Next gathering
The dates for the next gathering will be
13 – 15 November 2026
This gathering will be blended.
This includes the usual digital access for members to all main meetings and workshops relating to agenda items.
In addition new groups and non-members will be able to attend all Intro sessions and workshops online. We will be offering this for the first time, and hope it makes them more accessible for those who find in person gatherings more difficult.
Venue:
Bidston Observatory (BOARC).
Details below in ‘Venue’ section below.
Hosts:
Co-hosted by Rose Howey Housing Co-op and Gatherings Group.
Purpose of Gatherings
Radical Routes business – decision-making and discussion, reporting on work done and allocating tasks to do
Introduction to how RR works and how to participate in it
Keeping up with each other’s co-op news – meeting new members, helping with problems, celebrating achievements
Socialising, skill-sharing, inspiring each other – building relationships of trust so we can work together well
Meeting new people and spreading consciousness of radical co-operation as a tool for re-making our world.
Who can come?
Gatherings are open to everyone:
Delegates of member co-ops
Other co-op members, associates and friends who want to participate in the network
People from new or existing co-ops who are interested in joining
Random other visitors or interested people.
What happens there?
Delegates of member co-ops need to attend business meetings on behalf of their co-ops
Anyone at a gathering can attend any meeting
There are workshops (consensus decision-making, facilitation, how to set up a workers co-op), trainings, discussions
at a physical gathering, there are lots of things to do outside meetings: putting up and taking down marquees, hanging out, food prep, kids group, queer space, banner-making, etc.
attending gatherings online, some gatherings offer support for blended access, with business meetings and workshops accessible via online video link and space to socialise on DiscordNew groups should attend the ‘New Groups’ meeting, and new people should attend the introductory sessions
Gatherings are usually quite intense, with lots of people trying to share a lot of information and make lots of decisions in a relatively small amount of time. If you particularly want to communicate with a specific person you don’t know, feel free to ask someone who knows what’s going on for help.
REGISTER HERE:
Use this link to register:
Register HERE.
Registration deadline:
5pm November 2nd 2026
It is super important that you register on time so that the right amount of food can be bought and beds can be allocated according to need.
Also, The earlier we know about any access/accommodation needs you have, the easier it is for us to help!
Online Access:
Online access to meetings and workshops:
This gathering will be blended, with digital access to all main meetings and workshops relating to agenda items & all new group intro sessions.
All meeting links can be found on the Team Up calendar, HERE
Online pre-gathering POC huddle:
There will be in-person meet-ups for People of Colour during the Gathering, and there will also be a pre-Gathering Online POC Huddle at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 November. If you’re coming to the Gathering and you’re a Person of Colour, you will be very welcome. To get the link for this meeting, please fill in the POC Huddle section of the Gatherings Registration Form (above). If you’ve already registered, then please ask for a link through the enquiries page.
Venue Information
Venue Details:
Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (BOARC) is a self-organising study site for research, communality and experimentation.
It is not for profit, and focuses on providing a low-cost, temporary work space for individuals and groups so they can come together and take the time needed to develop their practices and projects. This can be in the form of nightly stays for up to a month, or day use of the
building.
BOARC welcomes a wide diversity of fields, such as art, music and theatre, to philosophy, bodywork, social activism, environmental science, culture and technology. Based in a historical landmark, it is a space where discussion can easily flow from the kitchen to the sound recording studio, and ideas can bounce between the domes and basement workspace.
Cleaning:
To keep the space as low cost as possible, BOARC has no cleaners. A condition of being here is that everyone is required to clean up after themselves, as well as spending 20 minutes a day contributing towards the cleanliness and maintenance of the building. We believe in leaving the world a better place than how we found it.
We provide towels and bedsheets for you to make your own beds, a laundry room for you to wash your sheets before leaving and there are cleaning stations on each floor. And please take your food with you when you go!
Values of BOARC:
Before arrival, we ask that every member of your group reads about our 4 key values:
● Valuing experimentation
● Supporting self-education and self-organisation
● Mutual trust and being in community
● Being accountable for ourselves
And also read our accountability agreement. These inform how BOARC works as a project and how we would like everyone to use this space. Reading this will give you an idea if BOARC is the place for you.
Arrival Times:
4pm onwards, Friday the 13th of November, unless you are arriving earlier for the Financial Literacy Training from 13.45 onwards.
Accommodation & Park up:
Sleeping arrangements:
There are a limited number of bedrooms – some shared dormitory style and some private/family rooms. There will also be some crash space available (ie floor space in a large shared room – bring your own bedding/roll mat) and plenty of room to park for live-in vehicles.
This year, the venue have put a limit on how many people can sleep in the building of 65 max. Only delegates from RR member co-ops and co-ops listed in the agenda as presenting or joining will be offered accommodation at this gathering.
The new group/intro workshops will ONLY be available online – we hope that as well as making numbers more manageable this will give more people the opportunity to take part in these informative sessions, not just from new groups but members of RR co-ops who aren’t able to come to gatherings in person!
ONLY delegates from RR co-ops and co-ops listed in the agenda (presenting or joining) will be able to sleep at the venue – please register as early as possible if you need a bedroom! Bedroom allocation will be done soon after the registration deadline, so if you register after the deadline then it’s likely there will only be crash space (if anything) available.
Access information:
The ground floor is fully wheelchair accessible, with widened doors, and space to manoeuvre a wheelchair. The accessible bedroom and accessible bathroom, plus workspaces, kitchens, movement room and project office are located on the ground floor.
Service animals are very welcome.
Access Concerns:
Please email gatherings@radicalroutes.org.uk if you need any more info around measurements of doors etc , or any other aspect of accessibility. During the gathering if you need any help around accessibility, finding a quiet space, first aid, information about the timetable etc, please come to the Welcome Desk.
Travel Information
By Bike:
We make space inside the building for bikes.
If you are traveling from Liverpool, the metro allows bikes to be taken on board.
By Car:
Parking:
Please see image below of where to park, and ensure clear access is maintained at all times.
On the M53, take the A554 exit, junction 1, towards Wallasey / Birkenhead. Continue on the A554 along Hoylake Road, turn right down Worcester Road and then right again up Wilding Way. The observatory is at the top of the lane, to the left. There is limited free parking available onsite.
By Merseyrail, from Liverpool Lime street or Liverpool Central on the Wirral Line:
Take a train towards New Brighton or West Kirby and get off at Birkenhead North. This journey will take about 12 minutes, then it is about a 20-minute walk to the Observatory, which includes the small hill of Wilding Way.
Merseyrail service starts around 06:30 and finishes around 23:30. If you are travelling outside of these times, you could take a taxi from Lime Street. This will cost around £25 and will include tunnel tolls.
By Bus:
The closest bus stop to Bidston Observatory is Hoblyn Road / Hoylake Road (towards West Kirby) or Gautby Road / Hoylake Road (towards Liverpool). Both are 0.5 miles away. There are regular connections to central Birkenhead and other towns across Wirral, Liverpool and Chester.
KIDS
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU TELL US IF YOU ARE BRINGING CHILDREN. Please fill out information about children you or your coop are bringing when you register for the gathering and email kidsgroup@radicalroutes.org.uk.
Please register as early as possible so we can plan appropriate activities. We are very glad that you are bringing children to the gathering and we are looking forward to spending time with them. The kids’ space is run by the Kids Working Group.
We are a voluntary group of people who are members of co-ops within the network.
We will be there for the kids while meetings are on but we ask that you come and supervise the children you are responsible for at lunch and dinner so we can eat too. Kids space does not continue into the evening. We will organise child-friendly food/snacks. Food & snacks will be kid friendly & vegan.
Please bring clothes for all weathers for your child as we are hoping to go outside!
Kids Group Volunteer Recruitment Procedure
If you are interested in volunteering for Kids Group please get in touch as early as possible with Max – star8uck@riseup.net – as we will need help! Thanks.
Timetable
RADICAL ROUTES NOVEMBER GATHERING TIMETABLE
INTROS + NEW GROUPS TIMETABLE
All Intro sessions are for any people or groups new to Radical Routes, but all members are welcome for a refresher too!
**All intro sessions are subject to timing changes depending on availability of facilitators**
Please note all new groups sessions for this gathering are ONLINE ONLY.
Time | Item | Notes |
FRIDAY 13th Nov | ||
13.45-18.45 | Financial Literacy Training | For anyone and everyone! |
SATURDAY 14th Nov | ||
10.30 – 11.50 | Introduction to Radical Routes | Come learn what Radical Routes is all about. |
12.00-12.30 | New Groups Meeting | *for new people/groups |
12.40-13.40 | How to set up a workers coop | |
13.30-14.30 | LUNCH | People of colour huddle (in person only) |
14.30 – 16.00 | Introduction to Radical Routes Finance | *for new people/groups How to finance a co-op, raise funds, and get started. |
SUNDAY 15th Nov | ||
9.30 – 11.00 | Introduction to Consensus Decision Making | *for new people/groups How we co-create meetings together. |
11.00 – 12.00 | Presentation Slot | In main room |
12.00 – 13.00 | LUNCH | |
13.00 – 14.30 | Introduction to Facilitation | *for new people/groups How to help hold a meeting. |
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
Please see venue information above.
What You Need to bring
What to bring:
You’ll need to bring bedding (roll mat and sleeping bag) unless GAWG contact you to say you’ve been allocated a bed – please state your needs around sleeping arrangements on the registration form. Also bring cash for the bar, and a card to make payment for meal tickets.
If you are from a new group (not in a member co-op) and are able to do so, please bring a cash donation to help with the running of gatherings ( suggested donation anything between £5 and £50.)
Food
Three meals a day plus hot drinks will be provided, and all food will be vegan. It’s best for us if you pay for the whole weekend when you arrive (new groups and individuals who are not members of an RR co-op need to pay for food in advance, details will be emailed when registrations are received). Card payment for meals is hugely preferred please! If arriving Friday evening, it will be £20 for the weekend. Alternatively if you’re only having a couple of meals they can be paid for individually at £3.50/meal hot drinks are included.
Kids eat free. If you have any special requirements ie. gluten free, nut free please state on the registration form.
Please make sure you tell us ASAP if you have additional dietary requirements on the registration form. If you tell us after the 2nd of November deadline we can’t guarantee to provide what you need.
Entertainment
There will be a bar both nights, and hopefully some music on Saturday night! Bring songs to share x
NEW GRoups and People
If you’re new to Radical Routes (whether you’re a new member in an existing co-op or you’re a new co-op looking at Radical Routes), there is a series of workshops designed to introduce you to the workings of Radical Routes and Co-ops in general. They’re informative, exciting and essential! If you’re from a new group, it’s essential that you register your presence with Co-op Support Group by attending the New Groups meeting. This is so that they can confirm you have attended the gatherings as required, arrange joining visits and generally keep you on track.
DONATIONS
If you’re attending as a new group/non-member co-op/interested
individual, we would be grateful for a donation if you can afford it, to help cover the costs of putting on a gathering – suggested donation from £5 to £50 per person. We don’t want this to be prohibitive and it is absolutely not compulsory if you’re not in a financial position to do so. There will be a cash collection tin on the Welcome Desk for this.
PoC HUDDLE
The RR POC Huddle
Wednesday 7.30pm: Pre-Gathering Online POC Huddle
Friday 9pm: POC Welcome Circle (in-person)
Saturday lunchtime: POC Huddle (in-person)
Everyone who identifies as a person of colour is welcome to the POC meet-ups before, during and after the Gathering.
To get the link for the pre-Gathering Online POC Huddle, please enter your email address in the POC section of the Registration Form.
On Saturday, if you are coming in-person, please go straight to the Huddle after your morning meeting breaks up. We get lunch delivered to us so we don’t spend precious time queueing up for food.
There will be directions at the Welcome Desk to all the in-person meeting spots.
DOGS
Strictly no Dogs Unless they are Service Dogs. Sorry we love them furry things too.
Other info
Please come and see us at the welcome desk if you can facilitate, co-facilitate or minute take for meetings or workshops – there will be a sign up sheet.
There will also be a sign up sheet for help needed in the kitchen, washing up rota etc
If you would like a buddy to help you navigate the gathering come and see us at the welcome desk. If it’s your first gathering it can be a lot to take in, but there’s a lot of friendly folk around who’ll be happy to help.
SEND US YOUR WORKSHOP/ SKILLSHARE/ DISCUSSION IDEAS! It’s a really good idea to timetable them. Gatherings@RadicalRoutes.org.uk
Any other questions? Please email enquiries@radicalroutes.org.uk