Wellbeing in the Voluntary Sector Conference 2026

Previous Supporters include:

Overview

Agenda

• 9.30am

  Registration

• 9.50am

  Chair’s Opening Remarks

  George Knight, Charity Trainer, Directory of Social Change (CONFIRMED)

  

• 10.00am

  Keynote: The State of Wellbeing in the Voluntary Sector

  • Exploring why wellbeing in the VCSE sector is not separate from delivery, but central to how organisations sustain relationships, services, advocacy, and their wider mission – people are the sector’s core infrastructure
  • Examining how rising demand, financial pressure, recruitment difficulties, and funding uncertainty are affecting staff and volunteers, with pressure often being absorbed through increased workloads and responsibilities
  • Highlighting both the sector’s strengths and its challenges, including strong cultures of care, inclusion, and purpose alongside more limited formal wellbeing strategies, uneven support, and gaps in sustainable practice
  • Considering what is needed to make progress, from day-to-day working conditions through to the wider funding and policy environment that shapes what organisations can realistically provide

  Dr Ben Evans, Research Fellow, Nottingham Trent University and VCSE Observatory (CONFIRMED)

  

• 10.20am

  Keynote: Supporting the VCSE Paid Workforce

  • Identifying which Professional Support interventions can be used to support VCSE staff.
  • Examining how support can be tailored to VCSE staff with different protected characteristics and needs
  • Identifying the enablers and barriers to implementing Professional Support for VCSE staff
  • Co-producing resources for stakeholders on implementing Professional Support.

  Dr Alexis Foster, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sheffield (CONFIRMED)

  

• 10.40am

  Case Study: Collectively Supporting Staff Wellbeing Across the Voluntary Sector

  • Examining how sustained pressure on services is shaping the day-to-day reality for staff across the voluntary sector
  • Discussing the emotional impact of working in high-intensity roles and the risk of burnout and vicarious trauma when support is limited
  • Exploring how organisations can treat wellbeing as a responsibility through leadership and culture
  • Assessing how collective care and peer support can be developed as organisational strategies for senior charity leaders

  Alice Porter, Wellbeing Lead, Freedom from Torture (CONFIRMED)

  

• 11.00am

  Questions and Answers

• 11.20am

  Comfort Break

• 11.35am

  Keynote: Tackling Volunteer Burnout

  • Reframing burnout as a signal that the organisation’s current ways of working need attention, rather than something staff or volunteers should push through
  • Strengthening internal boundaries by making it clear what volunteers can reasonably take on and by ensuring the pace of work does not constantly spill beyond what is manageable
  • Developing supportive structures that give people regular space to reflect on their workload and emotional strain and ensure they have somewhere to take concerns before they escalate
  • Encouraging leadership behaviours that set a sustainable tone showing that rest, open communication about pressure and realistic expectations are part of effective management

  Karen Gurney, Volunteer Development Manager, Oxfam (CONFIRMED)

  

• 11.55am

  Case Study: Climate Anxiety in Volunteer Organisations

  • Give space for staff and volunteers to discuss anxiety/overwhelm around global issues such as the climate crisis and to work together to discuss links to their work, and solutions with co-benefits
  • Explore how climate links to the vision and mission of VCSE organisations
  • Discuss and how climate impacts effect VCSE organisations and their clients and how climate action can benefit them
  • Support VCSE organisations to understand how climate links to their work, and strengthen their ability to explain this to funders who wish to see evidence of this
  • Embed active hope and climate resilience in wider staff wellbeing

  Hazel Graham, Climate and Carbon Literacy Manager, Future Proof Cumbria (CONFIRMED)

  

• 12.15pm

  Questions and Answers 

• 12.35pm

  Lunch Break

• 1.15pm

  Keynote: Retaining Talented Staff and Volunteers

  • Analysing the underlying reasons staff and volunteers leave roles, such as heavy workloads, limited security and rising burnout
  • Designing development pathways that help people grow through expansion of responsibility and roles
  • Framing wellbeing as a central retention tool by illustrating that support, reasonable pacing and conscientious supervision reduces the risk of people feeling overwhelmed or undervalued
  • Helping leaders plan for long-term retention by recognising how gaps in staffing affect teams and why investing in people is vital for stable services

  Jane Van Zyl, CEO, Working Families (CONFIRMED)

  

• 1.35pm

  Case Study: Supporting Staff Wellbeing During Organisational Restructuring

  • Leading structural change in a way that reduces uncertainty and protects trust by being clear about processes and expectations
  • Aligning restructuring decisions with the charities’ values so people maintain a sense of connection during transitions
  • Engaging staff and volunteers through frequent communication that gives them space to express concerns and feel included in transition processes
  • Supporting managers and teams with the guidance they need to stay resilient while navigating change

  Lisa Davidson, Director of People and Culture, Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (CONFIRMED)

  

• 1.55pm

  Questions and Answers 

• 2.15pm

  Breakout Networking: Sharing Wellbeing Support Strategies in your Charity

  Use this session to network and consider what steps you would take in the next 12 months to improve wellbeing in your organisation.

• 2.45pm

  Comfort Break

• 3.00pm

  Keynote: Building a Trauma Informed Culture in your Charity

  • Acknowledging that trauma can shape the way people work and interact, and build awareness across teams in your organisation
  • Shaping cultures so routines and communication reduce the chance of people feeling overwhelmed or unsafe, and create a workplace where predictability and clarity help staff and volunteers
  • Supporting managers and supervisors to respond supportively when someone is distressed, giving them the confidence to hold conversations and make adjustments to help the volunteer or staff member regain stability
  • Ensuring trauma-informed values are integrated into long-term planning, ensuring the organisation is a place where people feel respected and able to contribute without fear of re-triggering past experiences

  Linda Lewis, Trauma-Informed Trainer, The Survivors Trust (CONFIRMED)

  

• 3.20pm

  Case Study: Strategies for Supporting Staff and Volunteer Wellbeing

  • Insights on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff and volunteers
  • Proactive approaches to wellbeing in the workplaces and supporting others experiencing mental health problems
  • Developing skills for building and leading a resilient team
  • Improving awareness and building a resilient team

  Louise Fernand, Product Manager, Mental Health and Wellbeing, British Red Cross (CONFIRMED)

  

• 3.40pm

  Questions and Answers 

• 4.00pm

  Chair’s Closing Remarks

  George Knight, Charity Trainer, Directory of Social Change (CONFIRMED)

  

• 4.05pm

  Conference Close

Get in Touch

Previous Speakers

Dr. William Fleming

Wellbeing Research Centre

University of Oxford

Tiger de Souza MBE

Executive Director of People and Culture

Samaritans

Mandy Jones

Service Manager

British Red Cross

Katie Bradshaw

Senior Consultant, Volunteering

NCVO

Testimonials

Why You Should Attend?

• Understand the latest wellbeing pressures facing staff and volunteers across the sector
• Learn practical tools to reduce burnout, manage workloads and strengthen support
• Build leadership skills that create healthier, more sustainable working cultures
• Hear real case studies on supporting staff through change, complexity and emotional demand
• Connect with peers and leave with clear actions to improve wellbeing in your organisation
• Gain 8 hours worth of CPD Points

Who Should Attend?

Pricing Options

Sponsorship

Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business

If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

• Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
• Lower sponsorship package costs
• No travel/accommodation
• Less time out of the office
• No stand materials required (lower costs)
• 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
• Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
• Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
• Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below: