Happy New Year to you all. I am delighted to announce this year’s conference will be held in the beautiful location of the West Wicklow Mountains in the private secluded Kippure Estate. HEN will have exclusive use of the facilities for the weekend. The Estate is set in 240 acres of mature woodland and surrounded by the Wicklow Mountains just above Blessington Lakes. It is 45 minutes from Dublin and about 30 minutes from Naas. The Conference will take place from Thursday 23rd July (afternoon) to Sunday 26th July (lunch time). Vivian with Heather who organised last year’s conference has given me some great tips and information from her experience. I am very thankful to her for her support and also to Trish Cronnelly for her support and guidance. According to the evaluation forms that Vivian received back which were all really positive, price and food were two things that needed tweaking! So bearing that in mind I’ll do my best. Last year’s conference will be a hard act to follow. Accommodation: options will include rooming and a cheaper on-site camping option. Both options come fully catered. Conscious of the current economic times, I will try to keep the event as cost effective as possible and any fundraising to bring cost down, will be greatly appreciated. Activities: will include the use of the outdoor Adventure Centre with high and low ropes, sky trek and zip wire, climbing & abseiling tower, archery and treasure hunt. Workshops will be courtesy of NUI Maynooth for a bit of biology and science. SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland) workshops for little ones. Druming workshops with Raj Padum and Helen Van Dessel will hold another tie dye workshop and lots, lots more. Our keynote speaker will be Mr Pearse O’Shiel M.A. in Ed (Head of Education Steiner Schools Ireland) Conference booking forms and programme will be included in the next issue and bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis. There will also be a day visitor option. Both rooming and camping options are limited and any overflow will be directed to accommodation locally. |
| HEN Conference 2009 By Deirdre MacQuaile |