GATEWAY WOMEN REIGNITE WEEKEND UK - For women who are childless by infertility or circumstances.
THERE IS LIFE AFTER CHILDLESSNESS, DESPITE WHAT THE MEDIA, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR INNER CRITIC WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE! A MEANINGFUL AND FULFILLING LIFE THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU.
The Reignite Weekend was created by psychotherapist, author, and founder of Gateway Women, Jody Day in 2012 as a transformational and healing weekend for women childless due to infertility or circumstance. Since then, thousands of women around the world have attended this weekend, and many date their childless experience to 'before' and 'after' their Reignite Weekend - that's how amazing it is! In order that the Reignite Weekend could reach more women, Jody hand-selected a very small group of trusted childless therapists and coaches to train and become Licensed Gateway Women Reignite Weekend Facilitators.
In the UK these are: Yvonne John, Sarah Lawrence and Sophia Andeh (more info on us below) and, with Jody's support, we are proud to offer these gentle yet transformative weekends to support you to make sense of your life again after the devastation of childlessness. If you wanted to contact Jody directly about this, or to find out more about her best-selling book 'Living the Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Future without Children', you can find all that info on the Gateway Women website.
THE REIGNITE WEEKEND WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU IF YOU'RE:
- A woman who wanted to have children but it didn’t work out for any reason: infertility; didn’t meet a willing or suitable partner; your partner didn’t want (more) children; a chronic illness; a badly timed breakup, etc, etc. There are so many ways this can happen.
- Struggling with relationships with friends and family as ‘the odd one out’ and really missing having a supportive group of women friends to journey through life with
- Wondering where your mojo went and where the hell to start looking for it!
- Lonely and confused about your place in society when all you can see around you are mothers, grandmothers and families
- Knowing that you need to make some changes to your life but feeling too tired, sad & uninspired to know what to try next
- Worried about growing old without children and grandchildren
- Furious that you ‘Did all the right things’ and have still ‘ended up’ in this difficult position
- Ready for a Plan B (C, D or Z!) but are either convinced that you’ll screw it up, or scared that you’ll never find a meaningful alternative to a life centred on motherhood.
PRICING
We have both online and in-person events available in 2024. Please read this carefully as there are different prices for the different types of event.
IN-PERSON events
There are three options here:
SECURE YOUR PLACE NOW WITH A BOOKING DEPOSIT OF £100 (We'll invoice you later for the balance of your fee)
EARLY BIRD: In-person is £350 (for anyone who books and pays their deposit or pays in full six weeks before the weekend)
STANDARD FEE: £395 (less than six weeks before the event and to make payment in full.
ONLINE events
There are three options here:
SECURE YOUR PLACE NOW WITH A BOOKING DEPOSIT OF £100 (We'll invoice you later for the balance of your fee)
EARLY BIRD: In-person is £250 (for anyone who books and pays their deposit or pays in full six weeks before the weekend)
STANDARD FEE: £295 (less than six weeks before the event and to make payment in full.
DETAILS
WORKSHOP DATES: SATURDAY & SUNDAY of your selected weekend - scroll down to see dates.
LOCATION (for In-person): ISH VENUE, LONDON
FACILITATORS: This in-person Reignite Weekend, licensed from the work of Jody Day, founder of Gateway Women, will be led by two facilitators who are childless themselves.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE REIGNITE WEEKEND, YOU WILL:
- Meet your new community – the wonderful, powerful, wise and warm Nomos (not-mothers)
- Unpick the assumptions that the culture has about motherhood (and non-motherhood) and let go of what doesn’t ‘fit’ you;
- Look at where you are holding onto unhelpful ideas and shame about the life choices you’ve made (and the non-choices too) which have led you to ‘ending up’ without the family you hoped for;
- Explore and understand unresolved grief about your childlessness – grief which our culture neither acknowledges, understands nor allows (and consequently, neither do we, sometimes);
- Re-examine the dreams and goals you had for your life before you became convinced that having a baby was the only thing that mattered;
- Reignite your passion for your life and start thinking what your ‘Plan B’ might be for a meaningful and fulfilling life without children;
- There are more of us than you may realise and we’re actually a bunch of pretty interesting, real and courageous women. At Reignite, you'll find a safe place for connection and belonging.
The Reignite Weekend is designed for: women of any age or sexuality, partnered or single, who wanted to have children and for some reason, it didn’t work out. If you’re keen to move forward and create a meaningful and fulfilling life without children, it’s for you. Childless stepmothers and those who have experienced adoption breakdown are very welcome.
The Reignite Weekend won’t be a good fit for you if: you are childfree by choice, trying to conceive, still actively trying to pursue parenthood, or hopeful of creating a biological or adoptive family in the future.
If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, we’ll be happy to discuss that with you before you book – for enquiries, please contact Sarah on sarahlawrence.gateway@gmail.com
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
Dates: Choose from:
- Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2024 (In-person)
- Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September 2024 (ONLINE)
- Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2024 (In-person)
- Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 November 2024 (In-person)
Times: 9.00am – 5pm (both days)
Lunch & Breaks: Lunch will be at roughly 1-2pm both days. We’ll also take morning and afternoon breaks of 15 minutes.
In-person events
Lunch: This is not provided but there are plenty of lunch options nearby and you can also take a stroll through Regents Park.
Location (for in-person events): ISH Venue London. Full details will be provided once your booking is confirmed.
Getting there: Our venue is in a safe and central location close to all forms of public transport. Car parking is also available around the area but is paid for. Click here for a map of the area. Free disabled parking and a small number of pre-booked parking slots are available at the venue, ask us for more details on how to arrange that.
Accommodation: There is a wide range of accommodation options nearby, including simple conference bedrooms at the venue, ISH (International Students House) which you will be entitled to book as a participant in our event. Once we’ve confirmed your place in the workshop, we will give you more details. However, whatever accommodation you do book please do so as soon as possible and make sure that your booking is refundable in case the workshop has to be cancelled for public health reasons.
ONLINE events
What you'll need: You will need the following to be able to take part in the online event:
- A computer
- A reasonable WiFi signal
- A private space where you will not be overheard and can safely share and participate fully in the weekend
- Craft items
- Pen and paper
What's provided: You will be provided with everything you need to take part in the Reignite weekend from the comfort of your own home, including a Zoom link and the PDF documents.
A more detailed email will be provided that outlines all requirements after your deposit or full payment has been received.
BOOK YOUR PLACE IN THE REIGNITE WEEKEND WORKSHOP:
BOOK NOW - £100: A minimum booking deposit of £100 is required to reserve your place in the workshop.
Alternatively, you can book and pay for either your early bird booking (6 weeks before your chosen weekend) or book and pay full price (less than six weeks before your chosen weekend).
After your reservation and registration is received, we will be in touch with you to complete our on-boarding process, confirm your place and we will then invoice you for the remaining fee, if applicable. We suggest you don’t book accommodation or airfares until you receive confirmation of your place on the course.
Payment Plans: We can offer payment plans for the balance amount, at no extra cost to you, if that makes it possible for you to attend. Full payment will be required before the workshop, but we can break it into smaller regular payments for you. Please indicate in your registration form if you wish to discuss a payment plan.
Public Health Issues due to Coronavirus: We follow the current health recommendations. Should the workshop need to be cancelled for public health reasons, we will refund 100% of the course fee. You will be responsible for travel or accommodation costs, so please make sure any bookings you make are fully refundable.
PAYMENT / REFUND POLICY:
- Your £100 booking deposit holds a place for you in the workshop. It is non-refundable, unless you cancel your booking within 12 days of receiving confirmation of the online booking. Circumstances do change, but we would ask that you provide as much notice before the event, preferably three weeks at least, if you can, as it means that someone else can take the space if there is sufficient notice.
- Once your booking is confirmed, we’ll send you an invoice for the balance of any outstanding payment which is then due within 7 days (or by a payment plan, as mutually agreed). Your fee is non-refundable (submissions for a refund due to special circumstances can be made to the facilitators, and will be at their discretion).
WORKSHOP DELIVERY / CANCELLATION POLICY:
- If the workshop is cancelled by the organiser due to Covid, or unforeseen circumstances, 100% of the fee will be refunded to participants.
- Please note that your fee is non-refundable. However, you can transfer (once only) to a different Reignite weekend if needed, and if you provide at least two weeks' notice. If you decide that you are NOT going to attend (or transfer) please let us know as soon as you can so that we can offer your place to someone else, as there will be waiting lists for the weekend. We are unable to refund any travel or accommodation costs, so please make sure any bookings are refundable.
If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, or if you have any questions prior to booking, we’ll be happy to discuss that with you before you book – for enquiries, please contact one of the facilitators for your chosen workshop.
- Sarah Lawrence on sarahlawrence.gateway@gmail.com
- Yvonne John on yvonnej.gateway@gmail.com
- Sophia Andeh on sophiaandeh.gateway@gmail.com
We’re looking forward to meeting you!