Board of Trustees

Sir Jonathan Miller CBE  

President of the Rationalist Association, Appointed 2006

“Although religion is very widespread, not believing in religion is also very widespread, and very long-standing. We're not this weird, cranky minority. It is entirely possible to be orderly, decent, moral and concerned and atheist. This is what the Rationalist Association embodies.”

Sir Jonathan Miller was appointed president in 2006 and is an honorary associate of both the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society.

He trained initially in natural sciences and medicine at St. John’s College, Cambridge and University College London, working as a doctor for the two years following his graduation in 1959.

In 1960, he contributed as writer and performer to the Cambridge Footlights' Edinburgh Festival production “Beyond the Fringe”, after which he went on to have a highly distinguished career in the arts as a writer, performer, theatre and opera director and television producer.

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1983 and was knighted in 2002. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London and Edinburgh, and a Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

On July 4 2007 New Humanist held an event at the Royal Society of the Arts in London featuring Sir Jonathan Miller, comedian Natalie Haynes and cartoonist Martin Rowson discussing how humour makes us human. An outline of the event, written by Laurie Taylor, can be read on our website.

Our Board of Trustees

As a registered charity the Rationalist Association is governed by a board of voluntary trustees who, in accordance with the Charity Commission “…have, and must accept, ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of a charity, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and meeting the needs for which it has been set up.”

Laurie Taylor

Chairman of the Board Appointed 2007

“I accepted the chairmanship of the Rationalist Association not only because I shared its commitment to promoting the understanding of rationalism, but also because I was impressed by the variety of creative and innovative ways it was employing in order to fulfil this mission.”  

Laurie Taylor is the Chairman of the Rationalist Association and the commissioning editor of New Humanist. He presents Thinking Allowed on BBC Radio 4 and has made numerous television and radio programmes. In another life he was a Professor of Sociology at the University of York and the author of books on criminology and parenthood. You can learn more from our chairman from his wide range of articles and interviews on our website

Tess Woodcraft

Vice Chair Appointed 2009

Tess is currently part of the core team of a new project Pod Academy, a not for profit platform for podcasts on academic research. Her career to date has included publishing, academic law, involvement with the trade union NALGO, journalism [for BBC and Channel 4] and communications. She has worked in this capacity for Islington council and was co-founder of the Centre for Strategy and Communications.

Sally Feldman

Appointed 2006

Sally is on the editorial board of New Humanist and on the board of the Rationalist Association and the Council of the Media Society. She is currently Dean of the School of Media, Arts and Design at the University of Westminster after many years of editing Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. Feldman is also prolific contributor to the New Humanist magazine.                                                                                                                          

Winston Fletcher

Appointed 2007

Marketing expert and former Chairman of the Royal Institute council from 1998 to 2008. His career appointments include being founder Chairman of Fletcher Shelton Delaney; Chairman and CEO, Ted Bates UK Group; Chairman and CEO, Delaney Fletcher Bozell. He has contributed a number of articles, available on our website, including an analysis of the Catholic Church and a defence of advertising.

Jose Gonsalves

Appointed 2007

Jose is currently Finance Director of two London based businesses alongside his work with the Rationalist Association.             

           

John Metcalf

Appointed 2005

A longstanding rationalist, former Secretary of the Rationalist Press Association and a lifelong committed humanist. John is a former County Councillor in Hertfordshire.

     

     

David Pollock

Appointed 2000

Rationalist Association and former Rationalist Press Association board member; president of European Humanist Federation; trustee of British Humanist Association; formerly director of ASH and then of the Continence Foundation. His extensive writings on humanism and related subjects can be found on his website.

Jonathan Stopes-Roe

Appointed 2000

Jonathan is a long-standing supporter of the Humanist movement, having been Chairman of Trustees of the Rationalist Association until 2009. In 2011 he retired as a Senior Civil Servant in the Department of Health. Jonathan is is from a distinguished family of rationalist supporters, following in the footsteps of his father Harry, a Vice-President of the British Humanist Association.  He is a grandson of Dr. Marie Stopes, the renowned feminist and pioneer of family planning services in the UK.