OFFERS OF VENUES
FOR THE SD-EUROPE MEETING IN 2012

OFFERS FROM NORWAY:


1. LIA GAARD
This is a retreat house up in the mountains, 3 hours by bus from the airport (Oslo, Gardermoen).
The retreat house is used to provide transportation for their guests.
This retreat house is the biggest in Norway and some part of it is quite new. You can find information, some also in English, at their website: www.liagard.no. If you click the "bygninger" bottom, you will see some more pictures - and also if you click for the english version, you see some more! This is indeed a special place for the retreat work in Norway and also for the spiritual direction work.

The focus for this retreat house, as you will see, has been family-retreats! So they are used to have large groups - this summer we were about 90!! including the workers. But 60 people will be OK. The only thing is the meeting room - we will find space for the whole group, but may be it will be a little tight. Otherwise, the church will be OK, the dining room OK and bedrooms for everyone! The place has many buildings, but the main building is the "Nylia" - very nicely built! And space enough for smaller groups/workshops. And the nature around is quite something special!!

I've got only one price from this place: 600 NOK (about 75 euro) per day/night - everything included. Yes, it is quite expensive for people not living in Norway!!(as Norway is a expensive country!!) So we do have to find some possibilities for financial support.....and I think there should be some possibilities for that.

But it would be very meaningful to be able to gather at this special place!! and it would be very good if we could meet in Norway! I think that would mean a lot also for the spiritual direction work in Norway. And may be it could be a possibility to get a stronger feeling of "coming together" for people who are involved in this work - we are quite a lot at this time.

2. GAA UT SENTERET, Hurdal
This is a bible/mission school only about 30 min by bus, from the airport (Oslo, Gardermoen). There is nothing special about this place, but of course, it is closer to the airport. They have also a website, in Norwegian and Italian(!) : www.gus.no and if you click "om oss" - you will see the building, but not more...

The price here is: 640,- NOK pr day/night for double room and 760,-NOK pr day/night for single room. This place has a big room for meetings and dining room - they don't have a church or chapel- but they also have many smaller rooms for group meetings/workshops.

I have been looking at ways of subsidising the cost of coming here:

1. I've been in contact with "Areopagos" www.areopagos.org - an organization that supports different projects, especially projects connected to spirituality/spiritual direction/dialog. They will very much support a meeting in Norway and they would be very happy to see this happen in Norway! This is something they will give priority.  

2. I've had a meeting with the senior advisor on theology for the "council on ecumenical and international relations - church of Norway" - www.kirken.no. They are also very positive and find this SD-EUROPE - meeting very much in the center of what they would like to support and what they are working for!

3. I've been in contact with the "school of theology" www.mf.no - the key person there is also very positive and would like this to happen in Norway and he will take this question to the board.

Valfrid Botnen


OFFERS FROM ENGLAND:


The English members of SD-EUROPE are keen to welcome the conference to our country soon. There are three possible paces to consider: Sarum College in Salisbury, Canterbury Cathedral Lodge in Canterbury and The Friars in Aylesford.

We are aware that the prices are high. There are several possible sources of financial help, which we shall approach in due course.

1. SARUM COLLEGE
 This is an ecumenical study and research centre based in Salisbury’s Cathedral Close in Central Southern England. The College attracts scholars and students throughout the UK and enjoys an international reputation for excellence in theological education and spiritual reflection. Among its many courses it offers an MA in Christian Spirituality. STETS, based at the College, provides fully accredited theological education, training and formation for members of the Church of England, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church in the southern region of England. It trains students for stipendiary, non-stipendiary, lay and ordained ministries. The Royal School of Church music has its administration at Sarum. The meeting rooms are all fine and we should have sole occupation, in the glorious setting of Close and Cathedral.
There is room for 50 people in the College which has very good facilities. More people can be accommodated locally.
There would be opportunity for visits to Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge and other places, as well as the chance to experience the variety of Church life in England.

Access
Mainline trains run from London Waterloo to Salisbury. The station is 15 minute walk away form the college.
Southampton Airport (Fly-be etc) is easy by train to Southampton and change to Salisbury.
Southampton ferry port from Normandy is under an hour away.
From Heathrow there is the bus to Woking and direct train to Salisbury.
From Gatwick you go by train towards London and change at Clapham Junction for trains direct to Salisbury.

Costs
The College is very keen to welcome the conference. Dates need to be arranged around STETS regular booking. The price for 2009 is £95.00 for 24 hours. The College offers discounted rates for registered charities and the fees are negotiable.

The website is www.sarum.ac.uk.  It has lots of information.

2. CANTERBURY
 The Canterbury Cathedral Lodge is a very fine modern hotel building in the Cathedral Close with extremely good conference facilities. It has beds for 36 people, some in double rooms with possible expansion to Chaucer Hotel. The ambience is superb adjacent to the Cathedral. There are fine conference rooms. We would have visits to the Cathedral and the opportunity to share in the liturgy.

Travel
The Eurostar station at Ashford is 15 miles away.
The Channel ports of Dover and Folkestone are very close.
Gatwick is about two hours by train, change at Tonbridge, and one per hour.
From Heathrow it is underground to Victoria. (With a change Hammersmith) then train to Canterbury.

Cost
Price for 2009 for Church groups £75 for single room.

3. AYLESFORD PRIORY
Set in the heart of Kent, England, The Friars - Aylesford Priory - is an ancient religious house of the Order of Carmelites dating back to the 13th Century. Over the centuries and now today The Friars has become for thousands of visitors and friends a place of peace, a community of prayer, an experience of God, a centre of welcome, a venue for gathering, a work of art.

The medieval Priory houses an 80 bed-roomed Guesthouse set within acres of beautiful grounds. It can sleep up to 100.

Cost for full board is £60.00 per 24 hrs.

Travel
By car it is not far from the Channel Tunnel. Train from London Victoria to Maidstone East, then a local bus; or from London Charing Cross to Aylesford (with a change at Strood) and a 20 minute walk to the house.
Gatwick airport is nearer than Heathrow.

Peter Ball