Agenda

2025 agenda to be announced...

See below for the 2024 agenda

08.30 – 09.00: Registration and refreshments

09.00 – 09.05: Chair’s welcome
Lauren Weymouth, Editor, Charity Times

09.05 – 09.35: Motivational keynote - The secret power behind successful leaders
Judith Germain, Author and Consultant, The Maverick Paradox

What does successful leadership really look like? And how can charity leaders embody these skills and tools, such as impact and influence, to set themselves, their team and their organisation up for a successful future? Join this motivational keynote to find out more.

09.35 – 10.20: Panel discussion – Is your workplace culture holding you back?
Moderator:
Melissa Moody, Deputy Editor, Charity Times
Panellist:
Sarah Baumann, Chief Operating Officer, Brass Bands England
Natasha Ferguson, Chief Operating Officer, Taylor Bennett Foundation
Jaya Kypuram, Academic Manager, Student Recruitment & Marketing
Daniel Valentine, Executive Chair, Lovey Foundation, & Head of Communications, Chartered Governance Institute 

How does your workplace culture promote inclusivity, clear communication, growth, development, and success? And importantly, how does it respond in a crisis? Is a lack of transparency and ability to adapt holding you back? Join this panel discussion to hear from experts about how harbouring a more effective and empathetic workplace culture will be a key driver to success in the long run.

10.20 – 10.45: Celebrities and the super-rich: the challenges and opportunities of working with people in the public eye
Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications, Nottingham Trent University

Charities have been working with people in the public eye for decades. For many, these relationships are key to influence and can help to raise staggering amounts of money. But with reward also comes risk. Join this session to learn about industry trends around celebrity endorsement and advocacy, celebrities as an opportunity and risk to charities and ethical questions about taking money from the super-rich.

10.45 – 11.00: Coffee break

11.00 – 11.25: Case study: Independent Age on century-long survival, re-branding and modernising for success
Joanna Elson, CEO, Independent Age

Independent Age has been known under this name since 2005, but prior to that, the charity has a history spanning over a century - as far back as 1863, when it was established as the United Kingdom Beneficent Association. Join this session to hear from the charity's CEO about how the organisation has survived through multiple crises and re-branded to become a stronger, better version of itself that's set to stand the test of time.

11.25 – 11.55: Fireside chat: The chair and chief - key components for a successful relationship that will boost morale and drive progress
Monwara Ali, CEO, Waltham Forest Community Hub
Joga Kabra, Chair, Waltham Forest Community Hub

In this fireside chat, Charity Times editor, Lauren Weymouth, speaks to Monwara Ali, CEO of Waltham Forest Community Hub and Joga Kabra, the charity’s chair about the key elements of a successful CEO/chair relationship – one that prioritises the wellbeing of both CEO and the board and will help to deliver long-lasting results for your charity.

11.55 – 12.35: Panel discussion: Why are charities losing billions of pounds to poor data management?
Panellists:
James Bishop, Managing Director, Skye Cloud
Ru Watkins, CEO, Hamelin Trust
Zheng Zeng, Consulting & Support Manager, Xledger UK

The charity sector is losing a staggering amount of money to poor data management, and being severely impacted by cyber fraud, often due to a lack of knowledge, or the right measures in place to ensure their data is secure. This panel will seek to find out why the sector makes so many errors when it comes to data management and cyber security and what it can do to help plug the gaps.

12.35 – 13.00: Investing Charity Money
Wayne Bishop, CEO, King and Shaxson 

Investing funds is vital for the longevity of any charity, whilst this can be daunting, there are highly secure and flexible ways to invest. We’ll discuss why cash management is critical, how returns can provide value for money, security & flexibility, and meet cash flow demands. We’ll also discuss how sustainable investing can provide returns whilst aligning to a charities own mission.

13.05 – 14.00: Lunch break

14.00 – 14.30: Motivational keynote: Moments of inflection and navigating a crossroads
Sharath Jeevan OBE, Author and Founder, Intrinsic Labs

Moments of inflection are those when we stand at a crossroads and ask: what’s the next mountain to climb? For leaders working within charities, these moments both frequent and critical. But how do we navigate these moments carefully and how do we ignite potential in ourselves and others to future proof success for many years to come? Join this session to find out more.

14.30 – 15.00: Revival over survival: How to undertake transformation for long-term success
Stuart Davis, Company Owner, Stuart Davis Consulting

Transformation plays an important role in the growth of a charity. But undergoing a transformation, regardless of scale, requires time, resources and money. What are the benefits and pitfalls? And how can a charity look at smoothly undertaking a transformation to revive itself, rather than merely survive?

15.00 – 15.30: Diversifying Fundraising to manage the cost of living crisis
Eoghan Beecher, Country Director, iRaiser

Charities face significant challenges when navigating the cost of living crisis as voluntary donations are often the first thing a supporter will cut back on. One way charities can ensure they maintain revenue is by diversifying their product portfolio and ensuring that their supporters have a rich and interesting variety of products to engage with, to ensure they value the work that their chosen charity does. In this presentation, we will explore the tools available to charities to achieve this and challenge the idea of what a charity product currently is, and what it can be.

15.30 – 15.40: Charity quiz: how well do you know the sector?
Join us for the Charity Times Quiz, where we'll test your knowledge on all things charity. The winner will be announced at the end and will take home a brand new Apple Watch.

15.40 - 15.45: Chair’s round-up and close of conference

15.40 - 16.40: Drinks reception