A secular charity with a more than 135-year-old magazine has been absorbed by a larger counterpart.

The Rationalist Association, which has published New Humanist magazine since its founding in 1885, will become part of Humanists UK.

The Rationalist Association was set up to promote rational inquiry in place of doctrine and to encourage ethical living free from supernatural beliefs. 

Humanists UK was founded to support and represent people who live without religious or superstitious beliefs.

The charities have worked together for more than a century and a merger had been considered several times in the past few decades, Humanists UK said.

“Nowadays Humanists UK has quite a large membership but no print publications and the RA had a quite small membership but a very attractive and healthy magazine,” a spokesperson for Humanists UK said.

“The merger means we can put New Humanist in front of many more of Humanists UK’s members and supporters and enables Humanists UK to start publishing again.”

The Rationalist Association has dissolved and its assets transferred to Humanists UK, including New Humanist and the RA’s company, the Rationalist Press Association. 

New Humanist will be published by Humanists UK and will also maintain its own distinct brand, the charity said.

The magazine has moved into Humanists UK’s offices.

The Rationalist Association recorded an income of £145,701 according to its accounts for the year to the end of December 2023 and Humanists UK recorded an income of £3.4m in the same period.

New Humanist has an editorial team of three along with freelance contributors and will maintain its editorial independence. 

Humanists UK has about 45 staff and there would be no job cuts or redundancies as a result of the merger, the charity said.

The readership of New Humanist magazine will increase to more than 130,000, with a print circulation of more than 26,000 as part of Humanists UK.

Clive Coen, outgoing chair of the Rationalist Association, has become a board member of Humanists UK.

The Rationalist Association did not have a chief executive at the time of the merger’s completion and its previous chief, Tom Smith, did not depart as a result of the merger, Humanists UK said.

Andrew Copson, chief executive of Humanists UK, will run the merged charity.

The Rationalist Association’s president, Laurie Taylor, has become a vice-president of Humanists UK.

"We live in times as troubled as any in the long histories of our organisations,” Copson said.

“More than ever, we need a strong humanist movement for the 21st century and this merger is a great strengthening.”

Niki Seth-Smith, editor of New Humanist, said: “With Humanists UK as our publisher, we can do more than ever to reach the majority of people in our country and globally who are open-minded, curious, and care deeply about the state of the world.

“We have big plans to use the boosted readership for the magazine to make it even more impactful and influential and I look forward to working with the editorial team to achieve this.”

Coen said: “The Rationalist Association’s trustees are pleased with this merger.

“Finding a place for New Humanist magazine within Humanists UK secures its future, while strengthening the voice of humanism and the aligned voice of rationalism.”