Gatherings are more than just a conference – the focus is on meeting people, networking, making friends, hearing from experts – and from those that ‘walk the talk’ – from folk who are all stages of their social accounting and audit journey.

​

SAN arranges the venue, invites speakers, facilitating the conversations and exchanges that happen as folk get together.

​

In recent years we have welcomed speakers from the Centre for Local Economic Studies, The Women’s Organisation, Big Society Capital, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and the Big Lottery, for example….

 

In 2019, we welcomed Liz Tapner of SELNET Lancashire – the 2019 UK’s most influential woman in social enterprise – as our Keynote speaker. Before that we have enjoyed wise words and insights from Jeremy Nicholls, Hazel Blears, and Maggie O’Carroll.

 

In 2020, the Coronavirus Pandemic meant that we could only gather virtually – which we did in October and the full event can be re-watched below or at our You Tube Channel.

 

Watch a presentation by Anne Lythgoe on the role of social accounting and audit in Building Back Better, and case studies of social accounting through the coronavirus pandemic from Matthew Lanham, Penny Anderson and Marie Banu.

 

May 2022 saw SAN return to 54 St James Street Liverpool to discuss ‘Wellbeing and Social Accounting’. With speakers including Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, Rose Marley, CEO of Co-operatives UK and Jacy Stewart, founder of For Business Sake, according to one of our guests, the event showed ‘How broad and valuable the SAN network is’. Participants found out about ‘the importance of socially accounting for all the wonderful things we actually do and enjoyed learning about how other organisations work and are inspiring change.

 

Some of the presentations which were used on the day can be downloaded below:

• Powerpoint slides from the event 

• Colette Humhprey’s presentation on the HACT Wellbeing tool

• Stewart Martin presentation from What Works Centre for Wellbeing

• Andy Biggs’ presentation about use of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 

• Donna Okell UK For Good presentation about B Corps

• Beyond Empower Social Impact report

• Blackburne House Social Impact Report

 

Our 2023 Gathering explored why Social Accounting and Audit can be used to prove what’s so special about a social sector organisation. Hearing the views of experts from the private, public and social sectors,  participants enjoyed detailed discussions about procurement practice, demonstrating social impact to secure investment, and using impact to create a more inclusive economy. We also heard an international perspective from our colleagues from SAN in India, where social accounting as part of impact measurement has really taken off and from the W+ Women’s Empowerment Standard.

 

The keynote speaker was Millie Hawes, a disabled activist, Head of Just Purpose at Fieldfisher LLP, and Trustee of NeuroMuscular Centre. Millie talked about how to build partnerships and collaborative projects with private business, the increasing role of ESG (Environment, Sustainability and Governance) and why social accounting is so important. Millie’s slides are available to download here.