Band of Hope

Hope UK is a United Kingdom Christian charity based in London, England which educates children and young people about drug and alcohol abuse. It was founded in 1855 as the Band of Hope.

The Band of Hope was first proposed by Rev. Jabez Tunnicliff, who was a Baptist Minister in Leeds, following the death in June 1847 of a young man whose life was cut short by alcohol. While working in Leeds, Tunnicliff had become an advocate for total abstinence from alcohol. In the autumn of 1847, with the help of other temperance workers, the Band of Hope was founded. Its objective was to teach children the importance and principles of sobriety and teetotalism. In 1855, a national organisation was formed amidst an explosion of Band of Hope work. Meetings were held in churches throughout the UK and included Christian teaching.

Set up in an era when alcoholic drinks was generally viewed as a necessity of life, next only to food and water, the Band of Hope and other temperance organisations fought to counteract the influence of pubs and brewers, with the specific intention of rescuing 'unfortunates' whose lives had been blighted by drink and teach complete abstinence.

Christians and Temperance Societies saw this as a way of providing activities for children that encouraged them to avoid alcohol problems. Alcohol-free premises were established, rallies, marches and demonstrations were mounted to oppose the "evils" of hard liquor that were attended by thousands of supporters, and coffee taverns were established to keep teetotalers on the straight and narrow path.

"Signing the pledge" was one of the innovative features. The pledge was a promise not to drink alcohol and millions of people signed up. There were also lectures that were illustrated by magic lantern, the technological equivalent to present day computerised PowerPoint displays, and noted personalities were invited to speak at public meetings in support of the cause. Guy Aldred, the boy preacher was an active propagandist for the Band of Hope, before focussing his activities on Anarchist-Communist politics.

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