ACO Annual Conference: 17 September 2026

Stronger together, shaping the future of charity support

On 17 September, colleagues from across the charitable financial and wellbeing support sector came together at BMA House, London, for the ACO Annual Conference 2026. Supported by CCLA, this year’s theme asked a simple but important question: what does it mean to be stronger together, and how do we shape what comes next?

The answer, as it turned out, was in the room.

Setting the scene

Donal Watkin, Chief Executive of ACO, opened the day by asking delegates to think about what it means to be ready for what’s next. Not just as individual organisations, but as a sector. It was a question that threaded through everything that followed.

The big conversations

A panel chaired by Jodie Gill, ACO Chair, brought together Lewis Allett (Chief Executive, Cavell), Pauline Matheson-Marks (Head of National Support Services, MND Association), Marc Evans (Chief Executive, The Fishermen’s Mission) and Sarah Davies (Director of Charitable Services, Clergy Support Trust) to explore what the next era of charity support might look like. The conversation ranged across shifting beneficiary needs, the pressure on services, and the ways organisations are adapting without losing what makes them effective.

Jamie Scudamore, Head of Partner Relations at the No. 10 Partnerships Unit, joined us to unpack what the Civil Society Covenant means in practice for charities, a session that generated plenty of discussion about what stronger government and sector collaboration could look like.

Elizabeth Anderson, Chief Executive of the Digital Poverty Alliance, brought a timely challenge: as services move online, how do we make sure no one gets left behind? Her session on keeping support accessible in a digital world was a reminder that innovation has to work for everyone, not just those who can access it.

New research, launched live

One of the day’s standout moments was the launch of new research exploring the emotional toll of beneficiary-facing roles in charities. Presented by Claire Wornham-Fellows, Business Development Manager at Rightsteps, and Dr Evgenia Stefanopoulou, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Turning Point, the findings shone a light on the people behind the support and what organisations need to do to look after them.

The future of the sector

Breakout discussions gave delegates the chance to dig into the future beneficiary in smaller groups, sharing what they’re seeing on the ground and what that means for how support is designed and delivered.

A panel featuring Matt Adams (Head of Division, TPP), Suzie Dawes (Head of People and Culture, caba), Polly Trenow (Co-head of Programmes, Turn2us) and Stuart Rivers (Chief Executive, Merchant Navy Welfare Board) then explored how charities are building the workforce they’ll need tomorrow, from recruitment and retention to culture and leadership.

Andrew Robinson MBE, Head of Market Development at CCLA, closed the formal programme with a session on how charities can make their reserves work harder. Practical, clear, and well-timed.

Celebrating the sector

The day ended with the 2026 ACO Annual Awards ceremony, sponsored by Family Fund Business Services, recognising the people and organisations doing outstanding work across the sector. Full details of the winners can be found here.

Thank you

A day like this only works because of the people in it. Thank you to our speakers, our sponsors, our exhibitors, and everyone who made the journey to BMA House. The conversations, connections and shared learning across the day were a reminder of exactly why this network matters.

Presentations from the day are available below.