More than 60 charity and social enterprise leaders got together to explore challenges and opportunities for growth at the inaugural Thrive Third Sector conference on Friday (March 13).
Organised by MPAD and Mackerel Sky Events, and hosted by Allyson Glover from Unlocking Potential and Ian Smith of Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum, the full-day event at Heartlands in Pool featured talks from 12 south west and national charity experts.
Highlights included Plymouth’s Gareth Hart from Iridescent Ideas on evaluating the social impact of your work, Paul Courtney from the Institute of Fundraising on re-engaging with the passion and mission of your charity, and keynote Jon Sparkes, CEO of Crisis, on the highs and lows of leading national charities.
Key themes that were drawn out involved staying true to your organisation’s mission, how to collaborate successfully, how to think commercially whilst maintaining a social focus and charitable entrepreneurship.
Rachel Picken, MD at MPAD, said: “We’re completely blown away by how well this event was received. The buzz was that all the delegates, be they fundraisers, comms managers or chief execs, really valued the opportunity to get out of their organisation, network with their peers and get inspired.
“There’s certainly scope to make this an annual event, so watch this space.”
