Yorkshire Quakers website

This is the website for Yorkshire Quakers, the new charity serving Quakerism throughout the region.

The website contains news, information, background and links for Quaker activities coming under  Yorkshire Quakers. 

The charity is being formed by the merger of up to seven Area Meeting charities and the Quakers in Yorkshire charity.   Yorkshire Quakers will manage the finances, property, employment and safeguarding for Quaker Meetings across Yorkshire. Area Meetings will continue to exist for spiritual and membership matters.

General Meeting

The first Yorkshire Quakers General Meeting will be held on Thursday 24th September 2026 by Zoom from 19.00 to 21.00. 

Vision

Our vision is of a single organisation which enables us to share all our resources – be they spiritual, or temporal, our buildings and our financial assets. We see this as at the heart of our history as Quakers and as a bid to future proof our organisation so that the burden does not fall on fewer and fewer people. We are small in number butgreat in spirit – we will thrive if we are able to share our resources across Yorkshire. There are local meetings which are well resourced financially but with few members and vice versa. Much of the current work is carried out unpaid and roles are becoming harder to fill. We see this time as an opportunity to use all our assets, including enabling us to pool our funds and smooth out the capital costs that local meetings encounter.

Background

Quakers across Yorkshire have been working since 2019 to develop a shared framework for managing our business.  See the Backgound page for more details.

Principles

  • Simplifying our systems.
  • Creating transparency in our discernment.
  • Doing locally what is best done locally, doing together what is best done together.
  • Freeing up Quakers to focus on living our values and concerns.
  • Providing mutual support to Quakers and Meetings.

Progress as at August 2026

  • The principles and constitution have been agreed.
  • A consultation early in 2026 produced many responses.  See the Consultation page.
  • The Charity Commission has registered Yorkshire Quakers as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), number 1218846.
  • The first Trustees have been meeting regularly to start governing the charity.
  • The Implementation Group has developed proposals on how Yorkshire Quakers might operate, following the responses to a consultation earlier in the year. See the Proposals page.

  • Friends in all Area Meetings are considering the proposals this Autumn and taking decisions on whether to join together in a single new charity. 

  • There are opportunities to learn more and ask questions
    • 1 September at 7pm (on line)
    • 5 September - All day session for AM Treasurers (in person)
    • Also attend your Area Meeting in September/ October