The Tibet Society UK is the world’s first ever Tibet support group. It was founded in 1959, within weeks of the flight of the Dalai Lama from Tibet following the uprising against Chinese occupation.

All the founders of the Tibet Society UK had personal knowledge of an independent and free Tibet, having either lived in Lhasa or had direct dealings with the Tibetan government. Hugh Richardson, the British Representative in Tibet, was among the dignitaries who greeted the young Dalai Lama when, in 1939, aged just four, he first entered Lhasa. Heinrich Harrer, when in Lhasa in the 1940s, coached the Dalai Lama in English and maths. Robert Ford, who remains a Vice President to this day, was captured and imprisoned for five years by the invading Chinese army in 1950 when serving as radio officer to the Tibetan Government. Well known High Court Judge and founder of the Buddhist Society, Christmas Humphreys, first met the Dalai Lama in 1956.

The Tibet Society works for the freedom of the Tibetan people and their right to self determination by:

• Seeking change and negotiation through dialogue

• Promoting understanding of Tibet's history, culture and religion

• Lobbying the UK government through the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet

• Fostering a greater understanding between parliamentarians from the UK and the Tibetan Parliament in Exile

• Supporting Tibetans in the UK to make their voice heard

• Helping the Tibetan Government in Exile in their democratic processes

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE TIBET SOCIETY HERE