Charity Management Matters: Panel Event in the presence of HRH, The Princess Royal
Cranfield Trust hosted ‘Charity Management Matters’ at Freemasons’ Hall in London in the presence of patron, HRH, The Princess Royal.
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
On Wednesday 6th December, Cranfield Trust hosted ‘Charity Management Matters’, a panel event looking at the skills charities need for the future, at Freemasons’ Hall in London. Over 100 guests, including charities, volunteers, funders, and Freemasons attended the evening supported by the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF).
A panel discussion at the event featured three speakers: Professor Stephanie Hussels, Dr Naveen Thomas, and Salma Ravat, who addressed management challenges in the charitable sector and the evolving landscape.
Some headlines from the panel were:
- Education is important for increasing productivity, developing a mindset for growth, improving skills, and recognising the value of cross sector learning.
- AI can be a useful tool for charities. It can accompany and enhance our work but cannot completely replace human roles – like jam on toast for breakfast!
- We cannot overstate the importance of training and development for charities, to keep skills current in a changing world. Charities need to be dynamic and ready to respond to the ever-changing landscape.
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
Management Education Specialist: Professor Stephanie Hussels highlighted four crucial themes stemming from the challenges faced by charities, including the imperative of managing diversity considering an aging population. She emphasised the benefits of agile working and flexibility, underlining the positive impact on work-life balance and overall employee well-being.
Stephanie’s speech addressed the nuanced nature of employee engagement and the developing landscape of technological advancements, with a focus on AI. Despite these emerging themes, Professor Hussels noted a stagnation in productivity and increased stress-related sick days in the UK.
To address these issues, she proposed a holistic approach encompassing education, strategic planning, upskilling, and cross-sector learning. Important suggestions included focusing on investments in education, promoting a mindset for growth, and encouraging collaboration between businesses and charities. Concluding with an emphasis on kindness, Professor Hussels called for collective efforts to create a positive work environment.
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
AI Specialist Perspective: Dr. Naveen Thomas discussed the capabilities and risks of AI, highlighting its benefits in summarising knowledge, generating content, and processing data at a faster rate. He also emphasised the need for human intervention, for managing uncertainty, and the security risks associated with AI. During his concluding remarks, Dr Thomas compared the use of AI with having jam on toast for breakfast, highlighting the importance of not having too much jam, similar to how using AI should be approached. You also can't use AI on its own without human intervention, as you wouldn’t eat jam without toast.
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
CEO’s Focus on Training and Development: Salma Ravat, CEO of One Roof Leicester, stressed how important ongoing training and development is for small charities. She highlighted how training equips teams to navigate challenges, remain agile, and respond to emerging issues.
Amanda Tincknell, Cranfield Trust Chief Executive, spoke on our recent Charity Management Matters research report and called on training providers, funders and small charities in the room to collaborate, support, and invest time in training and development despite operating pressures.
We were delighted to hold the discussion in the presence of Cranfield Trust Patron, HRH The Princess Royal. HRH shared her thoughts on the panel at the end of the event, commending the valuable work carried out by individuals and organisations in the voluntary sector and noting the challenges they are facing.
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
The Princess Royal emphasised the importance of important skills development in addressing these challenges. She also spoke about the impact of technology and social media on charities and about the importance of small charities, with their local knowledge and contacts.
Her Royal Highness concluded by urging charities in the room to make use of resources provided by organisations such as Cranfield Trust.
With thanks to our partner, the Masonic Charitable Foundation and Freemasons’ Hall, for their support in hosting this event.
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography
Photo credit: Steve Chick Photography