Overview
Conference Sponsors:
Welcome to CFDG’s third Northern conference. We are delighted to be in Leeds, at the Royal Armouries in June 2010.
The CFDG Northern conference is fast becoming an important date in the voluntary sector calendar. As in previous years, we have brought together a strong programme of speakers, drawn from the voluntary and corporate sectors covering a range of topics – from VAT and tax matters through to fraud and whistle blowing, and the impact that Total Place may have on the sector.
We open the conference with a plenary session from Sandie Foxall-Smith, Chief Executive at St Peter’s Hospice. Sandie joined the Hospice in 2009 and is uniquely placed to share her thoughts on the sector – as a new arrival from the corporate world! The day closes with a plenary session from Pesh Framjee, Head of the Not-for-Profit Unit at Horwarth Clark Whitehill. Pesh will give us his thoughts on the year ahead and how we operate in an uncertain world.
With two streams the conference provides a stimulating and thought provoking set of sessions for you to choose from.
During the day there is ample time to discuss issues and share experiences with finance professionals who are facing similar challenges. The conference can also support your personal development plan with five hours of CPD.
With excellent road and rail links from the North and the Midlands we look forward to seeing many of you in Leeds. We are also very pleased to confirm that free parking is available for all delegates at the car park adjacent to the Royal Armouries.
Book early to ensure your place is reserved.
The Reception
Delegates attending the conference are invited to stay for the reception immediately following the end of the programme.
The reception provides the ideal opportunity to network with speakers and delegates at the end of the day.
The Exhibition
There will be an exhibition alongside the conference programme. Exhibitors working in a range of service areas will be available for delegates to meet, ask questions and share information.
The informal setting is an excellent opportunity to find products and service suppliers who can assist in tackling your charities' problems and who can help to make the management of your charity more efficient.
The conference timetable allows delegates plenty of opportunity to browse the exhibition and network during breaks.
The following companies are exhibiting at this year's Northern Conference:
Barber Harrison & Platt - www.bhp.co.uk
CCLA - www.ccla.co.uk
CFDG - www.cfdg.org.uk
COA Solutions - www.coasolutions.com/not-for-profit.php
Co-Operative Bank - www.co-operativebank.co.uk/corporate
Custom House/Western Union - www.customhouseuk.co.uk
EPIC - www.epicip.com
Grant Thornton UK LLP - www.grant-thornton.com
Lloyds TSB Comercial - www.lloydstsb.com/community
Newton Investment Management - www.newton.co.uk
PKF (UK) LLP - www.pkf.co.uk
Rathbones Investment Management - www.rathbones.com
Royal London Cash Management - www.rlcm.co.uk
Sarasin & Partners - www.sarasin.co.uk
Schroders Charities - www.schroderscharities.com
The RBS Group - www.rbs.co.uk
Unity Trust Bank - www.unity.uk.com
Zurich Insurance Plc - www.zurich.co.uk
Programmes/Presentations
Presentations available below. Click session titles to download PDFs
8:45-9:30 REGISTRATION/EXHIBITION OPEN
9:45-10:00 CHAIR'S WELCOME
Mark Hilton, CFDG Trustee & Chair of Northern Committee
10:00-10:30 OPENING PLENARY
Tough Love - Seeing ourselves through a new CeOs eyes 
Sandie Foxall-Smith’s move from the corporate world to the voluntary sector gave her the opportunity to see the sector with fresh eyes. Sandie will share her thoughts on the move from PLC companies and venture capital to Chief Executive of St Peter’s Hospice and the challenges that she identified – and tackled – in her first nine months. Just how does a charity take the best from corporate thinking and maintain what makes it uniquely a charity?
Sandie Foxall-Smith, Chief Executive, St Peters Hospice
10:30-11:15 SESSION 1
1A: Risk Management - meeting the challenges of risk management, getting the balance right between managing risk and restricting innovation
Assessing and analysing an organisation’s risk appetite can assist the decision making framework to guide an appropriate balance between risk, opportunity and innovation. Ideally, management and trustees should have a common understanding of risk and risk appetite. This will make it easier for management to take strategic and operational decisions - some times at short notice - confident that they are line with the board’s views. Andrew will share perspectives of how risk management should be a benefit not a bureaucracy, and in particular how measuring risk appetite should be an integral part of this process.
Andrew Brazell, Acting Head of Risk & Assurance, British Red Cross Society
1B: Transparency and accountability
From impact and public benefit statements to integrity over expense claims and the Impact coalition, transparency and accountability themes seem to be permeating every aspect of charity life with a new and sometimes sharp vigour. In this session Charles takes a look at these and describes what The Children's Society is doing about them - and how it expects to benefit from them.
Charles Nall, Corporate Services Director, The Children's Society
11:15-11:45TEA/COFFEE BREAK & TIME TO EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION
11:45-12:30 SESSION 2
2A: Vat & Gift Aid Review, Tax update
In this session, Graham will focus on the most recent changes to VAT law and practice, including relevant court decisions and where they impact on charities. He will cover any recent changes to the Gift Aid system, including comment on the impact of the new higher rate of income tax.
Graham Elliott, Partner, Haysmacintyre
2B The FD as information leader - knowledge management is essential
Understanding and investing in the IT infrastructure of your organization is key to ensuring internal capability, as well as providing better information and service for beneficiaries. IT and Finance should be key drivers of knowledge management, providing the organization with the tools it needs to monitor performance and service.
Louise Smith, Director of Finance, ACEVO
12:30-13:00 PLENARY
The vision for CFDG
Caron Bradshaw, Chief Executive Officer, CFDG
13:00-14:00 LUNCH & TIME TO EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION
14:00-14:45 SESSION 3
3A: Total Place
With pilot projects up and running just how might Total Place change the way local authorities work, and what impact could there be on the voluntary sector and the funding relationships between charities and authorities. Brian is engaged with Total Place through the Strategic Partnership for the Birmingham City pilot, and will share findings from the Strategic Partnership, explain how BVSC has sought to engage the third sector in Total Place and will consider the 'terms of engagement' that the sector could adopt to ensure a proactive relationship.
Brian Carr, Chief Executive, BVSC: The Centre for Voluntary Action
3B: Staff rewards and benefits
Mike and Louise will discuss the impact of recent tax changes on current reward structures and how the impact can be lessened by offering alternative, tax-efficient benefits. They will also look at some of the key tax risk issues in this area.
Mike Herdman, Senior Tax Manager, and Louise Roberts, Senior Tax Manager, Grant Thornton UK LLP
14:45-15:30 SESSION 4
4A: The economic outlook and the implications for the not-for-profit sector
Adam will talk on the economic outlook and the challenges this is likely to pose the not-for-profit sector over the coming years. He will look at the prospects for economic growth, unemployment, inflation and interest rates and assess the potential impact on charitable funding. He will also examine the outlook for equity, bond and property markets and look at ways that charities can mitigate some of the economic and financial market volatility they are facing.
Adam Chester, Head of UK Macroeconomics, Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets
4B: Fraud and Whistle blowing
Stephen's session will look at fraud and whistle blowing. He will talk about how to guard against one and ensure you understand your role in the other, drawing on the impact of the charity fraud survey.
Dr Stephen Hill, Trustee Director, Fraud Advisory Panel
15:30-16:00 TEA/COFFEE BREAK & TIME TO EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION
16:00-16:30 CLOSING PLENARY
The Year Ahead - How do we operate in an uncertain world?
The one certain thing as we look forward is that there will be change! How do you ensure that as finance leader you keep your charity focused on the key issues that need to be considered - and that where change is necessary it is embraced and acted on. The future may be uncertain - but Pesh will explain how to approach it with confidence.
Pesh Framjee, Head of not-for-profit unit, Horwath Clark Whitehill
16:30-16:40 CHAIR'S CLOSE
16:40-18:00 RECEPTION & NETWORKING
Bookings & Prices
Prices
Terms and Conditions: Written notice of cancellations up to 21
days before an event will incur a 25% administration fee. After this date, cancellation
refunds are not possible, however substitutions can be made.
Download calendar entry