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Single women – Double or embryo donation – Prospective parent

This is a DCN chat for single women considering or in treatment to become solo mums, considering or using double or embryo donation. This ...

3 Jun 20:30-21:45

This event is for DCN members only. Please login or join now.

This is a DCN chat for single women considering or in treatment to become solo mums, considering or using double or embryo donation. This chat offers a space for discussion and peer support.

This chat will be facilitated by Kerry, solo mum through double donation.

All our facilitators are solo mums in the Network. This is not a professionally led or educational event with set objectives, rather this is a space for sharing and meeting others at the same or a similar stage of the journey.

Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further more professional support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org

This event is for DCN members only. Please login or join now.

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Couples with babies born or expected 2026

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7

Volunteers' Day 2026

We are looking forward to welcoming you to DCN Volunteers’ Day 2026! Join us for in person in London for a day of networking, catching up on DCN news, role-support and a chance for us to say a big THANK YOU to you all for the contributions that you make to the Network. The day will include: * Coffee, tea and pastries on arrival * Welcome, with highlights from 2025 and what’s new for 2026 * Meeting and networking with other volunteers to share ideas, challenges and achievements * Volunteer training / Break-out sessions to talk through role-specific issues- details TBC * Plenty of opportunities for questions and discussion We’d love you to attend so we are offering: * Travel expenses to attend the event – please book early to help us minimise costs. We have a limited budget so please check beforehand on big sums. To those of you outside the UK, if you would like to attend, please contact us to discuss how we can help. * Crèche spaces – For those who can only attend if they bring their child, we are offering a limited number of free spaces for children 6 months to 8 years, so please register early * Lunch and refreshments

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8

Berkshire- Solo mums - Windsor way group

Windsor solo mum group are inviting solo mums (and mums-to-be) from across the county, to join their next events. 8 Mar 2026 11-2pm – South Hill Park Bracknell 14 Jun 2026 – California Park Wokingham 13 Sep 2026 – TBC 29 Nov 2026 – TBC Times and locations if not listed are tbc but usually South Hill Park Bracknell, California Park Wokingham, Lammas Park Staines or Windsor Great Park, with a hall in the winter (Windsor usually). Anyone free to email me for further info at dcnwindsorway@gmail.com.

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11

The Big Question - What can we learn from the world of adoption?

Donor conception isn’t the same as adoption, but there are overlaps. The donor conception world, and DC Network particularly, has drawn a lot of its approach from the experience and approach of the adoption and post-adoption community. As with donor conception, there was a time when adoption was kept a secret and professionals told parents to pretend to the child that they had been conceived naturally by the parents raising them. They might even have been told that it could be damaging to the child to know the truth. That advice changed a long time ago. In part, that was because adoption moved from a private arrangement to sit under the umbrella of social services, so social work principles were invoked early on. There was a recognition that truth was important, that biological relationships were important (even if they weren’t the whole story) and that, with support, adoptive parents could find a way to share the information with their children truthfully and positively. It took longer for the donor conception community to embrace those messages. Donor conception has always come under the umbrella of clinical fertility treatment and was viewed more through that medical lens. But adoption led the way in showing it could and should be done. There were lots of helpful messages to learn from listening to adoptees, adoptive parents and professionals working in that field that could also be translated into good practice for the donor conception community. Of course, there are important differences with adoption, including the key fact that parents raising a donor conceived child were always the ones who intended to have that child. But both share questions around how to manage information about a child’s origins and how to integrate other people who are closely genetically related into their family story and potentially into their lives. For our fourth ‘Big Question’ webinar, we thought this was a great topic to discuss. We will be exploring what we can learn from the adoption world and how it can help inform our approach where there is common ground. We’ve invited Marilyn Crawshaw and Susie Blamire, both social workers with extensive experience in adoption and donor conception, to join us in considering the question. Now an Honorary Fellow at the University of York, Marilyn Crawshaw has worked since the 1980s in the field of assisted conception and adoption, variously as a social worker, social work academic, Social and Ethical Inspector with the HFEA (the UK regulator) and policy adviser. She was a founder member of the British Infertility Counselling Association. Her research has been with DC adults, recipient parents, donors, adoptive parents and professionals. As a local authority social worker, Susie Blamire placed numerous children for adoption. She joined Cafcass in 2008, later becoming Head of Practice of their National Improvement Service. Susie was Cafcass’ Peer Practice Specialist on Modern Families, which encompassed gamete donation. Susie moved to the Disclosure and Barring Service in August 2025 as Associate Director – Strategic Lead for Safeguarding and is also a Director of Surrogacy UK. She is the mother of two donor-conceived children. The conversation will explore themes such as: *) Adoption used to be kept secret – why did that change? *) How to ‘tell’ and why it’s important? *) What can adoptees teach us about the significance, or not, of genetics and biological relationships? *) What helps build robust families? You can join in the conversation too. We’ll be open to written comments, reflections and questions from members, either when you register or live during the event. We’ll be recording the conversation and will put the video in the members’ area on the website shortly after the webinar. Anyone registered will get notified when the recording is available.

Member event

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Member event

Online

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Mixed families

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Member event

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Single women - Double or embryo donation - Prospective parent

This is a DCN chat for single women considering or in treatment to become solo mums, considering or using double or embryo donation. This chat offers a space for discussion and peer support. This chat will be facilitated by Kerry, solo mum through double donation. All our facilitators are solo mums in the Network. This is not a professionally led or educational event with set objectives, rather this is a space for sharing and meeting others at the same or a similar stage of the journey. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further more professional support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org

Member event

Online

Mar

16

Single women - Sperm donation - Prospective parent

This is a DCN chat for single women considering or in treatment to become solo mums. This chat is open for those using sperm donation or considering double donation and offers a space for discussion and peer support. This chat will be facilitated by Anna. Anna is a solo mum in the Network who kindly volunteers to support others. This is not a professionally led or educational event with set objectives, rather this is a space for sharing and meeting others at the same or a similar stage of the journey. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further more professional support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org

Member event

Online

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17

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This is a DCN chat for solo mums through double or embryo donation- with children of all ages. Join this chat if you are pregnant/have children through double or embryo donation. If you are a thinker/tryer there is a DCN chat available for that stage. DCN Chat is a peer support online get-together. This chat will be facilitated by Lucia, solo mum to twins through embryo donation. All our Chat facilitators are members themselves, and hosting the chat as individuals. This is not a professionally led or educational event.

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Mar

21

Getting Started

Event for prospective parents thinking about using egg, sperm or embryo donation. If you’re thinking about using donor conception, you probably 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 a really informative overview of the medical side of things. We always get fantastic feedback about this session, which provides an essential foundation with lots of time for questions. * __Donor conceived people__ talking about their experiences. How do the children feel? We know this is something lots of prospective parents wonder about. This event provides a rare opportunity to hear from them in person and ask questions. Not to be missed! * __Parents__ talking through their decision-making and describing family life once children arrive. Nothing beats hearing from people with real life experience. 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 £80 per person or £140 per couple when booked before 19 February (£95 and £170 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 as a charity working with donor conception families for the past 30+ years. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲? You can find the full programme with timings below. 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 have lunch elsewhere (or bring your own) 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.

Member event

In person

Mar

21

DCN Yorkshire Chat & Play Cafe 2026

You are invited to this year’s DCN Yorkshire Chat & Play Cafe – an informal opportunity to meet up with other DCN members from across Yorkshire. Half of the room is set up for grown-ups to sit and chat, and the other half is for children to play. *Date*: Saturday 21 March 2026 *Time*: 14:00 – 16:00 *Location*: Main Hall, The Grove Centre, New Street, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4BH Tea, coffee, and squash will be provided. Please bring along cakes / snacks, and any toys / games / colouring books etc that will help to keep the children occupied. Any help with set up / clear up would be gratefully received! Please let me know if you can help. The DCN have once again kindly agreed to cover venue costs 👍.

Member event

In person

Mar

22

West Midlands meetup for all

The next DCN West Midlands meeting will be on Sunday 22nd March at 1pm at Waseley Hills Country Park. Meet by the cafe. Details of the park can be found here: https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/environment/countryside-and-leisure/country-parks-picnic-places-and-nature-reserves/waseley-hills-country-park

Member event

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22

South coast / Solent Solos- Solo parents group

This group is for solo parents in the South coast area of the UK (including Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex). To sign up and to find out more information please contact Victoria, group coordinator, by emailing dcn.southcoast@gmail.com [Do not make the booking here]

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