UK classifies Druidry as a religion

Druidry has been formally classified under charity law as a religion for the first time in Britain.
Druids are now eligible for tax exemptions on donations, and have the same status as mainstream religions, the Associated Press said. It is the first pagan practice recognized as a religion.
The druids' worship of natural spirits was deemed religious activity by England's Charity Commission after the Druid Network applied for charitable status in order to legally receive funds, the BBC reported.
The classification also gives the practice validity, said Phil Ryder, the chairman of the 350-member Druid Network, the Associated Press reported.
A 2003 BBC Inside Out investigation suggested up to 10,000 people in England consider themselves druids, the BBC said.