Spotlight 2025
18 November 2025 | 13:00-21:00 | Hybrid event | Royal College of Nursing, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN
Spotlight is back for 2025 with a theme of Big Challenges, Big Opportunities, Big Ideas.
The sector has faced its share of challenges in recent years and continues to do so. This year, we will be focusing on how the sector is innovating, adapting, and finding opportunity in the current landscape.
We will be joined by Rt Hon David Miliband, President and CEO of International Rescue Committee, for a Q&A with our Managing Partner, Erica Crump. Our main panel sessions with a range of sector leaders and changemakers will look at opportunities, innovation and big ideas in civil society, from modernising leadership through to philanthropy, regulation and charity law (check out our full panel line-ups below, with more speakers to be added in the coming weeks).
We hope you'll come away feeling inspired and ready to move forward with your big ideas about the future of the sector.
We'd be delighted if you could join us in person at the Royal College of Nursing for this year's event. We will also be livestreaming the event to an online audience, so please join us remotely if you would prefer.
The conference will be followed by an evening reception so do feel free to join us for that even if you can't make it during the day.
Conference agenda
Fireside chat with the Rt Hon David Miliband
We will be joined by the Rt Hon David Miliband, in conversation with Erica Crump, our Managing Partner. They will be exploring the opportunities and challenges for civil society on the national and international stage, the evolving relationship between government and the voluntary sector and discussing big ideas to benefit the sector.
David oversees International Rescue Committee's operations in over 40 crisis-affected countries and its refugee resettlement and assistance programs throughout Europe and the Americas. He previously served as the 74th Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for the United Kingdom.
Panel discussion: Opportunities, innovation, and change in charity leadership
How is the charity sector innovating, adapting and finding opportunity in the current landscape? Drawing on their own leadership experiences, charity leaders from Runnymede Trust, ActionAid UK and The Children's Society will share insights into some of the key trigger issues and big ideas to take the sector forward.
Shabna Begum
Chief Executive Officer, Runnymede Trust
Taahra Ghazi
Co-CEO and Director of Innovation and Impact, ActionAid UK
Mark Russell
Chief Executive, The Children's Society
Panel discussion: Big ideas - modernising charity, philanthropy and civil society
Charity sector leaders and Bates Wells legal team will be exploring bold, innovative proposals for modernising charity, philanthropy and civil society. Each speaker will pitch their vision for evolving areas like charity law and regulation, governance, EDI, and the sector’s relationship with the state.
Becca Bunce
Trustee, Institute for Public Policy Research and the John Ellerman Foundation
Joe Saxton
Chair, Association of Chairs; Founder of nfpResearch, and Co-Founder of CharityComms
Timings for Tuesday 18 November
13:00 Registration and lunchtime refreshments
14:00 Fireside chat with David Miliband and audience Q&A
15:00 Break
15:20 Panel 1: Opportunities, innovation, and change in charity leadership and Q&A
16:25 Break
16:45 Panel 2: Big Ideas - modernising charity, philanthropy and civil society and Q&A
17:50 Drinks reception and networking