About this new event

The DSC Charity Leadership and Governance Summit brings together charity CEOs, directors, trustees, chairs and future leaders for two days of bold thinking on what it takes to lead well and govern well in a changing world. Through sharp keynotes, thought provoking sessions and high-quality debate, we’ll explore the decisions that shape impact, trust and sustainability including specific sessions on strategy, funding, culture and responsible campaigning.

Whether you’re a CEO, trustee, head of service, manager, or aspiring leader in a small, medium or large charity, this summit includes perspectives from organisations of all sizes, creating space for honest conversation across boards, executive teams and the next generation of leaders.

You will especially benefit if you want to strengthen leadership and governance in uncertain times, lead inclusive, accountable cultures and govern campaigning and public voice responsibly. Organisations of all sizes are welcome, with content designed to be relevant whether you’re leading a local organisation or a national charity.

Who should attend?

This summit is critical for people leading charities and shaping governance from organisations of all sizes. Whether you’re leading a team of two or two hundred, it is particularly relevant for:

• CEOs and Deputy CEOs
• Chief Operating Officers
• Directors of departments
• Senior management
• Trustees and board members
• Governance professionals and advisors
• Chairs, Vice-Chairs and committee chairs
• Heads of Policy, Policy Managers and Campaigning Leads
• Anyone with governance or leadership responsibilities

What’s included in the price?

• Attendance to the online conference, keynote sessions, session talks and networking sessions
• Access to all presentations and handouts after the event
• Session recordings available after the event
• £20 DSC book voucher (to be used within one month of the conference date)

Agenda

Day one – Wednesday 7 October: Leading under pressure – governing for sustainability

09.45 – 10.00: Welcome
Join us for introductions and housekeeping rules.

10.00 – 10.30: Opening keynote: Strategy that survives reality – Operating in permanent volatility
Charity leaders are navigating a uniquely volatile mix of rising demand, unstable funding, shifting policy, workforce pressures and heightened public scrutiny. In this conference opening, we’ll explore how leaders make decisions when the ground keeps moving, setting clear priorities and what to stop, what to protect and how to keep pace when everything feels urgent.

Speaker: Sarah Hughes CBE, CEO, Mind

10.30 – 11.15: Sustainable Leadership: Ambition without burnout
Exceptional charities don’t happen by accident – they’re built on cultures where people feel valued, supported and able to do their best work. In this podcast-style conversation, Martin Edwards, CEO of Julia’s House, will explore what it takes to create a world-class people culture, from preventing burnout and improving staff retention to leading with trust, empathy and clear expectations. We’ll also discuss the realities of leading under pressure and why looking after yourself as a leader is essential to building an organisation that can thrive for the long term.

Speaker: Martin Edwards, CEO, Julia’s House

11.15 – 11.30: Break

11.30 – 12.30:  Panel discussion: The new funding reality – Leading through the squeeze without losing your soul
In this panel discussion, we’ll discuss how income pressures reshape strategy, delivery, and credibility. We’ll also look at what’s changing in income, trust and commissioning and how leaders make credible, values-led choices under constraint.

12.30 – 13.15: Trust, power and performance – Accountability at the top
This session examines accountability at the top of charities, focusing on the CEO–Chair–board relationship under pressure. We’ll explore constructive challenge, role clarity and decision-making, alongside the impact of power dynamics and inclusion on governance and organisational culture. The session also considers the leadership conditions that support sustainable performance over time.

13.15 – 14.00: Lunch

14.00 – 14.45:  Governing financial sustainability without micromanagement
In a volatile funding environment, boards need confidence on sustainability, without drifting into day-to-day management. This session explores risk, reserves and what good financial oversight looks like in practice.

14.45 – 15.15:  Risk, reputation and regulation
We’ll reset what “good governance” looks like when demand rises, funding tightens, and scrutiny increases. We’ll explore the governance essentials that support confident leadership: role clarity, decision rights, proportionate oversight and effective assurance.

15.15 – 15.30:  Closing remarks

15.30 – 16.00:  Optional networking

Day two – Thursday 8 October: Voice, legitimacy and the future board

09.45 – 10.00: Welcome
Join us for introductions and housekeeping rules.

10.00 – 10.30: Beyond Beige Leadership: Why the Charity Sector Needs More Courage and Less Comfort

The charity sector exists to challenge injustice, change lives and tackle society’s toughest problems. So why do so many of our leaders, boards and organisations become so… beige? In this provocative opening keynote, Mark will challenge the idea that good leadership is always about consensus, caution and playing it safe but about having difficult conversations, embracing healthy disagreement, taking intelligent risks, and staying focused on your charity’s mission. Drawing on his experience as a charity CEO, Charity Commission Board Member and public service leader, Mark will explore the tension between governance and bravery, why the quality of the debate is often just as important as the decision itself, and how organisations can avoid becoming brilliantly managed but strategically timid.

Speaker: Mark Simms OBE, Group Chief Executive, P3 Charity and Rugby Portobello Trust

10.30 – 11.15: Collaboration as strategy
Collaboration and partnership can be a strong route to greater impact, resilience and influence for many charities.

This session explores when partnership is the smartest strategic move, and what leaders need to get right to make it successful. We’ll cover clarity of purpose, honest power dynamics, shared accountability, and protecting organisational identity while working in partnership.

11.15 – 11.30: Break

11.30 – 12.30:  Panel discussion: Campaigning in a polarised UK: How to be brave without being reckless
In a more polarised and contested public sphere, charities face sharper scrutiny for the positions they take and the positions they don’t. This panel explores how charity leaders and policy/campaigning teams navigate public voice with confidence: grounding campaigns in evidence and lived experience, and managing reputational and stakeholder risk without defaulting to silence.

Speaker: Rebecca Horne, Head of Communications and Campaigns, Pregnant Then Screwed

12.30 – 13.15:  EDI, power and culture: Governance that improves decisions
EDI isn’t a separate agenda – it’s central to decision quality, legitimacy and impact. This session explores how power and culture shape what boards and executive teams notice, challenge and act on, especially under pressure. We’ll look at how inclusive governance improves judgement, surfaces risk earlier, strengthens accountability, and builds trust with the communities charities serve.

13.15 – 14.00: Lunch

14.00 – 14.45: High-performing Boards: What changes behaviour (not just papers)
Great governance isn’t created by more papers, it’s created by better board behaviour. This session explores what makes boards high-performing. We’ll focus on decision making, meeting design and how chairs create productive challenge.

14.45 – 15.15:Leading AI adoption: What good looks like after the experiment

AI is moving fast with many charities already using AI to transform parts of their organisation. The challenge for leaders and trustees is moving from experimentation to consistent, mission-led practice with the right governance, oversight and culture in place.

Join us for a practical look at what leaders and boards need to get right when it comes to AI. We’ll explore where AI can genuinely improve services and productivity, how to scale what works, and when to stop or redesign approaches that create unnecessary risk. We’ll also discuss the leadership and governance needed to strengthen accountability, manage ethical considerations, oversee data and transparency, build organisational capability, and maintain the trust of staff, beneficiaries and the public.

15.15 – 15.30:  Closing remarks

15.30 – 16.00: Optional networking

Check out speaker biographies here.

Prices: One ticket

Early bird deadline Monday 31 August 2026

• Band A: £149
• Band B: £149
• Band C: £249

Regular price bands from Tuesday 1 September 2026

• Band A: £199
• Band B: £199
• Band C: £299

Prices: Team ticket – two or more (up to five)

Please contact our Customer Services team to book this – [email protected] / 020 4526 5995

Early bird deadline Monday 31 August 2026

• Band A: £399
• Band B: £399
• Band C: £599

Regular price bands from Tuesday 1 September 2026

• Band A: £499
• Band B: £499
• Band C: £699

Want more than 5 places? Please contact our Customer Services team – [email protected] / 020 4526 5995

**Ticket prices are for both days only. Please ensure you tick both days below**