Event dates
An additional Yearly Meeting session will be held on 1 July online and in person at Friends House, from 10am–2.45pm. The session is being held to discuss the essential business of the Trustees report and financial statement and the Tabular statement.
Friends are also welcome to join an open session of Meeting for Sufferings, from 3–4.30pm.
There will be a full children and teenagers' programme in Friends House with a theme of community and belonging.
This year, we ask Friends to consider how we centre ourselves and organise our community, so that we may best do what we are called to do. In particular, we are looking at these questions:
• Releasing our energy: How do we ensure our structures are simple, inclusive, and sustainable?
• Revitalising our communities: How do we revitalise our Quaker meetings and nurture joy?
• Following the leadings of the Spirit: How can we build a better world with integrity, and how can we recognise and support truth in the wider world?
Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee encourages preparation for Yearly Meeting by individuals and in the various communities to which we each belong. Let us use this Yearly Meeting as an opportunity to build foundations for our community and our actions.
Spiritual preparation
- Yearly Meeting is a chance for Quakers to worship, listen and learn together. It's where Quakers make important decisions together about the issues in focus for the coming year.
- Friends are asked to familiarise themselves with the documents from Yearly Meeting particularly the Minutes and Prepared ministry from Yearly Meeting 2023, held in May.
- Agenda & Notes (PDF) helps with spiritual preparation for both individual Friends and worshipping communities.
- Preparing for Yearly Meeting 2023 (PDF) is a brief document to
introduce the theme, practicalities, and spiritual life of Yearly Meeting. It
contains the Community Agreement, resources and information to assist with
spiritual preparation, and practical details about the event.
These documents are available as they are published at www.quaker.org.uk/ym/documents
Practical preparation
- Registration is open for
the extra Yearly Meeting session. The deadline to register is 18 June.
- Preparation documents are available to help Friends. Read and download Preparing for Yearly Meeting 2023 (PDF)
How does Yearly Meeting work?
- In this video, Woodbrooke staff guide you through the way Quaker business method will work for this year's Yearly Meeting sessions and the other events happening during this gathering. They offer practical tips on getting the best from our blended Yearly Meeting and provide a chance to ask any questions that are on your mind. There is no such thing as a silly question! This is a recording of orientation material from one of these sessions.
First time at Yearly Meeting
- If you are new to Yearly Meeting, welcome! On this page we hope to answer any questions you have about how Yearly Meeting works and why our gathering of Friends functions in this way. Yearly Meeting (YM) is our annual opportunity for Quakers to come together in worship, learning and inspiration. Quaker faith & practice chapter six contains the history and purpose of Yearly Meeting.
- Preparation documents are available to help Friends in this process. Read and download Preparing for Yearly Meeting 2023 (PDF).
- There are many ways to connect with and feel part of Yearly Meeting. This website will be regularly updated to help Friends prepare their minds and hearts before, during, and after Yearly Meeting. One way is to read Preparing for Yearly Meeting 2023 (PDF).
- Documents in advance, published in March, these documents introduce the theme of the Yearly Meeting and and contain reports from across Britain Yearly Meeting (including BYM Trustees and Meeting for Sufferings).
- Yearly Meeting wouldn't be possible without the help of those attending, it's also a great opportunity to get to know people, for more information see our Get involved page.
- Registration is required to attend Friends House or join online, whether Friends are in membership or attending meetings. Information about financial support and bursaries is available on our Bursary page.
- Children and teenagers are very welcome and take part in dedicated Youth, Children & Families programmes, please see the 0-18s page for more information.