Once a year Carriers of Council meet and come together to share their stories, sit in Council, make decisions concerning the community and to strengthen the spirit of Council in Europe. Every year the ECN Gathering takes place in a different country. Now we cordially invite you to the heart of Europe.
RegistrationEuropean Council Network Gathering 2023 in Czechia
When? Wednesday 2nd August (starting with dinner at 6PM) – Sunday 6th August 2023 (finishing with lunch around 1 PM)
Where? This year we will meet at forest villa Sklenářka not far from Kostelec nad Orlicí in Czechia. In this venue you will find hundred year old trees, blooming meadows, forest, small lake and also historical buildings…we hope you will like it there! Website of the venue: https://www.sklenarka.cz
Offerings before and after the Gathering You can also participate in following events before/ after the Gathering:
- 31st June – 2nd August: Council I. – Intro training with Katrin Lüth and Dave Bingham more info
- 31st June – 2nd August: Council & Community Workshop with Linda Elias, Han Delissen, Shay Hanien more info
- 7th August – 10th August: Council II. Deepening with Tina Kansy and Rob Dreaming more info
If you want to attend trainings and workshop before/after Gathering, fill in the registration form for these specific events, too!
Children and the Youth. Call for support As in the last years, we want to especially invite children and young people to be part of our time together. A safe space will be provided for them to be in and out of the circle and to follow their needs. We will make sure there is someone during the program sessions looking after the children and it's always good to have more hands (and people speaking more languages) available. If you are coming with children and/or want to offer some of your time and energy to entertain them and play with them, please contact us in advance at ecn.gathering2023@gmail.com. We want to make sure that kids will have a great time during the Gathering, trainings and workshop.
How to get to the venue? Address: Sklenářka 458, Kostelec nad Orlicí, Czech Republic Venue is 3 km by walk from Kostelec nad Orlicí which you can reach by train or bus. To find best connection you can use these websites: https://www.cd.cz (for trains, it is possible to buy ticket here) https://idos.idnes.cz/…usy/spojeni/ (all types of transport) (If you will fly to Prague, it will take appr. 2,5 hours to get there, from Vienna 6 hours).
Car From main road n.11 (Hradec Králové – Ostrava) turn in Kostelec nad Orlicí on roundabout in direction to Choceň. You will pass by the train station near the bridge over river Orlice and you will continue to the Borohrádek village. At the end of the village turn right to Zdelov and after 500 m, where the road turns sharply right, turn left to the gravel road with Sklenářka sign. This road will bring you to the place (after 1 km).
The table for transport sharing and co-travelling will be shared with registered participants later.
Costs & payments
ECN 2023 Gathering Fee: 1800 CZK (approx. 80€) Children and young people under 18 years of age don't pay a gathering fee. Meals provided (5 meals per day) from 2.8. Wednesday (afternoon snack) to 6.8. Sunday (lunch). Costs 500 CZK/ appr. 21€ per day per person. All meals are vegetarian. The Gathering lasts 4 days (meals) and 4 nights (accommodation). There are these types of accommodation available
- Own tent: 220 CZK/approx. 13 € per night
- Own camper van: 220 CZK/approx. 13 € per night + energy consumption payed on place
- Shared room in villa: 330 CZK/approx. 16 € per night
- Outdoor cottage with double rooms: 330 CZK/approx. 16 € per night
In all types you must have your own sleeping bag (bed sheet in option 3 and 4 is included).
It is possible to rent a duvet, pillow and bed linen for 150 CZK (appr. 6€) /person for the whole event. Please bring your own towels if possible. Children to 3y have accommodation and meals for free, children 4–12y pay 50 %.
Cancellation policy and fees: There will be no refund of the Gathering Fee. The money will be considered a donation for the ECN (fee). Deposit for food and lodging will be considered according to the cancellation policy of the venue and dealt with individually.
Payment After submitting your registration form, we will send you the payment details. If you have any questions or need assistance contact us at: ecn.gathering2023@gmail.com
We recommend bringing enough cash in Czech Crowns for the Gathering, as there is little self service shop and café, where you can buy snacks, drinks, handcrafts, clothes, books,… many things made by people from the community. They can also offer their services for donation.
Call & response We hold the vision that everyone with a clear call to join the gathering should be able to do so. If you encounter any obstacles that might prevent you from participating, please get in contact. We might be able to support you.
Giving If it's possible for you, we invite you to add your contribution to the ECN sponsorship-fund to support those who need it. Any contribution, as small or large as it can be, would be greatly appreciated :-). There are 2 ways to give:
when you register, you have an option to add an extra amount to the cost of your stay and you can pay it on the same account as your stay in the coming months, there will be Call & Response requests published in the newsletters.
Receiving If you need a discount on the board and lodging / the Gathering Fee in order to participate at the Gathering, please indicate your needs and contact us at ecn.gathering2023@gmail.com If you need further support (travel-costs, participation in workshops etc.), you may use the Call & Response. Please contact us at ecn.gathering2023@gmail.com The ECN Gathering organizational team is open to listen to your needs, to hear your story, to share it with the network, and will do their best to help you.
