Some of you will have joined in the very successful online Winter Gatherings which were held over the Christmas periods in 2020 & 2022.  To maintain the momentum and the friendships we made we are holding a two-day online Spring Gathering over the weekend of Saturday 23rd April and Sunday 24th April 2022.

Our intention is to come together and (re)connect, enjoy the workshops and sessions, and have fun. We hope to offer a selection of exciting workshops facilitated by partners from around the world. Each day is divided into 5 sessions using UK time: early morning, late morning, afternoon, early evening and late evening, hopefully suitable for Europe and Africa and mostly suitable for Asia and the Americas.  The Gatherings so far have been truly international with participants from North America, Europe, India and New Zealand.

Three important principles

Community – this is a community project, we expect people to respect each other, work in harmony, support each other and have fun together.

Co-create – everyone helps to co-create the gathering. The work is spread out so that no one has to take on too much. If you see anything that needs doing, please consider that it may be for you to pick it up.

Care (self care) – every session is optional. Please take care of yourself, and if anything feels harmful to your physical or emotional wellbeing, please avoid it. You remain responsible for your own wellbeing throughout the gathering.

Who are the organisers?
This event has strong links with ECC who kindly let us use their Zoom account.  However, we are a broader group than just ECC. We see ourselves as a 'network of networks' with minimal structure which is seeking to maintain the momentum of these events. Originally initiated by ECC member Stan Lee, we morphed into the Gay Co-create Group but now call ourselves the Rainbow Umbrella Network (RUN).  Each event is co-ordinated by a small group who organise the framework of the gathering and co-ordinate behind the scenes.

More information
You can find our contact details, more information about the event, how to offer to facilitate workshops and the outline diary at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rWprZEs2cNeUDFORehD_zCMgSrU2IKscgX7aBUbmFk8

You can also get updates if you sign up for our newsletter - please email Ian Williams wimbledonian [at] gmail.com