The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 15: Spring 2020 | Page 7

The Exhibition The Exhibition element of the day opened at 9am with 38 exhibitors from both the Not- For-Profit and business world. Exhibitors included, Designability, Bike the UK for MS, We Get It, Genesis Trust, Foodcycle, Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society, Jamie’s Farm, Metro Bank, Wessex Water, University of Bath and Dotty Ink. Julie Cooper, Marketing & Media POSITIVE BUSINESS Manager for the Army Parachute Association and Skydive Netheravon exhibited on the day. She said, “A huge thank you to Anita for organising such a brilliant Charity Conference and Expo. It’s a great concept and a brilliant opportunity to put people with like-minded aims in one place. I made some great connections which are already bearing fruit!” THE SEMINARS The first educational seminar of the conference was hosted by Quartet Community Foundation which showcased the findings of its Vital Signs report showing the real issues charities and our not-for-profit community services are facing. Claire Wynne Hughes from the Quartet Community Foundation, said, “With so many organisations participating, it was an excellent opportunity to learn from others, to share our Vital Signs research, to talk about our Philanthropy Services and grant making, to catch up with existing contacts and make new connections.” James Carlin, Director, 3SG (Third Sector Group for B&NES) also hosted a seminar session. He said, “The South West Charity conference was a good opportunity to meet new charities and social enterprises from across the region. Nathan Baranowski, OJO Solutions and Steve Fuller, The House I gave a talk on local sources of support and received a number of new partnership opportunities as a result.” Gill Freeman, Head of Charity and Not-for-Profit at Milsted Langdon, added, “The South West Charity Conference 2020 was excellent. It’s been a pleasure to be part of such a significant event for the third sector – from being on the panel at the networking Q&A with Dorothy House, to presenting my own seminar on Financial FAQs – it’s an incredible forum that brings together a likeminded community looking to explore opportunities and share best practice. “It was great to see some of my charity clients enjoying the day and was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with new contacts. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event.” The Naturally Social team Fellow sponsor of the conference, Mark Bradbury, Head of Employee Benefits at Fidelius, commented, “We’ve seen great things come from collaboration; to assist in facilitating a space where businesses and charities can engage productively is a pleasure. It was superb to meet so many people who actively make a positive impact on our community. Their passion and drive is evident and infectious.” The Business Exchange would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in making the second South West Charity Conference a success. A special thank you to Naturally Social who managed the day’s social media and to Loraine Morgan Brinkhurst of Morgan Brinkhurst Consultancy who welcomed all event delegates. James Carlin, 3SG Following excellent feedback, we will be organising the conference and expo again next year. To register your interest in the 2021 South West Charity Conference email: [email protected] Proudly sponsored by: THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2020 7