NPC Ignites 2023: Social impact and politics

Our annual conference is coming up and booking is now open! This year, NPC Ignites will take place over two days on 17 (in person or online) and 19 October (online).    

We are all busy people in the social sector and conferences can seem like a luxury. But if you can, you should come to this one.  

NPC Ignites is a key event for thought leaders, those who want to be challenged, and those who are thinking about where the sector and their own organisations are heading. It will leave you feeling energised and motivated.  

What’s on the agenda?  

First up, it’s politics time. Policies are currently getting honed down by the political parties, ready for an election, expected to take place in the autumn of 2024. What political parties promise and do matters a great deal to all who work in the social impact space, affecting our ability to pursue the missions that we hold dear. 

That’s why one of the key themes of NPC Ignites this year will be around the interaction between the social impact world and politics. Will politicians ever take the sector seriously and start to look at how to make it part of achieving their goals and ambitions? Or will they continue to fail to appreciate the full value of charities and see it as an irritant to be managed? What do we want from them in any case? What are they thinking at the moment – and how can we influence them? Speakers, ranging from Sunder Katwala (Director of British Future) to Rebecca Gill (CEO of ROSA),will provide some answers – as will I! 

Equally pressing is the environmental challenge. Building on work we are doing in the groundbreaking Everyone’s Environment programme, we’ll be running a fascinating session with Areeba Hamid, Joint Executive Director of Greenpeace, on how social environmental charities need to work together to maximise their positive impact on those most affected by the crisis.  

We will also plunge into the murky world of public attitudes – crucial to so much that we want to achieve. Trinh Tu, Managing Director of Public Affairs at Ipsos UK, will be sharing what polling is telling us about the society we are living in and where public attitudes are.  This will be followed by a debate on inequalities and whether the social sector is doing enough in the places and communities that need them most. If we’re not doing enough to help those who need help most, we are surely failing in our missions.  

Philanthropy and grant-making can help fund great organisations and support innovation. But it often feels like it does neither. Anand Shukla, Chief Executive of The Henry Smith Charity, Cath Dovey, Co-founder of the Beacon Collaborative, and a representative from Resource Justice will engage with these crucial issues during a Question Time session towards the end of the day.  To make the most of this unique opportunity, we encourage you to start thinking about your questions now! 

And finally, we have a great ending to our in person/hybrid day. It’s often said that a CEO is never more honest than when they’re on their way out. So, we’re delighted that one of the best leaders in the sector, Mike Adamson — who’s stepping down as Chief Executive of the British Red Cross —will close the day. 

On day two of NPC Ignites (online only), we’ll be looking at what’s going on in the world of impact, how we can centre lived experience and user voice more, and how we balance top down and bottom-up evaluation methods. Wow! What a set of sessions and debates.  

Don’t forget to make the most of our early bird discount, which finishes at the end of August 2023.  

I hope you enjoy this year’s line-up and look forward to seeing you in October.