09 September 2026

• 8.30AM - 9.20AM
  Registration, coffee & networking
• 9.20AM - 9.25AM
  Chair's welcome
• 9.25AM - 10.05AM
  Faith, government and social cohesion: building hopeful partnerships for the common good

  This session explores the role of the APPG on Faith and Society and wider cross-government engagement with faith-based organisations in shaping stronger, more cohesive communities. In the context of the new Civil Society Covenant – which recognises the vital contribution of faith organisations to society – it will consider how the sector and policymakers can work more closely together to address shared challenges, including community cohesion, inequality, and local resilience. It will consider what effective, trust-based collaboration looks like in practice, and how these relationships can be deepened to build a more hopeful, resilient society for all.

  Daniel Singleton, executive director, FaithAction and Zöe Franklin MP

• 10.05AM - 10.45AM
  Anchors of hope: faith charities and the future of public services

  At a time of growing complexity in public services, how do we move beyond short-term responses toward lasting change? And what role can faith charities play as trusted partners in building more hopeful, preventative systems? This session will explore the Better Futures Fund and wider public service reform, considering how faith organisations—rooted in trust, relationships, and community presence—can help shape and deliver more effective support for children, families, and communities. It will also highlight the opportunities this creates for deeper partnership and greater impact.

  Ciara Campfield, partner, transforming public services and Sandra Hamilton, consultant, transforming public services, Stone King LLP

• 10.45AM - 11.10AM
  Networking & refreshment break
• 11.10AM - 11.50AM
  1A. Strengthening civic space – protecting diverse voices in UK civil society

  Civic space in the UK is evolving, and some communities face barriers to being heard. Fadi Itani explores how these dynamics affect Muslim led charities and the wider voluntary sector, highlighting the material and reputational impacts, from funding challenges to public trust. This session will provide practical strategies for charities to safeguard their credibility, engage effectively, and ensure all communities have a valued voice in shaping society. Attendees will leave inspired with a clearer understanding of how defending inclusivity strengthens the sector and democracy for everyone.

  Fadi Itani, chief executive, Muslim Charities Forum

• 11.10AM - 11.50AM
  1B. Faith, service, and volunteering – maximising participation across traditions

  Faith communities are among the UK’s most powerful engines of volunteering, yet they operate through very different cultural and organisational models. This interfaith panel explores what drives volunteer engagement across traditions and identifies practical approaches charities can use to expand participation, improve retention, and build more resilient volunteering ecosystems.

  Panel – Nicky Goldman, chief executive, Jewish Volunteering Network, Richard Harries, director, Caritas Westminster and Randeep Singh Lall DL, chief executive, NishkamSWAT

• 11.55AM - 12.35PM
  Artificial Intelligence, Real Accountability

  Artificial intelligence is advancing quickly, but so too are the ethical questions surrounding it. For faith-based charities, the challenge is no longer simply whether AI can improve efficiency or expand impact, but how it can be used in ways that uphold human dignity, justice and the common good. This session will consider the key areas of concern for responsible investors, including bias, surveillance, labour disruption, misinformation, energy demand and the growing concentration of technological power. It will ask what real accountability looks like when innovation moves faster than governance.

  Rev Dr Andrew Harper, deputy chief executive, Epworth

• 12.35PM - 1.05PM
  The peach, the plum, the damson

  Using the Buddhist metaphor of the peach, the plum, and the damson—three fruits, each distinct in flavour, form, and character—this session explores what difference can reveal within the UK’s interfaith landscape. Drawing on experience across the UK’s network of Buddhist organisations, this session explores questions of identity, relationship, and collaboration across faith communities.

  Jamie Cresswell, director, Centre for Applied Buddhism

• 1.05PM - 2.00PM
  Lunch
• 2.00PM - 2.40PM
  2A. Misogyny, media, and the risk landscape for faith charities

  Faith charities today operate under increasing public and media scrutiny, particularly around issues of gender and equality. High-profile reports have alleged that some organisations use religious frameworks in ways that can be seen as justifying discrimination or harm. This workshop offers a safe space to engage honestly with these critiques, understand the regulatory and reputational risks involved, and develop practical strategies for communication, governance, and safeguarding that protect both mission and credibility.

  Lucy Bushill-Matthews, governance trainer, consultant and faculty, Faith in Leadership

• 2.00PM - 2.40PM
  2B. Investing with purpose: climate solutions for mission-driven portfolios

  This session provides a hands-on guide for charities seeking to align their investments with climate goals and organisational values. Building on practical experience with church organisations, it combines research, case studies, and a Catholic Social Teaching (CST) toolkit to bridge the gap between policy and implementation. Attendees will explore actionable strategies for integrating climate solutions into portfolios, gaining insights that complement mainstream investment narratives while offering a values-driven, real-world perspective.

  Clare Fussell, campaign director, Operation Noah

• 2.45PM - 3.15PM
  3A. Sacred responsibility: the case for reparative action

  As debates around reparations gain momentum, this session challenges faith-based organisations and foundations to reconsider their roles. Are existing charitable models sufficient, or is a deeper reckoning required? This session will explore how one major foundation is approaching this question in practice, examining how institutions can grapple with historical harm, power, and responsibility. Attendees will be invited to reflect on what meaningful “repair” could look like in their own contexts.

  Keon West, head of reparations, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

• 2.45PM - 3.15PM
  3B. Trust, localisation and transforming impact in global development

  Drawing on recent analysis, this session explores the distinctive role faith-based organisations and local faith communities play in humanitarianism and international development. It will examine how faith networks – often deeply embedded, highly trusted, and locally rooted – contribute to reaching marginalised communities, shaping social norms, and strengthening resilience in complex contexts. Building on this, the session will focus on key learnings for all types of faith charities seeking to deepen their impact. In particular the importance of shifting from externally driven models to genuinely locally led, community-owned approaches.

  Luke Martin, programme development and innovations manager, Tearfund and Osmawani Binti Osman, international external relations coordinator, Islamic Relief Worldwide

• 3.15PM - 3.40PM
  Lunch
• 3.40PM - 4.10PM
  Regulation and trust: updates from the Charity Commission

  Faith-based charities continue to face close public and regulatory scrutiny. This session from the Charity Commission will draw on our recent casework to highlight common issues that impact on trust and confidence in the sector. The session will also outline practical steps that charities can take to strengthen compliance, improve governance, and build public trust.

  Charity Commission

• 4.10PM - 4.50PM
  Closing keynote: The Power of Friendship

  Every fourth person in the UK is regularly lonely, and yet friendship is our most overlooked, undervalued relationship. Faith-based charities and communities bring more people together regularly than any other sector; with intentional changes, we can bring change to these troubling loneliness statistics. In this closing session, author, broadcaster and Friendship Lab founder Sheridan Voysey will reveal why intentional friendship formation is a powerful response to isolation that nurtures hope, strengthens mental health, and transforms how we live and work together.

  Sheridan Voysey, founder, Friendship Lab

• 4.50PM - 5.00PM
  Chair’s closing remarks
• 5.00PM - 5.55PM
  Networking Reception

With thanks to our sponsors:

With thanks to our exhibitors: 

Lanyard sponsors:

Great ways to save!

1. Early-release tickets
   Book your place asap to save a massive £150 off your ticket price. Limited number of tickets available so book today to avoid disapointment!
2. General release tickets
   Book your place now to save £80.00 off the ticket price.
3. Attend with your team!
   Ensure your whole team benefits from a great day's learning. With the Charity Team Ticket you can send up to four people for a greatly discounted rate.

15 Hatfields
Chadwick Court
London
SE1 8DJ
020 7827 5920

1. Payment
   1. Registrations will not be fully confirmed until correct payment is received. If you have any issues with payment, please contact [email protected]
2. Programming
   1. Please note that speakers and topics were confirmed at the time of publishing, however, circumstances beyond the control of the organisers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. As such Civil Society Media Ltd reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics if necessary. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our web page as soon as possible.
3. Event attendance
   1. Delegates are required to observe and comply with all laws, regulations, rules and requirements relating to COVID-19 and which Civil Society Media has adopted as part of its operations. Civil Society Media will communicate the COVID-19 Measures to you from time to time including and without limitation via pre-Event emails, its social channels and the event website
   2. Civil Society Media reserves the right to alter or remove its COVID-19 Measures at any time in response to the latest guidance or legislation from the UK Government or as otherwise deemed necessary by Civil Society Media in its discretion.
   3. Civil Society Media reserves the right to eject you or refuse you entry from the event if, in our reasonable opinion, you are refusing to comply with any COVID-19 Measures without reasonable grounds.
4. Cancellation or reimbursement
   1. On receipt of your booking form, your place is confirmed. Delegate substitutions are allowed. Refunds on cancellations will only be issued (less a 15% administration charge) up to and including 30 days prior to the event. Refunds will not be issued after this date. Confirmation of cancellations MUST be in writing and sent to [email protected]
   2. Individual registrants who registered as part of a discounted group registration are not eligible for refunds, unless the entire group cancels. Registrations may be transferred to another person from the same organisation at any time.
   3. Corporate tickets - Please note we only have a very limited amount of corporate delegates places available. If you would like to take up one of these places, please email [email protected]. Please do not book online at the charity rate. Any corporate bookings made online will be refunded, minus a 15% administration charge. 
5. Postponement or Cancellation of the Event by the Organiser
   1. Should we have to cancel or postpone we will endeavour to give you as much notice as is reasonably possible.
   2. In the event that we have to postpone, we will transfer your ticket to the next alternative date.