Event Overview

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4th AIJA Women’s Network Retreat and Leadership Weekend

The AIJA Women Network is thrilled to announce the 4th AIJA Women’s Network Retreat and Leadership Weekend, which will take place in the stunning Cotswolds, in the heart of the English countryside.

Staying at the Cotswold Manor Estate, a self-catering estate, set in 70 acres of beautiful parkland, our theme for the retreat is "Fostering compassionate leadership”.  Our aim for the retreat is for us to connect, to care, to grow – and have a lot of fun!

This event will take place from Thursday 07 May to Sunday 10 May 2026.

The retreat will offer:

  • A full day workshop led by expert facilitator Sarah King:  
    • Sarah is an expert in organisational culture and change with over 25 years of experience as  an HR professional, coach, and facilitator. 
    • In a safe and nurturing space, Sarah will give us space and structure to share the challenges that we experience as we progress into more senior leadership roles and will guide us through techniques to develop compassionate leadership.
  • Time for connection in a beautiful estate featuring a vineyard, hot tubs, and access to a Games Barn (with a pool table, table tennis, air-hockey and more). 
  • An experience of English eccentricism with a visit to Giffords Circus, founded in 2000, by Nell Gifford, Nell’s vision was a miniature village green circus, that was bursting at the seams with rowdy and raucous audiences, who were entertained daily by a nomadic band of performers engrossed in the serious business of making magic.
  • Opportunities to explore neighbouring towns and villages such as the picturesque Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold, or visiting the magnificent ancestral home of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The retreat is limited to 28 attendees in a mixture of single or double occupancy rooms. Single rooms are very limited though. Attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis, encouraging moments of deep conversation and impactful connection. 

What is included in the fee:

  • Three nights accommodation in a single or double room in either the Manor Court or Manor Hall at the Cotswold Manor Estate (check in from 4pm on Thursday, check-out at 10am on Sunday).
  • Casual dinner and drinks at the venue on Thursday evening.
  • Friday’s workshop.
  • Saturday’s excursion to Gifford’s Circus at Blenheim Palace and group dinner after the circus.
  • Breakfasts, drinks, snacks during the retreat, and Friday lunch.  

If you have any questions, please contact the Aija Office or Margherita Stucchi, Hana Al Khatib or Chloe Taylor.

 

  

Programme

4th AIJA Women’s Network Retreat and Leadership Weekend

16:00 - 18:00

18:00 - 22:00

08:00 - 09:30

09:30 - 10:00

10:00 - 12:30

Sarah is an expert in organisational culture and change with over 25 years of experience as an HR professional, coach, and facilitator.
In a safe and nurturing space, Sarah will give us space and structure to share the challenges that we experience as we progress into more senior leadership roles and will guide us through techniques to develop compassionate leadership.
12:30 - 13:30

13:30 - 15:00

Sarah is an expert in organisational culture and change with over 25 years of experience as an HR professional, coach, and facilitator.
In a safe and nurturing space, Sarah will give us space and structure to share the challenges that we experience as we progress into more senior leadership roles and will guide us through techniques to develop compassionate leadership.
15:00 - 18:00

18:00 - 22:00

08:00 - 11:00

11:00 - 16:00

16:00 - 17:00

17:00 - 18:30

19:00 - 21:00

Visit to one of the UK's most unique circuses - joyous, silly, captivating

08:00 - 09:30

09:30 - 10:00

Fees & General Info

There are currently no registration fees available.

General terms and conditions

By registering you have to accept the general terms and conditions and accept that your registration is considered binding immediately, but participation to the event is possible only after full payment of the registration fee.

Please note that any arrangements related to the participation of the participant in an AIJA event, including but not limited to booking or cancellation of accommodation or flights, as well as respecting the cancellation deadlines indicated in the general terms and conditions, are the sole responsibility of the participant. AIJA shall not be held liable for any expenses the participant may suffer as the result of participant’s failure to comply with his/her obligations.

It is recommended for each participant to purchase a cancellation and travel insurance.

Please note that in-house counsel registrations are subject to review and confirmation by AIJA. AIJA considers in-house counsel professionals who hold a university degree in law allowing access to a bar association and practicing law as an in-house counsel in private, public, or non-profit companies, institutions or organisations. Please note that in-house counsel who are at the same time active as fee-earning lawyers or consultants are not eligible to the discounted in-house counsel fee.

Please read the general terms and conditions applicable for AIJA events.


Scholarships

If you are a lawyer under 35 years old and meet the requirements, apply to our Scholarship Programme for this event. You can check more details here.

Practical Information

Getting to Cotswold Manor Estates

Cotswold Manor Estates, Bampton, Oxfordshire

Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, our retreat venue is easily accessible from London and major airports.

By Road

From Heathrow Airport (approximately 65 miles, 1 to 1.5 hours)

  • Take the M4 westbound, then join the M25 northbound
  • Exit onto the M40 towards Oxford
  • Leave the M40 at Junction 9 and take the A34 northbound
  • After approximately 8 miles, turn left onto the A420 towards Faringdon
  • At Buckland, turn left onto minor roads signposted to Bampton
  • Follow signs into Bampton village

From Gatwick Airport (approximately 95 miles, 2 hours)

  • Take the M23 northbound to join the M25 westbound
  • Continue on the M25 to the M40 towards Oxford
  • Follow directions as above from the M40
  • From Central London (approximately 75 miles, 1.5-2 hours)
  • Head west on the A40/M40 towards Oxford
  • Follow directions as above from the M40
  • Alternatively, take the A40 through Witney, then B4449 to Bampton

Parking: Ample parking is available on site.

By Rail

From Heathrow Airport

  • Take the Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express to London Paddington (15-30 minutes)
  • From Paddington:
    • take a train to Oxford (approximately 1 hour). Oxford Rail Station (30 mins drive) has extensive nationwide connections provided by Great Western Railway, Cross Country Trains and Chiltern Railways. Oxford Parkway Station (25 mins drive) is also served by Chiltern Railways from London Marylebone.
    • From Oxford station, take a taxi (approximately 25 minutes)
    • take a train to Hanborough (approximately 1 hour). Served by Great Western Railway from London Paddington, Worcester and Hereford.
    • from Hanborough, take a taxi (approximately 20 minutes) - note there is no taxi rank therefore book in advance
       

From Gatwick Airport

  • Take the Gatwick Express to London Victoria (30 minutes)
  • Take the London Underground (Circle or District Line) to Paddington
  • Follow directions as above from Paddington

From Central London

  • Trains run regularly from London Paddington to Oxford (approximately 1 hour)
  • From Oxford station, taxis are readily available
     

Please note: The nearest train station is Hanborough / Oxford. We recommend booking taxis in advance.

Local Taxi Services

  • A1 Taxis Oxford: 01865 248000
  • Royal Cars Oxford: 01865 777333
     

We look forward to welcoming you to your restorative retreat in the beautiful Cotswolds.

Sponsors

Become a sponsor

Partnership with AIJA as a sponsor provides the best networking opportunities in a relaxed business environment.
If you have any questions, contact us on ‘Become a sponsor’ and check for more opportunities.

Personal Protection

The personal data that you communicate to us shall be processed by the International Association Of Young Lawyers (AIJA), with its registered office at Avenue de Tervueren 231, 1150 Brussels, Belgium (Tel: +32 2 347 33 34 - office@aija.com), in accordance with Act No. 78-17 of January 6, 1978 relating to data, files and freedoms and Regulation No. 2016/679 on data protection, as of its entry into force on May 25, 2018.

Your data will be managed by AIJA's General Services, Events and Accounts Section:

  • For the purpose of administering your registration for the event and your on-site access to the event;
  • In order to pay for the selected services - your bank details will be deleted after receipt of your payment;
  • In order to communicate information messages from AIJA.

To the extent necessary for the execution of their respective tasks, our subcontractors in charge of our seminar organisation, our IT infrastructure, our management, the production and maintenance of our website and extranet, are likely to gain access to your data from time to time. Their servers are located in the European Union.

Data relating to your participation in the event shall be stored for a period of 10 years. We are obliged to archive billing data until the end of the period required for our tax and accounting obligations, i.e. for 7 full tax years.

We shall store your contact information to keep you informed until you ask us to stop. You have the right to access your data and have it corrected if necessary.