Join us at the NAVCA Annual Conference 2025 in Sheffield to explore the power of local infrastructure, with speakers and workshop hosts exploring the role of NAVCA members in communities, partnerships, inclusion and more.

Through exploring and developing ideas around different topics, attendees will have the opportunity to share knowledge, learn from others, and leave feeling equipped and inspired to take action. The workshop themes cover a broad range of job roles, and we encourage NAVCA members to bring their teams to make the most of your membership and develop skills across your organisation.

Our keynote speaker will be Adam Lent, Senior Consultant, The King’s Fund. We will hear from Adam about the practice of 'withism' - the rapidly developing efforts in the public and voluntary sectors to move from a 'do to' approach to a 'do with' approach. He will detail some of the most radical and impactful innovations in this area and draw out the key underpinning principles that can be applied in different contexts. In our closing session, join Sandra Meadows MBE (NAVCA Chair), Maddy Desforges OBE (NAVCA CEO), and guests, for a conversation about the power of local infrastructure - bring your questions and reflections from the day to get the most out of this session. 

Throughout the day, we will be exploring the questions and themes:

• Bored on board? How can we engage trustees in infrastructure from the outset? 
• How can we use AI ethically and effectively to support the voluntary sector?
• How do we respond with and for communities at times of crisis? 
• How can we reframe conversations and build confidence in networking?
• What are the fundamentals of branding or rebranding for local infrastructure organisations?
• How do we engage most effectively with devolved authorities?
• How does emotional intelligence help us in our professional lives?
• How can local infrastructure organisations diversify their income streams?
• How can we strengthen diverse VCSE-ICB partnerships in the shift to communities?
• How do we include people who have been marginalised from volunteering?
• Learning from research: What is the power of local infrastructure? 

Registration opens from 9am, and the conference will begin at 10:30am. Please arrive on time - cloakroom facilities and refreshments are available throughout the day. The conference will finish at 4pm. 

We will have a quiet room available for anyone who needs it, for example for prayer. If you will need exclusive use of the room at any time throughout the day, please inform us in advance when you book your ticket, or let a NAVCA member of staff know on the day.

You can view and download the full programme here.

The venue

The NAVCA conference will be held at the Charles Street Building at Sheffield Hallam University, which is just a short walk from Sheffield train station. There will be multiple spaces for networking throughout the day, with lunch and refreshments included in your ticket price. You can find more information about transport and hotels in the conference programme.

Networking Dinner with Fair Collective, 7pm, Wednesday 14th May 2025

We provide a social space for all conference attendees to meet other NAVCA members the evening before the conference. This year, we're hosting a Networking Dinner at Showroom Cinema, which is just a short walk from Sheffield train station. This will be an informal networking event, with a hot meal included in your ticket price. We'd like to invite everyone to join us at this event, to meet the NAVCA staff team and socialise with other members. The Networking Dinner is sponsored by Fair Collective.

CEOs' Breakfast, 9am, Thursday 15th May 2025

Join us to network with other NAVCA member CEOs over a cup of tea before the conference. We are hosting a Breakfast for CEOs, providing you with a further opportunity to network ahead of the conference, at the conference venue. Tickets include a hot breakfast roll, a pastry, a selection of fresh fruit and a cup of tea or coffee. The breakfast will take place from 9am to around 10:15am (the first keynote speech is at 10:30am). 

Ticket types

Early Bird Ticket - Save £10 per ticket when you book early! This ticket is one general admission to the NAVCA conference, for staff working at a NAVCA member organisation. This includes lunch and refreshments. 

NAVCA Member Ticket - one general admission to the NAVCA conference, for staff working at a NAVCA member organisation. This includes lunch and refreshments.

Group ticket: Save £5 per ticket when you book for three people from the same organisation to attend the conference. Please note, the three ticket holders must be employed by the same organisation for this ticket to be valid. We will issue refunds if tickets are purchased for people from multiple organisations.

Stakeholder or Partner Ticket - one general admission to the NAVCA conference for non-members. 

CEOs Breakfast Ticket - one general admission to the CEOs' Networking Breakfast at Sheffield Hallam University, in the morning of the conference on 15th May 2025. Please note, this ticket must be purchased in addition to a general conference admission ticket. 

Networking Dinner Ticket - one general admission to the NAVCA Networking Dinner, sponsored by Fair Collective. This event is for NAVCA members only.

Our conference is kindly sponsored by Ladbrook Insurance, plinth, TeamKinetic, Qlic IT, VSL Learning and Sheffield Hallam University. Our sponsors help us make the conference as accessible as possible to members.

Cancellation policy:

A booking may be transferred to another person from your organisation at no additional cost. Please notify us of the change no later than 11am on Thursday 8th May 2025, including any accessibility or dietary requirements for the new attendee.

Cancellations requested up to 28 days in advance (no later than 11am on Thursday 17th April 2025), are eligible for a refund, minus a £10 administration charge per ticket. Cancellations requested after this date are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel or change a booking please contact comms@navca.org.uk as soon as possible.