On the 29th September leaders from the third sector across Northern Ireland will gather for the 2022 CO3 Annual Leadership Conference – the first in person conference CO3 have held since the beginning of the pandemic.

Among the keynote speakers at the conference, which will be held in the La Mon Hotel, will be adventure man, author and motivational speaker, Jamie McDonald; Chief Executive of Pro Bono Economics, Matt Whittaker; and Neil Gibson, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Finance. Alongside the keynote speeches the conference, which is sponsored by Evelyn Partners, delegates will have the chance to visit workshops, exhibition space, networking and expert panel sessions on the key sectoral issues.

The conference will also see launch the ‘Valuing Our Sector’ report, which will report the findings of groundbreaking research undertaken MW Advocate, commissioned by CO3 and unique to Northern Ireland, which will examine the economic impact of the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland as well as the social impact.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Valerie McConville, Chief Executive of CO3 said “After a challenging few years and with the ongoing absence of the Executive, community & voluntary organisations are once again navigating uncertain times. Increasingly charities are under pressure to deliver more with less and it is timely to highlight the critical role the sector plays socially and economically in Northern Ireland.

“It is an important time for leaders across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors to come together, to hear from peers and experts in the sector, and to discuss the key issues facing the sector – as well as looking to the opportunities to bring the skills and expertise the sector has as solitons. We are looking forward to seeing everyone on the 29th September in the La Mon.”