The organisers of the not-for-profit Social Value Conferences has released a list of those scheduled to speak over the two day event in a combination of in-person and virtual sessions.
Run in partnership with Social Value Portal and the National Social Value Taskforce, this year’s event is designed to provide an in-depth look at the social value economy, following the newly launched white paper on the subject.
Delegates from the public, private and third sectors will be invited to share ideas, examples of best practice and thoughts on what a social value economy looks like. It will also tackle the challenges that social value faces, such as measurement and the provision of evidence, through the wider lens of the economy as a whole.
Noteworthy speakers:
- Alex Norris, shadow minister for Levelling Up
- Tara McGeehan, president of CGI’s UK & Australia Operations
- Martin Esom, CEO, Waltham Forest
- Lindsay Maguire, deputy director, Procurement Reform (Implementation), Cabinet Office
- Sean Haley, CEO, Sodexo UK & Ireland
- John Hayes, head of Supply Chain, NatWest Bank
- Liz Barclay, UK Small Business Commissioner
- Adrian Hawkins, chairman, Herts LEP Skills and Employment
- Martin Traynor OBE, Crown Commissioner, Cabinet Office
- Barry Hooper, chief commercial officer, Head of Profession, Ministry of Justice
- Simon Russian, development director, Redevco
- Jason McEwan, portfolio director, Government Property Agency
- Chris Georgiou, head of Commercial Bids & Proposals, Roche
- Lorraine Cox, director, STAR Procurement
- Darren Knowd, commercial director, Durham County Council
Day One (13 June) of the conference will take place at Church House, Westminster, London. It will kick off on the main stage with Alex Norris, Tara McGeehan, Martin Esom, Campbell MacDonald (social value specialist), Holly Piper (Fair4All Finance) and Guy Battle, (CEO, Social Value Portal) introducing Towards A Social Value Economy: Building the Vision.
Breakout groups will also take place where ideas can be shared on how to improve the societal, environmental and economic challenges faced by communities today in order for everyone to prosper and flourish.
Grace Enterprises and Working Chance will share their inspiring stories to demonstrate how they are already improving prospects for the more disadvantaged in their communities.
The Social Value Awards ceremony, hosted by broadcaster, economist and former politician, Ed Balls,will take place in the evening. A record number of entries were received for the fifth annual awards, which celebrates and recognises the organisations and individuals going above and beyond to deliver added value to their communities.
Day Two (14 June) will explore the power and potential of the business community to deliver social value.
The virtual events will offer a masterclass in social value procurement as well as encouraging some lively debates on topics such as; social value vs CSR, whether social value is working for our third sector, how social value can help to win more work and what radical collaboration looks like.
In light of frequent conversations around accreditation and training, Social Value Portal will also be unveiling its new e-learning platform, the Social Value Academy at the conference.
There will also be industry specific sessions for the construction, FM and investment sectors looking for new ideas to take social value further.
—
Mr Battle said: “From delivering climate justice to engaging with the communities most affected by the cost of living crisis, this year’s conference will be packed with thought provoking speeches, breakout panel discussions and inspiring stories designed to move the Social Value movement forward.
“No matter what stage a delegate is at on their Social Value journey, this year’s conference will provide answers to a number of questions that Social Value Portal and the Social Value Taskforce encounter on a regular basis.
“There will also be opportunities to connect with colleagues and decision makers from all sectors with dedicated networking meet and greet sessions.”
The conference is supported by organisations including; WSP, Deloitte, Sodexo, Compass Group, AWS, CHAS, Faithful+Gould, Vodafone, EQUANS and Charles Russell Speechlys. The Awards have been sponsored by Prologis,GreenZone Cleaning and Support Services, and Royal British Legion Industries.
