Representing civil society during party conference season

We all know that politics is changing and evolving, and quickly. For our members and wider civil society, that brings both uncertainty and opportunity.

Our new strategy sets out a clear mission - to create the conditions for civil society to thrive. Part of achieving that is strengthening the sector’s influence. We believe to do that it is vital all political parties understand the value our sector brings, that they understand how best to work with civil society to tackle big issues, and that civil society understands the priorities of each of the parties.

That’s why we'll will be at every major party conference this autumn; Conservative, Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Reform.

Making sure civil society is heard

Our role at each conference is to make sure that voice is heard by the right people, in the right places, where decisions are being shaped.

That means building relationships across the political spectrum (nationally and locally), bringing evidence and insight into policy debates, and identifying the moments where NCVO can make a difference.

Party conferences are an important part of that, because they give us the opportunity to:

• Listen and understand: We’ll be hearing directly from politicians, policymakers and people working across civil society about the issues shaping the political agenda, and identifying what that could mean in practice for charities and voluntary organisations.
• Build relationships: Good influencing is built on relationships over time, not just at moments when we need something. We’ll be strengthening connections across the political spectrum and with people who can help shape the decisions that affect civil society.
• Identify opportunities to influence: Conferences provide a unique window into the priorities, ideas and debates that could shape future policy, especially as we look ahead of a general election in a few years’ time. We’ll be looking for opportunities where NCVO’s evidence, expertise and convening role can make a difference now and in the lead up.
• Bring intelligence back into the sector: What we hear won’t stay at conference. It'll feed into our policy, research, public affairs and communications work, helping us respond quickly to changes in the political environment and make better decisions about where and how we use our influence. We’ll also share what we hear with members so they can make the most of what we learned too.

Through this work, we will be building our understanding of the evolving political landscape, identifying windows of opportunity, listening, and connecting the right people at the right times.

We know that being in the room matters, but what matters more is what we do with the access we have, and can create, for our members.

We want to turn relationships and intelligence into opportunities to influence policy, make the case for civil society and secure better outcomes for the sector.

In the long term, how we'll judge the success of our influencing isn't by how many conference receptions we attend or how many politicians we meet, but by whether our work contributes to a stronger, more resilient, influential and more connected civil society.

We’ll share what we hear at the end of conference season and respond to relevant announcements as they happen.

If you're also planning to be at any of this year’s party conferences and would like to connect with the NCVO team while you're there, contact jo.reilly@ncvo.org.uk.