Donor Conception Network - Meetings

network meetings

NATIONAL MEETINGS

National members meetings are held twice a year, the next one will be in London in March 2008.

Each meeting is usually attended by between 80 - 180 members.
A creche is organised so that families with young children can attend.

National Meeting Agenda:
At our meeting on March 10th two donor conceived adults who have discovered they are half-siblings talked about what this means for them.
Tim Whitaker, Head of Communications and Policy at the HFEA will spoke about the role of the regulator as parliament reviews the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and donor conception moves into its second full year following the ending of anonymity for donors.
Members will also had the chance to meet in small groups to talk about different sorts of treatment, bringing up children in different family types and most popularly, sharing donor conception information with children of different ages and family and friends.

The meeting offers a chance for members to meet in small groups to discuss personal issues, as well as the opportunity to hear talks from expert speakers.

Informal local meetings, with and without children, take place regularly in the following areas -
N/NW London, SW/W London, SELondon/N.Kent, Essex/E.London borders, Surrey, Bristol/S.Wales/Gloucestershire, Thames Valley, W.Midlands, Nottingham and E.Midlands, NW England and Leeds/Sheffield area.
In New Year 2008 a new group will start covering Somerset/Wiltshire/Dorset/and Hampshire borders and also in Scotland

Members can contact (44) 0208 2454369......for further details.

Information and support in setting up a local group can be obtained from the same number.

Topics for small group discussion typically include:

  • Telling friends and family
  • Telling young children
  • Experiences with older children
  • Treatment issues; Egg donation experiences
  • Solo parenting issues
  • Lesbian households
  • Women only
  • Men only
  • Researching donor conception issues

Participants' feedback comments after a meeting on 10th March

Additional Reflections:

Reflections on My First Network Meeting

Impressions of a Network Conference

Taking the Plunge - Our First Meeting

Rachael's reflections from a meeting

Are They Swimming? Joining the Network

10th Anniversary Network Meeting

Reflections over the years

Recalling the Rawness - Why the National Meetings are Important to Us

Network Talks

Text of address to a national meeting by Mary MacLeod, Chief Executive of the National Family and Parenting Institute. March 2003

Feeling Good What helps children & teenagers feel good about themselves as donor conceived people?

Families’ Experiences of Sharing Information about Donor Conception

How does it feel to be the mother of an infertile man and grandmother to donor conceived children? Noodle Granny tells it how it is.

The Things Children Say