DIGITAL GOODY BAG
Charity Learning Conference & Awards
Thursday 20th November 2025
Charity Learning Awards 2025
These awards honour the outstanding work of learning and development practitioners in the third sector. Congratulations to this years winners!
- Outstanding Dedication: Liz Sheeran
- Rising Star of L&D: Louisa Merchant-Locke
- L&D Professional of the Year: Claire Pulman
- L&D Team of the Year: LDN London
- Excellence in Mentoring: Andrea Varga
- Community Champion: Joe Brooks
Topics that Martin mentioned in his opening session:
Charity Mentoring Network
A community platform that connects organisations, staff and volunteers together.
Charity Learning Leaders
A dedicated community for learning leaders within third sector organisations.
London Members’ Meeting
Register for our next London event on Tuesday 24th March 2026.
Charity Essentials
We’ve created a range of eLearning courses as part of our new Charity Essentials series.
Please speak to your Membership Manager to find out more.
AI British Sign Language
Introducing the Digital Signer, a game-changing tool that adds BSL translation to video content quickly and affordably.
Continue the conversations…
Charity Learning WhatsApp group
We’ve created a dedicated WhatsApp group exclusively for our members, providing you with an easy and accessible way to stay connected and engaged.
Join here
Connect with Martin on LinkedIn
Martin is highly active on LinkedIn and regularly shares posts about L&D and Consortium-related topics He’d love to connect with you!
Connect here
The Charity Mentoring Network is centred around a community platform that connects organisations, staff and volunteers together, so that they can support one another by sharing their knowledge and expertise.
Join the next virtual coffee morning to find out more about the network and how to get involved.
DEI Hard: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Explained
| Shakil Butt
Shakil explored some of the key themes from his brand-new book, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Explained. This fantastic guide demystifies EDI and shows how to turn good intentions into meaningful, everyday action.
In this engaging session, Shakil unpacked what EDI really means in practice and why it’s vital to creating workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Use code CLC30 for 30% off.
Skills for a Thriving Planet: How HR and L&D Can Drive Sustainability
| Natalie Ainsworth
From your team to your whole organisation, you hold the key to turn sustainability from a buzzword into real behaviour change.
This session explored how HR and L&D teams can embed sustainable mindsets and behaviours throughout the employee lifecycle
Drawing on her expertise in L&D and Sustainable Development, Natalie helps people professionals understand what sustainability means in practice. She shared practical ways to embed sustainability thinking into L&D strategies, enabling HR and learning professionals to drive behaviour change that
benefits individuals, organisations, and the planet.
There were plenty of “aha” moments, actionable takeaways, and ideas to use immediately – all designed to make learning (and sustainability) stick.
Building Tomorrow’s Skills in Today’s Charities
| Andy Lancaster
Andy facilitated a roundtable exploring the skills that matter most for the charity sector, where current gaps exist, and how we might take creative steps to build a future-fit workforce.
Together, we considered which future skills the sector may be overlooking in light of our values, mission, and culture. We also reflected on whether any key capabilities are missing from the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025. Finally, we explored innovative ways to help these skills flourish within different organisational contexts.
The session sparked rich discussion and generated some excellent insights and ideas. Andy will be drawing on the findings to develop practical resources for the sector, including a white paper.
How Clear Goals Prove L&D’s Value
| Gill Chester, Little Man Project
Gill led an inspiring and motivating session on the power of clear goals to measure impact, demonstrate value, and protect budgets. She highlighted that it’s not enough to do good work in the shadows – impact needs to be seen to be recognised. The discussion explored three key stages:
- Identify the problem: Only by understanding the challenge can we define the right solution.
- Design the solution: Be clear about where you want to get to and how you’ll get there.
- Report the impact: Share outcomes and evidence the difference being made.
The session offered valuable insights and left members motivated to make their impact more visible and compelling.
Links Gill referenced:
Mentoring Matters: Unlocking Potential Through Connection
| Dani Saadu
In this interactive session, Dani shared insights into how mentoring has transformed his career and can impact individuals, teams, and organisations. We explored why mentoring is an enjoyable and effective learning method, plus its role in driving engagement, change, and inclusion, especially in the charity sector.
Together, we distinguished mentoring from coaching and other forms of development, highlighting how L&D professionals can utilise mentoring to unlock potential.
Members also took part in an energising Speed Mentoring activity, connecting, sharing skills, and identifying support areas.
We’d be so grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to share your experience with us on Google.
Your review not only helps us improve, but also helps other charities discover the benefits of joining the Consortium. Thank you for your support, it really makes a difference!
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CL Consortium Ltd
Vine House, Selsley Road,
Stroud, GL5 5NN
The Charity Mentoring Network: A community platform that connects organisations, staff and volunteers together.
