The Druid Network's Sponsoring Learning Initiative

In line with The Druid Network's belief in access to good teaching of the Druid tradition, we are happy to offer sponsorship to groups and organisations in order to encourage, support and widen access to learning within the tradition.

Here are clear and simple parameters as to how the sponsoring works. At the end, you will find a link to the application form in pdf format. Contact details are also available should you have any queries.

What will TDN Sponsor?

  1. TDN is happy to consider partial funding of day-long workshops, talks or shared teaching groups. These will usually be one-off events, but short series of events may also be considered. In certain circumstances, sponsorship may be given to an event that is already established.
  2. TDN must be convinced that the focus of the event is sufficiently within its definition of Druidry (see Constitution). As well as the mainstream features of Druidry, these may include environmentalism and landscape, folklore, history and heritage, Bardic or Ovatic Crafts, where there is a sufficiently spiritual (as opposed to purely academic, political or scientific) notion of value in the teaching. The event must involve a teaching component, as opposed to being purely performance or ritual.
  3. Teachers, speakers and facilitators who are sponsored must be known by their reputation or published works, and well respected within the Druid community. Where they are not, and no TDN Committee members know them, references must be supplied to convince TDN of the individual's abilities.
  4. TDN will not sponsor an event that supports prejudice or intolerance, whether religious, sexual or racial, or events that encourage insularity and separatism.

Who are such Events for?

  1. Events must be open both to TDN members and non-members.
  2. Only events that are open to the general public can be sponsored. In other words, TDN cannot sponsor events only open to those of certain Orders or groups.
Who can apply?
  1. The person applying for sponsorship must be a TDN member.
  2. Where a member is new to TDN, references from TDN members may be required, or from individuals known to Committee members of TDN.
Publicity of Events
  1. All reasonable efforts must be made to ensure the event is successful. TDN will require information about publicity generated for the event.
  2. Advertising of the event must be accessible by the general public
  3. Information about the event must be publicised also on TDN's Events page and in the Quarterly News.

The Accounts

  1. TDN will pay not more than half the anticipated costs, including those of the venue and teacher/speaker.
  2. TDN has a fund allocated for the purpose of sponsorship, renewed twice a year at Samhain and Beltane. Once this fund is used up, no applications can be accepted.
  3. The maximum amount funded for one event will be £150. In a few exceptional circumstances, that amount may increase.
  4. The accounts of the event must be made available to TDN if requested.
  5. If the event makes a profit, TDN's sponsorship must be repaid, in part or in full. This ensures other events have the opportunity to be supported in the future.

The Process

  1. Application can be made on the form downloadable here and sent to the TDN office at PO Box 3533, Whichford, Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire CV36 5YB.
  2. Once an application has been received, it should take no more than 3 weeks before a decision is made. This may extend where the applicant and / or teacher are not known to any member of TDN's Committee, as processing time will then depend on how long references take.
  3. The decision making process is taken between TDN's Committee, the Learning Area co-ordinator and the TDN Treasurer. All attempts will be made to achieve a consensus decision, but where necessary a majority vote will be sufficient, according to the usual rules of decision-making (laid out in the Constitution).
  4. If TDN choses not to support an event, sufficient reasoning will be supplied.


Enquiries should be sent to the Office.
Here is the application form in pdf format. If you have any trouble downloading it, please let us know.