It's time for a Liberal Democrat Youth & Student Conference like no other. Come along to Guildford (only 40 minutes from London!) to help us build an effective liberal youth movement.

Venue: University of Surrey, Guildford
Start: Friday 26th October, 7:00pm
Ends: Sunday 28th October, 4:30pm

• SAVE DARFUR panel discussion and campaign launch, organised with the Aegis Trust.


• YOUNG, FREE & ELECTED workshop chaired by LDYS Vice President Julia Goldsworthy, the youngest MP in England.


• CAMPAIGNS discussion led by Ed Davey MP, Chair of Campaigns & Communications Committee and Chief of Staff to Ming Campbell MP.


• TRAINING on movement-building, branch development, combatting disengagement, winning the student vote and more.


• More to confirm shortly.

There will also be an all-new chill out zone where you can take a break from the politics and relax!

Register before 15th October for £20 including food and accommodation. If you're a fully paid-up member of LDYS, your invitation should be on its way to the address we hold for you. Don't forget to reply quickly!

See also the Facebook page for this event.

Come to the ICA bar on Tuesday 9th October, 6:30-9:30pm, and:
- chat to liberal students, and other young liberals from London, over drinks and snacks
- meet Nick Clegg MP, Shadow Home Secretary
- hear about LDYS's plans for this term and beyond (General Election or no General Election!)

No need to book - just turn up on the night - but please let us know you're coming via the Facebook page for this event.

Venue: Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH (map)

Following the success of the North West London zone's film screening in March, and the East London zone's curry night on Brick Lane on April 5th, we have two more local events coming up.

West London are hosting an all-you-can-eat Chinese Buffet in Hammersmith on April 10th, and South East London are hosting drinks in Greenwich on April 11th.

For more information about these events, please contact the relevant local organiser.



Our local events, such as the curry night pictured above, are an informal, low-key, friendly way in which young liberals can meet each other, discuss ideas and simply enjoy each other's company!

His Excellency Mr Vygaudas Usackas invites the liberal youth of the UK to a reception at the Lithuanian Embassy.

Wednesday, March 28th, 7:00pm
84 Gloucester Place, London W1U 6AU
Map

Speakers will include the Ambassador himself, as well as youth representatives of Lithuanian, British and international liberal groups, followed by a Q&A session and an informal drinks reception.

The speeches will consider what liberal movements from different countries can learn from each other, and how we can work together to further our cause. And as always, this will be a great chance to meet and mingle with other young liberals from home and abroad.

The reception is free, however, please email our Head of Events with your name and postal address to book your place. We are strictly limited to 40 guests this time, so please let us know ASAP if you wish to attend.

We will email all successful applicants a ticket before the event.

The Islington Liberal Democrats are holding an event for London students, and especially those living or studying in or near Islington, on 8th May. Please put it in your diary now - further details will be announced soon.

Our North London zone (Islington, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Haringey, Enfield) has secured Lynne Featherstone MP and Jo Shaw (PPC for Holborn and St Pancras) to speak at an event focused on young people on 29th March at 7:00pm at the West Indian Cultural Centre, 9 Clarendon Road, Hornsey N8 0DJ. Please email our North London zone contact for further details.

Our North West London zone (Camden, Barnet, Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon) is kicking off the programme of zone events with a screening of "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore in Camden on 16th March at 7:30pm.

You'll also have the chance to meet some of the leading councillors from a borough where young Lib Dems are very well represented on the council. Please email our North West London zone contacts and/or sign up on the Facebook event.

This is Spring Conference season. Some dates for your diary:

- London Region Conference - Thursday 22nd February (6pm-10pm Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD). Featuring Lynne Featherstone MP, Sarah Ludford MEP, Graham Tope GLA, Cllr Caroline Pidgeon, Baroness (Julia) Neuberger, Alistair Carmichael MP. Registration on the door will cost £15 for the evening.

- Lib Dem Spring Conference - www.libdems.org.uk/conference/

- LDYS Spring Conference - weekend of 24th/25th March, Bristol - details tbc by post to Liberal Democrat members

In late February or early March, we're looking to put on a series of smaller scale, local events at various locations (such as pubs and cheap restaurants) around London.

These will be organised into various 'zones', as follows:

- North West (Camden, Barnet, Brent, Harrow)
- North (Islington, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Haringey, Enfield)
- East (City, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge)
- South East (Greenwich, Lewisham, Bexley, Bromley)
- South (Southwark, Lambeth, Sutton, Croydon)
- South West (Hounslow, Richmond, Kingston, Merton, Wandsworth)
- West (Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Hillingdon)

We'll be confirming details soon, so keep your eyes peeled for emails, Facebook invites etc.

The National Liberal Club is offering London students and young professionals a rare opportunity to visit the Club and enjoy free drinks and canapés.

This unique event is being organised by current students and alumni of the University of London, and promoted by LDYS London.

If you wish to attend, or have any questions, please contact Ben Caldecott () as soon as possible. There are a limited number of places on the guestlist.

Please note the NLC's dress code - jackets and ties for men, and "smart town wear" for women.

The NLC provides a social environment for people from a variety of backgrounds. The Club House, with its grand dining room, beautiful river terrace and well stocked bar, provides all members and their guests with a home away from home when in Central London.

The Club has a range of other facilities available to members that include a reading and writing room, modern business centre with computer facilities, gym membership, access to a worldwide reciprocal club network, rentable function rooms and discounted bedrooms.

The Club's Younger Members are active and organise a number of events with other London Clubs (see the Inter-Club website); these have included a recent Oktoberfest, Masked Ball and Club Crawl.

It's been a busy few months - just see our news section! We've had two very successful embassy events and an excellent Christmas party, and in our spare time, have campaigned to save the planet...

At a local branch and university level, there have been even more events - pizza nights, campaigns on Darfur, curries, speaker meetings, and of course the Freshers' Fairs.

We've got plenty of ideas for 2007 - more embassies, more campaigns, more debates, and more fun. If you have specific suggestions, feel free to get in touch with our social secretary, Chamali Fernando - see here for contact details.

On Tuesday 14th November we'll be having an event at the Japanese Embassy. If the Hungarian Embassy event was anything to go by, it should be excellent.

On Saturday 18th November it's the London region conference - a mix of speeches, debates, votes and training in Camden. Anyone wishing to be an LDYS voting representative should contact the LDYS London Chair (see here).

We're also planning a cross-London student event in a central location to welcome all our new members, and meet other London students who are interested in what the Lib Dems have to say. We should have a big-name speaker or two, followed by a party. Watch this space for details!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Embassy of Hungary, 35 Eaton Place, London SW1X 8BY

His Excellency the Hungarian Ambassador has invited LDYS members to a reception, presentation and dinner at the Hungarian Embassy.

Guests will be greeted with a reception upon arrival, after which the Ambassador will give a brief discussion on Hungary and its relationship with the EU. He will be available for questioning on any topic, including the controversy and demonstrations in Hungary over the last few weeks.

Following the Ambassador's presentation, a Hungarian buffet accompanied with national wines will be served, where the evening's discussions can be informally continued.

The reception and dinner is free, however for security reasons, please email the LDYS London Chair (see here) with your name, postal address, and local/student branch of the Lib Dems.

You will receive a confirmation by post from the Embassy, which we ask you to bring with you on the evening. There are a limited number of tickets which will be allocated on a first come first served basis, and we're expecting them to be snapped up quickly! The deadline for booking tickets is 10th October.

LDYS London invites all its members to our first regional party of the summer, at the residence of LDYS Councillor Ben Rawlings and LDYS Federal Chair Mark Gettleson in Camden.

We'll be electing an interim Chair for the region, and then we'll be partying, so this will be an excellent opportunity to network and have fun, as well as find out and challenge LDYS on what it is doing in London!

The event kicks off at 7:30pm. Contact the LDYS London Chair for venue information.

The Liberal Democrat Youth and Students is holding its Autumn Conference at a venue near to London - the University of Essex, Colchester.

At only £22 for registration plus food (£12 without food), you can propose and debate policy, get some campaign training, dance your socks off, meet other young liberals and listen to big-name speakers.

London is planning to send a large delegation, and we look forward to your company. Contact the LDYS office on (020) 7227 1387 for more info.