came out that year called Subspace Rhapsody, and I was particularly struck by the song How Would That Feel, which includes the line, “It might be time to change my paradigm.”
And then came the events of the 7th of October, which left a lot of us feeling vulnerable in a way we hadn’t before.
Sunday Assembly popped back into my mind, and I thought, “Here’s a community where I can hear voices other than my own – singing voice included – and I’ve got more to gain by walking through those doors than I have to lose.”
The fact that I’ve kept coming to Sunday Assembly is a testament to how welcoming everyone’s been, and I reached the point where I wanted to give something back, so I’ve done two things.
One was to offer some ideas about Sunday Assembly’s marketing, and I’ve ended up joining the crew of marketing volunteers.
As for the other thing… Marketing’s also my day job. I’m the copywriter at an accountancy firm called BKL, which has a charitable foundation called The BKL Foundation, which allocates a percentage of BKL’s profits to good causes. The trustees are BKL employees but it operates independently of BKL. I decided to request a grant for Sunday Assembly. So I wrote an email to the Foundation explaining why Sunday Assembly was a worthy cause that fitted their criteria.
And at their February meeting, The BKL Foundation trustees decided to award Sunday Assembly a grant… of £,5000!
Thank you to The BKL Foundation, and to all of you as Sunday Assemblers for being part of something that’s worth every penny of that grant.
The thing to do now is to keep going. Make sure that if BKL check back in six months, a year, to see how it’s going, we can show them how we’ve built on that grant. You’re all part of Sunday Assembly’s marketing. So please, forward the Sunday Assembly newsletters, share the social media posts, do your own posts tagging Sunday Assembly, and keep telling people about us. Just tell them not to wait 10 years before they give it a try.
I thought about signing off today with ‘Kind regards’, but no one has ever said “Kind regards” in an actual conversation, except for the King. It’s documented: 9th of March 2021. So Instead I’ll end with the sign-off that the future Queen Mother used in 1941:
‘Tinkety-tonk, old fruit, and down with the Nazis.’”
From the Sunday Assembly trustees…
Sunday Assembly London wishes to sincerely thank The BKL Foundation for its very generous grant of £5,000. This vital financial support will help Sunday Assembly London to continue offering community engagement, and connection through our inclusive, secular gatherings.
With this funding we can expand our programmes, enhance our events, and reach even more people with our core values: Live Better, Help Often and Wonder More.
Here’s David’s photo of Karen, our treasurer, meeting The BKL Foundation chair and some of their trustees at BKL’s North London office.
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