Our Team
Executive
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President
Jenny BartleJenny is renowned for her eccentric tendencies, being tiny, and also being queen of the atheists in Bristol for a while. She first got involved with the AHS in march 2010, and hosted the AGM only months later. She enjoys physics, and her degree has certainly given her the ability to clarify technical points in discussions. She also dabbles in philosophy, computing and general geekery, as well as having a love for classical music and art. But mostly just crazy ^_^
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Treasurer
Dom BlacklockDom is in his final year of a Mathematics degree at University College London. He founded and was president of the UCL Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Soc in late 2010. He helped co-ordinate the Best Collaborative 2011 event with the other London societies and UCL ASH hosted the committee day of the AHS convention in March 2011. Outside of AHS and Uni happenings he enjoys gigging with his two bands and musical projects, doing various sports and being mobbed by his many, many imaginary fans...[and avoiding Mathematics at all costs.]
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Secretary
Mike PaynterMike is the Secretary for the AHS, having been the Head of Membership and South-West RDO. He has previously been both Academic Secretary and Treasurer of the University of Bristol Atheist, Agnostic and Secular Society (AASS). He has helped Bristol join the AHS, have its first Reason Week and build connections with the local Humanist, Secularist and Skeptics groups.
Mike is currently finishing a PhD in Communications Engineering at the University of Bristol. He loves cycling and cooking, but has not been able to combine them ... yet.
Officers
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Head of Membership
Jess VautierJess was president of the University of Southampton Atheist Society and organised their third Reason Week. She was also heavily involved in organising the AHS’s fourth AGM which was hosted by the Southampton Atheist Soc and helped plan the second annual Questival camping weekend. She is a member of Surrey Skeptics and attends Guildford Skeptics in the Pub.
Jess has a degree in law from the University of Southampton and is currently studying for her Legal Practice Course in Guildford. Outside term time, Jess may be found on a beach in the fictional island of Jersey. Besides atheism, Jess loves singing and has a keen interest in politics and feminism.
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Head of Education
Damian Jack RumbleDamian was president of Bristol AASS between 2009/10 and recently graduated with a masters in Physics and Astrophysics in 2011. Despite this he is currently unemployed and what better use of his time and vast experience with working with societies at Bristol than to become an officer of the AHS?
Damian is renowned for having his fingers in many pies and holds position on the national committee of UKSEDS and is a seasoned ultimate Frisbee player. He also loves a good political discussion, even if it often ends up with him being labeled (incorrectly) a Tory. In his defence he has this to say, "it's not that I'm right wing, it's just that you are all really left wing!"
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Webmaster
Andrew WestAndrew West is the BHA's ICT, Database and Web Officer. He also serves as their Official Photographer, having photographed their events for the past two and a half years. He recently completed a degree in photography at the University of Westminster, having had limited success in teaching his tutors the difference between 'humanist' and 'humorist'. Andrew photographed the AHS's first Conference - the press launch - in Conway Hall in February 2009, and the AHS's second Conference in February 2010. Subsequently to this he helped organise Questival 2010, and ran Questival 2011, also serving as photographer for both events.
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Press Officer
Gareth HallGareth is the Press Officer for the AHS, and a member of the University of Birmingham Atheists, Secularists and Humanists (UB:ASH). He recently completed a Master's Degree in Creative Writing - this facilitated his desire to write black comedies and surreal dramas, which will presumably (though not necessarily) be seen by other human beings at some point. He loves animals (keen dog walker, 10 year vegetarian), he loves music (10,000 song collection...everything from Nat King Cole to Rob Zombie), and many more things you'll have to ask him about later.
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Head of Campaigns
Ellie HaycockEllie is the AHS' Campaigns Officer and the Events Coordinator for the Open University's Secular Society. She works full-time and is studying for a degree in International Studies with the OU, both of which keep her busy...
She first got involved in the AHS after attending the World Humanist Congress in Oslo in 2011, but has been a member of the BHA and NSS for a few years.
Aside from humanist activities, Ellie loves cooking (mainly the eating part), holidays, generally avoiding physical exercise, films (sad ones, apparently) and reading.
She would love to hear any ideas you may have for campaigns - please email at campaigns@ahsstudents.org.uk.
Regional Development Officers
The UK and Republic of Ireland are split up into 13 regions. Each Regional Development Officer (RDO) has one region, where they either live or go to University. The RDO helps further the aims of the AHS within that region, acting as a go-between between the societies and the AHS Cabinet. The RDO searches for, makes contact with and supports student societies in their region, as well as putting the societies in contact with other local groups in their area. The RDO travels to Universities within the region in order to help train existing and potential member societies as well as arrange regional socials and campaigns. The RDO encourages society participation in the AHS and the holding of Reason Weeks.
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Scotland
Ian ScottUniversity of Edinburgh Humanist SocietyIan got the whole nine yards of Catholic teaching at a state-funded faith school, but quickly rejected Christianity after moving to a non-denominational secondary school. Through rejecting god and then embracing science, Ian discovered skepticism, and in November 2009 took it upon himself to found Glasgow Skeptics, which is thriving, having hosted Simon Singh, Richard Wiseman, PZ Myers and an all-day event in late 2010.
Ian is currently President of the Humanist Society at the University of Edinburgh, where he is currently trying to switch from Evolutionary Biology to Psychology.
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North West England
Sam AjderianSam is a Biology student at the University of Liverpool. He has been involved with the AHS for two years, after attending the AGM in Warwick in 2009. He is one of the longest serving RDO having been in the role since it’s launch. He is also in his second year serving as President of the University of Liverpool Atheist, Humanist, Secular and Agnostic Society. Outside the AHS he is a model for alternative photography!
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Yorkshire and the Humber
Cheryl HarfordCheryl has completed the first 2 years of a Biomedical Science undergraduate degree and is currently on years hospital placement. She was the Secretary for the Bradford Atheist and Humanist Society (BAAHS) in it's first year and is now Treasurer. When not boring people with how wonderful it is to be studying disgusting diseases she will be watching zombie films, dressing up as a zombie or baking zombie head shaped cupcakes. She also enjoys Dr Who, cats and trying to grow vegetables. One day she will marry Frank Turner. Or snog him at least. Her favourite disease is necrotising faciitis.
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East Midlands
Benjamin KrishnaBen has been in the Oxford Atheists Secularists and Humanists for 3 years, having been the IT officer, Secretary and now Chair. He’s in his third year of a Biochemistry Degree and currently trying to help set up an atheist society at Oxford Brookes.
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Greater London
Dom BlacklockDom is in his final year of a Mathematics degree at University College London. He founded and was president of the UCL Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Soc in late 2010. He helped co-ordinate the Best Collaborative 2011 event with the other London societies and UCL ASH hosted the committee day of the AHS convention in March 2011. Outside of AHS and Uni happenings he enjoys gigging with his two bands and musical projects, doing various sports and being mobbed by his many, many imaginary fans...[and avoiding Mathematics at all costs.]
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East of England
Jens ChristensenJens Christensen is currently in his second year of his PhD at Cambridge University. In 2005 he moved from Denmark to the UK to pursue a career in engineering. After only a few days on campus he was surprised by the overwhelming presence of the local Christian Union and as a response he founded the Atheist Society at Southampton University in the beginning of 2007. Future plans involve resurrecting the Cambridge Atheist society and conquering the galaxy.
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Northern Ireland
Gordon BeattieGordon has been a member of the Queen’s Humanist Society since he started his degree in the University in 2009. He is now the treasurer for the society and has been involved in various events in the society from recruiting at the Fresher Bizarre to bringing Humanist support to the Gay Pride parade in Belfast. Gordon studies Biological Sciences at Queens and is a keen musician (guitar for those who are wondering), pool player, amateur graphics/3D design artist and cyclist.
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South West England
Adam "Semy" SemenenkoAdam, better know by his nickname 'Semy', is from the internet. In the hit FPS game 'Real Life', he plays a geek character on the Bristol server with unlocked achievements in computer science (from Bristol uni server) and mathematics (Plymouth uni server). His favourite skill-tree upgrades are programming, British sign language, drumming, arguing, reading fiction, and running. Whilst connected to the Bristol uni server he joined their atheist guild, and levelled up to a social secretary, where he secretaried socialising, helped run the 2010 AHS AGM raid, and ran a murder mystery party. More recently he has installed the 'Adulthood' expansion and is now a code monkey.
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West Midlands
Tulpesh PatelJust finished a PhD in Neursciences at Aston University and now working there as a Research Fellow, researching biomarkers of co-morbity in children with developmental disorders. Founded and currently chair the Aston Humanist Society and also a regular of Birmingham Skeptics in the pub. A keen amateur science communicator. I run a sporadically updated blog, work as an academic writing mentor and participate in science outreach programs. When not doing science-related things I like to raise money for charity long-distance running; my favourite thing is combining the two.
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North East England
Paul TaylorPaul is currently finishing a BSc in Maths and Philosophy at Durham University. He founded and was president of the Humanist and Secularist society there for 2009-10, and is now regional development officer for the North East. When not working he can often be found listening to awful music or playing Go.
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Wales
Ray ThomasRay Thomas is AHS Rep of Southampton University, and is a former Treasurer. He is also the AHS Regional Rep for Wales, and is founder and convenor of Swansea Skeptics in the Pub. He has been involved with Interfaith activities at Southampton University including representing the Atheist Society on the Religious Societies Union and at Interfaith events. Ray was doing a degree in acoustical engineering, but is changing to physics and astronomy. Ray worked as the AHS's Events Co-Ordinator before working as Head of Membership and then Head of Education.
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South East England
Benjamin KrishnaBen has been in the Oxford Atheists Secularists and Humanists for 3 years, having been the IT officer, Secretary and now Chair. He’s in his third year of a Biochemistry Degree and currently trying to help set up an atheist society at Oxford Brookes.
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Republic of Ireland
Brian MurphyBrian Murphy is a 3rd year English and Mathematics student at University College Cork. Interested in being a good person and doing the right thing, Brian was involved with UCC Christian Chaplaincy during his first degree. However, being the lefty liberal secularist he is, he did feel a bit out of place. During his second degree he figured out God got in the way of his morality. He is now the P.R.O. of the UCC Atheist Society, currently in the process of founding a Humanist community in Cork and has become a vegetarian. Brian has always been a passionate LGBT ally. Brian uses a pseudonym as he aspires to be a teacher one day and does not want to risk failing the google test for a teaching post in an Irish School, the majority of which have a Catholic ethos.
Board
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AHS President
Jenny BartleJenny is renowned for her eccentric tendencies, being tiny, and also being queen of the atheists in Bristol for a while. She first got involved with the AHS in march 2010, and hosted the AGM only months later. She enjoys physics, and her degree has certainly given her the ability to clarify technical points in discussions. She also dabbles in philosophy, computing and general geekery, as well as having a love for classical music and art. But mostly just crazy ^_^
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BHA Chief Executive
Andrew CopsonAndrew Copson became Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association in January 2010 after five years coordinating the BHA's education and public affairs work. He is a former director of the European Humanist Federation (EHF) and is currently a Vice President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), where he leads on strategic alliances and is a member of the growth and development committee. Andrew has supported the activities of the AHS since inception and was a member of the AHS's old Board of Trustees, before the AHS was reconstituted at the 2010 AGM.
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Board Member
Norman RalphNorman Ralph is the founding President of the AHS. Norman is a member of Leeds Atheist Society and served for four years on their committee, having been the Secretary, President and AHS Rep. The AHS was founded during his tenure as Leeds President, and having drafted the AHS's first constitution, Norman was subsequently elected as the AHS's first President. Norman's time in charge saw the AHS hold its press launch, at which he spoke alongside Andrew Copson, Polly Toynbee, A C Grayling and Richard Dawkins. A keen debater, Norman is always prepared to speak his mind on all things.
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Board Member
Jenna CatleyJenna Catley is a D.Phil. student in Education at the University of Oxford, having studied Law and Politics at Keele University and the University of Bristish Columbia in Canada. Whilst at Keele she was the Secretary and then President the Critical Legal Group, and founded the Keele Activist Support Network. She later designed and taught an undergraduate Politics module on Active Citizenship. In 2007, she founded the first Keele University Humanist Group and she has also served as Oxford Atheist Society's AHS Rep from 2008-10 and Welfare Officer from 2010-11. In 2008 Jenna became the first AHS Secretary, and her 2009-10 AHS presidency culminated in a redrafted AHS constitution seeing the AHS supported and facilitated by the British Humanist Association.
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Board Member
Alex GibsonAlex Gibson is a former President and Secretary of the Oxford Secular Society and an intermittently published writer. He helped set up the AHS, was the AHS's first Director of Membership and was the Editor of the AHS's Secular Future magazine. He was also a Trustee on the old AHS Board of Trustees, and his carrying across to being a member of the new AHS Board resultantly seemed a very natural one. He has always believed that students are a lot more passionate than people give them credit for, and is very happy to be associated with an organisation that is proving it.
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Board Member
David PollockDavid Pollock is the President of the European Humanist Federation, and a member of the BHA Board of Trustees. Back in the 1960s he was also heavily involved of the University Humanist Federation, effectively the predecessor organisation to the AHS. He also served as Secretary and President of the Oxford University Humanist Group, which at its peak was the largest student society in Oxford at the time, getting over 1200 people turn up to one event. Now retired, David campaigns for Humanism full-time, and has supported the AHS since inception
