About

For many years, our annual conference has been a flagship moment in the Charity Leadership Scotland calendar. It has brought energy, connection, and visibility to our leadership community. 

But leadership does not happen in one moment. And the context we are navigating does not stand still long enough to wait for one. So in 2026, we are introducing something different. Instead of a single annual conference, we will host three mini-conferences across Scotland, each shaped around one of our strategic pillars: Voice, Challenge, and Change. 

Together, they form our new Leadership Series. We begin in Aberdeen on 4 June with Voice. 

Voice is foundational. It is not “the first of three.” It is the opening conversation. 

In a shifting political and public landscape, the ability of charity leaders to influence, to shape narrative, and to strengthen collective presence has never mattered more. Voice is not simply about advocacy. It is about confidence. It is about clarity. It is about how we show up in rooms where decisions are made. This conference will look at: 

• How charity leaders influence and shape Scotland’s future
• How we ensure our organisations and the communities we serve are heard
• How we strengthen our collective voice while navigating complexity

Voice will explore influence, presence and confidence. It will create space for leaders to come together, share experience, and strengthen how the sector shapes Scotland’s future. 

Hosting this first event in Aberdeen is intentional. Leadership happens across all of Scotland. We want to be visible, accessible, and present in that reality. 

We will gather again on 23 September 2026 for Challenge in Edinburgh and in Glasgow for Change on 11 February 2027.

We strongly encourage leaders to consider engaging with more than one event. Each room will feel different. Each conversation will build a different leadership muscle. They are designed to be distinct, focused, and responsive to the current leadership landscape. Attending more than one conference gives you access to broader networks, deeper learning, and wider sector insight across Scotland. Together, they form a connected journey, rather than a single moment. 

This is not three separate events. It is a leadership journey across the year.

Expect: 

• A keynote exploring leadership Voice | Challenge | Change in uncertain times 
• Facilitated table discussions 
• Sector panel conversations 
• Opportunities to connect with peers and Strategic Partners from across Scotland

Commit to this leadership journey and purchase a Leadership Series pass for one, two, or all three conferences now, with savings when you book multiple. Three Conference Series Pass holders will receive exclusive access to The Leadership Circle, a complimentary, invite only networking drinks reception following our final conference in Glasgow on 11 February 2027.

Aberdeen Agenda: 

10:00 Arrival and networking
10:30 Welcome and framing
10:45 Keynote: Andy Maciver, Founder & Director of Message Matters
11:45 Table discussions
12:30 Lunch and partner engagement
13:30 Panel Session - Voice in Practice: Representation, Visibility, and Influence
14:30 Table discussions
15:15 Reflections
15:30 Close
 

Charity Leadership Scotland is delighted to announce Andy Maciver, founder and director of Message Matters, as the keynote speaker for our upcoming mini conference.

We are being deliberate in how this day unfolds. It is designed as a coherent journey, with each part building on the last.

We begin with our keynote, setting the foundation for the conversations that follow. This session will explore influence, and the role of the voluntary sector in shaping Scotland’s future. It will consider how we ensure our collective voice is heard while navigating an increasingly complex political landscape.

We are pleased to be joined by Andy Maciver, Founder and Director of Message Matters, who brings over 20 years’ experience across politics, media, and strategic communications.

Drawing on this experience, Andy will explore how influence is built in practice. With deep insight into how decisions are shaped and how narratives are formed across Scotland’s political landscape, he will offer practical insight into how voluntary sector leaders can strengthen their voice, engage across difference, and operate with confidence in an ever-changing environment.

This is not a standalone moment. It is the starting point for reflection and application. The keynote will feed directly into structured roundtable discussions, creating space for leaders to translate insight into their own organisational context, and to begin shaping what voice looks like in practice.

Panel Session: 

The afternoon panel continues the conversation, carrying forward the themes of the morning, and grounding them in lived reality. It asks how we ensure that the voices of our communities are not lost and how they are heard where it matters most.

This panel brings together leaders from across Scotland’s voluntary sector to explore influence, lived experience, and the role leaders play in amplifying community voice within decision-making spaces.

Drawing on perspectives from a large national charity, a smaller volunteer-led organisation, and a Third Sector Interface, the discussion will explore how leaders stay connected to the communities they serve, build influence through trust and collaboration, and create space for different voices to be heard.

The panel will reflect on how lived experience influences leadership, organisational culture, and decision-making, and how leaders can ensure community perspectives remain central within strategic conversations and decision-making spaces.

Together, these perspectives will explore what it takes to ensure voice is not only expressed, but recognised, valued, and acted upon.

This is a moment to step into a wider conversation about how the voluntary sector shows up. Leaders play a critical role in amplifying the sector's voice and shaping Scotland's future.

We encourage you to secure your place, and join us in Aberdeen.

Location

Get directions

Union Kirk
333 Union Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6BS

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