Freshers’ Fair Ban on Church Successfully Challenged
A Christian church, Grace Church Greenwich, was denied the chance to book a stall at Goldsmiths University’s Freshers’ Fair because the booking contractor, Native, stated it could no longer “facilitate bookings for religious groups at these events.” Grace Church challenged the policy as discriminatory, and the company subsequently suspended the ban, allowing bookings from the church and similar groups.
Grace Church had regularly participated in university freshers’ fairs to engage students, offering coffee and talks about Jesus. The church minister noted that on some campuses “there are no Christian Unions, so stalls like ours are the only gospel witness to the thousands of students who attend,” highlighting why this outreach is significant. When Grace Church attempted to reserve a stall at Goldsmiths, Native explained: “Due to a recent update in our company policy, we are no longer able to facilitate bookings for religious groups at these events.”
The church’s minister disputed this as potentially unlawful discrimination. Native clarified that religious groups promoting secular initiatives could book, but it “could not support campaigns that explicitly promote specific religious teachings,” prompting the minister to ask: “So it’s okay to be there as a Christian organisation as long as we don’t do or say Christian things?”
Grace Church sought support from The Christian Institute, whose solicitor argued that Native’s actions constituted “direct discrimination on grounds of religion or belief contrary to sections 13 and 29 of the Equality Act 2010” and that both Grace Church and Good News for Everyone “have grounds for a claim under the Act.”
Following this legal challenge, Native suspended the restrictive policy. Grace Church and Good News for Everyone are now able to book stalls for Freshers’ Fair 2026. The church’s minister shared the story to encourage other churches to uphold religious freedoms.
This case underscores core rights of religious freedom and non‑discrimination. Under the UK Equality Act 2010, refusing participation solely because an organisation is religious is unlawful. At the European level, Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects the manifestation of belief, including missionary activity, while Article 14 prohibits discrimination in exercising Convention rights. Excluding religious groups from university events risks marginalising them and limiting students’ exposure to diverse worldviews, turning a public forum into a space that excludes certain voices.
Sources: The Christian Institute, GB News
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