| Description | Britain Yearly Meeting, previously known as London Yearly Meeting, is the annual meeting of the Quaker church in Britain, attended by Friends from across the country. It is at this meeting that constitutional decisions are made, policies on areas of work are agreed, action is called for, and a forum is provided at which Friends can teach, learn, be inspired, celebrate together and focus on what it means to be a Quaker.
Yearly Meeting grew out of various regional and national meetings which were held in the 1650s and 1660s, and an annual national meeting has been held each year since 1668. Initially, only male Friends could participate in Yearly Meeting and it was not until 1784 that a separate Yearly Meeting for Women was established. This was laid down in 1907 when women and men were permitted to attend the Yearly Meeting together.
The majority of Yearly Meetings were held in London but the 20th century saw a move to hold meetings in different areas of the country, with the first of these being held in Leeds in 1905, followed by Birmingham in 1908. A subsequent meeting was held in Birmingham in 1954. |