This workshop is for parents of donor-conceived children aged 0-7 years (Unfortunately, we are unable to have babies or children around during these workshops. You will need to ensure you have alternative child-care arranged for your child(ren) for the duration of the course, as it is a full and intensive programme). They are equally appropriate whether you had treatment in the UK or abroad, with a known, identifiable or anonymous donor or if your treatment involved surrogacy. You may be wondering how to start talking to your child about their donor-conceived origins, or you may have already begun this process and would like to explore what may come up in the future.

Hear from donors, donor conceived people, recipient parents and professionals at our 2024 virtual conference! Our 2024 conference in May 2024 had some amazing speakers and now we are offering you the opportunity to enjoy some of the highlights from the comfort of your own home at this, our fourth virtual conference. **Our fantastic programme includes:** _**Bringing the donor into the conversation**_ Hear from two donors and two donor conceived people: * Clare: talking about being a known egg donor as well as a sperm donor recipient parent with her wife * Martin: talking about being a sperm donor in the 1980s * Sophie: one of Martin’s genetic offspring tells her moving story of discovering she was donor conceived later in life and connecting with him and other half siblings * Carly: talking about being conceived through embryo donation in a solo mum family, and recently connecting with a full genetic sibling _**Ethnicity and donor conception**_ We know that ethnicity is an issue for many donor conception families including two of our members, Mariam and Diana. In this session, we explore some of the challenges of finding a donor and the importance of heritage. _**Extended connections and anonymous donors**_ Continuing the theme of bringing the donor into the conversation, in this session we’ll be thinking about the implications of those connections. We’ll be considering how using an anonymous donor impacts the family story and how to build confidence if taking that route to parenthood. The event will be hosted by Mark, a long standing DCN member, a parent via donor conception and one of our workshop facilitators. It will include a mix of live and recorded presentations, plus our wonderful panelists will be coming back to join live Q&A sessions to answer any questions you may have. **How much does it cost?** The online conference costs only £25 for members if you book before 15 June and £35 after. If you’re not a member, we have a special ticket for you which includes one-month of DCN membership too and this ticket costs £30 before 15 June, £40 afterwards. **When and where is the conference?** The conference is on Saturday 29th June and is being held in the afternoon from 2pm to 5.30pm to make it more accessible to those outside the UK and those who have activities on a Saturday morning. It’ll take place online via Zoom but we know that life gets busy, especially in the summer months, so we’re also offering a one-month ‘watch again’ link if you can’t join us on the day. **Who is it for?** It’s open to all and is appropriate whether you’re at the early stages of considering donor conception or have children already. It will also be useful for professionals working in a field connected to donor conception who would like to better understand this way of building a family.

Donor conception, difference and decision making – an ONLINE workshop for heterosexual couples who are thinking about donor egg, sperm or embryo. This 1 day Online DCN workshop is for you if you are: • A heterosexual couple who are thinking about whether donor conception is the right way forward for you to create or expand your family • Contemplating sperm, double or embryo donation with or without surrogacy • Unsure about donor conception and would like to know more about it • Wondering if you need time out to evaluate where you have got to on your fertility journey and what your options may be for the future • Thinking about having fertility treatment in the UK or abroad, or currently having treatment in the UK or abroad • Using, or contemplating using an anonymous, known or identifiable donor ** Please note that there is a 1 hour session on the Friday night 7.30-8.30pm for introductions and Zoom familiarisation and a 1 hour session on Saturday night 7.30-8.30pm to meet a donor conceived young person and ask them questions.** Why you should attend. • A comfortable and confidential space to think about what it means to you to create or add to your family using a donor • Run by three facilitators who are also parents of donor conceived children • A donor-conceived young person will also attend to chat with you about their experiences. • Talking with others in small and large groups throughout the day • Access to on-going peer support group with your fellow delegates • Comprehensive sets of handouts about all aspects of donor conception will be sent to you before and after the workshop Our experience is that in order to get the most from the workshop, couples need to attend together if possible. This workshop is for those who have not yet conceived through donor conception (though you may have children already who are not donor-conceived) Please note medical aspects of donor conception are not covered in this workshop.

This workshop is for parents of donor-conceived children aged 0-7 years (Unfortunately, we are unable to have babies or children around during these workshops. You will need to ensure you have alternative child-care arranged for your child(ren) for the duration of the course, as it is a full and intensive programme). They are equally appropriate whether you had treatment in the UK or abroad, with a known, identifiable or anonymous donor or if your treatment involved surrogacy. You may be wondering how to start talking to your child about their donor-conceived origins, or you may have already begun this process and would like to explore what may come up in the future. As a single or lesbian woman, we recognise that your experiences are different from the time your pregnancy becomes public knowledge, and that attending our workshop even before your baby is born might be helpful for you. All of our single women and lesbian couples’ workshops have a small number of places for pregnant women.

Event for prospective parents thinking about using a donor. If you’re thinking about using donor conception, we know you’ll have lots of questions. This event is the perfect place to start getting answers. Join us and hear from: * An embryologist from a UK clinic giving essential medical info * A donor conceived adult talking about their experiences of growing up DC * Parents by donor conception talking through their decision-making and life as a parent 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿? This event is suitable for everyone at the start of their donor conception journey, for same-sex and heterosexual couples and for those planning to become single parents. It’s a friendly, inclusive chance to meet others at a similar stage in a relaxed environment at this in-person event. 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: The full day costs just £75 per person or £130 per couple when booked before 5 Oct (£90 and £160 after that date) and the 11am start time makes it easy to get to Waterloo and home in a day. This event is a Donor Conception Network event so you can rest assured that all information will be impartial and based on our experience of working with donor conception families for the past 30 years. 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 The ticket price includes tea, coffee and cake but not lunch; this helps us keep costs down and means you can choose and order whatever you’d like separately. You can find the pub’s menu here: https://www.thehercules.co.uk/food/menus. You are also free to take lunch outside of course but we hope you’ll stay with us during the break as it will be a great opportunity to chat with other attendees and our DCN team.