2nd National Conference on Societal Resilience

We are delighted to announce that the second National Conference on Societal Resilience will take place over two days on March 4 and 5 2024 at the Whitworth Hall, The University of Manchester.

This conference is organised by the National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+] (NCSR+).

This in-person conference will again provide a vital networking forum bringing together partners from policy and practice from across UK+ (including from the public, voluntary and community, and business sectors), to share insights, learn together with likeminded colleagues, and identify collaborative opportunities on how to enhance societal resilience.

Our collective efforts are already making a difference through the work of the NCSR+. But much more can be done to harness momentum and galvanise further collaboration and action on the unique approach to societal resilience that the consortium is co-developing with our partners.

Join us to continue the national conversation on societal resilience and jointly address the following conference topics, and more:

• compassionate leadership for resilience to support the most vulnerable in society
• innovative contributions from the VCSE and business sectors to enhancing societal resilience
• case study successes from across the UK+ and how challenges have been overcome
• emerging lessons from implementing the NCSR+ strategy on societal resilience and wider resilience initiatives (e.g. Stronger LRF programme)
• strategise the future and the next steps for locally shaping societal resilience

Take advantage of early-bird booking up to 22nd December 2023 (subject to availability)

Conference programme

We are preparing the conference programme which will include leading policymakers, practitioners, and resilience experts from multiple sectors. Speakers and panellists already confirmed include:

• Michael West CBE, Professor of Organizational Psychology, Lancaster University Management School and Senior Visiting Fellow, The King’s Fund
• Anna Pashley, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Charity Retail Association
• Jack Snape, Head of Foresight Projects, Government Office for Science
• Michael Adamson CBE, former Chief Executive, British Red Cross
• Paul Phipps-Williams, Head of Local Resilience Delivery, DLUHC
• Joan McCaffrey, Regional Officer, Local Government Civil Contingencies Northern Ireland
• Kelly Smith, Head of Strategic Innovation, Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum
• Robert Bell, Interim Director, VCS Emergencies Partnership

Other compelling voices in societal resilience from national and local government, voluntary and community sector, and business will be announced soon.

Who should attend?

The conference is aimed at all those who have an interest in strategising and working collaboratively to enhance societal resilience.

The conference will focus on the contributions of:

• government, including local resilience partnerships across the UK (Local Resilience Forums, Regional/Local Resilience Partnerships, Emergency Preparedness Groups)
• voluntary and community, including local groups, faith-based organisations, national charities, and social enterprises
• business, including utilities, corporate programmes, and resilience advisors working in communities

Building on the success of 2023

The first National Conference in March 2023 was a great success with over 140 delegates from local resilience partnerships joining senior government figures across two days of networking, keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive workshops on societal resilience.

But don’t just take our word for it, watch the video from the conference:

Getting to Whitworth Hall and staying in Manchester

The conference venue is close to the city centre and easily accessible by bus, car or on foot.

Find out more about more about getting to Whitworth Hall and preferential rates on nearby hotels.

About the National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+]

The NCSR+ was established 'to enhance the UK[+] whole-of-society approach to resilience, so that individuals, groups, organisations, and networks can all play a meaningful part in building the resilience of our society'. The consortium is co-chaired by Alliance Manchester Business School, Suffolk Resilience Forum and Sussex Resilience Forum. Membership of the consortium includes almost all local authorities in the UK along with key resilience partners.

Find out more about the work of the NCSR+.

In association with

Conference organising committee

Conference Chair – Duncan Shaw, Alliance Manchester Business School

Alastair Hinze, Cheshire Resilience Forum
Alex Wood-Davis, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Resilience Forum
Andrew McClelland, Alliance Manchester Business School
Becky Heginbotham-Blount, Suffolk Resilience Forum
Carney Bonner, British Red Cross
Carolyn Otley, Cumbria CVS
Chris Scott, West Sussex County Council
Helen Richards, West Mercia Local Resilience Forum 
Jenny Maskell, Cheshire Resilience Forum
Mark Pape, Northamptonshire Resilience Forum
Róisín Jordan, Alliance Manchester Business School