September 17, 2024

The Trustees of the BEARR Trust are delighted to invite you to our Annual Conference which will take place on Friday 29 November 2024. The theme will be:

“Civil society innovation in health and social welfare at times of crisis in the BEARR Trust region”. 

The Annual Conference will focus on the strategies which local organisations have developed to meet the challenges they face and how they view their future. 

About the conference

The Annual Conference will take place on Friday 29 November 2024 from 09:30 to 13:30 (London time). It will be a hybrid event with participants joining online via Zoom or in person at Voluntary Action Islington, 200a Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP.  

Our speakers represent civil society organisations from countries throughout the area in which BEARR works, most of which have received grants from The BEARR Trust. 

They will take part in three moderated panel discussions. There will be opportunities for Q&A throughout the conference.  

Simultaneous interpretation into English, Ukrainian, and Russian will be provided for all online participants. 

For participants attending in person, a light lunch will be available from 13:30 to provide an opportunity for networking. 

How to register for the conference 

Please confirm your attendance by booking a ticket on Eventbrite using the links below, based on whether you plan to attend in person or online. Online ticket holders will receive the Zoom link via email the day before the event.

BEARR’s events are open to all and free to attend. However, we are suggesting that participants consider making donations of £20 per person, £10 for students and jobseekers, or more if you are able.

• If you wish to donate but are not eligible for Gift Aid, please make your donation through Eventbrite – this will ensure your registration and you do not need to further register for a free ticket.
• If you wish to donate and are eligible for Gift Aid, please register for a free ticket through Eventbrite and then make your donation via our CAF Donate Page here.
• If you are not able to make a donation, please register for a free ticket on Eventbrite.

All proceeds will support the work of The BEARR Trust. 

Conference programme

Panel 1: Innovation in working with people facing vulnerability and marginalisation  

• Gulrukhsor Abdullaeva, Executive Director, Gulrukhsor, Khujand, Tajikistan
• Armen Alaverdyan, Executive Director, Unison, Yerevan, Armenia 
• Ivan Vostroknutov, Head, Kharkiv City Boxing Club, Kharkiv, Ukraine 

Panel 2: Innovative strategies to maximise civil society impact 

• Iryna Los, Member of the Board and Manager, Open Doors, Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine
• Meerim Osmonalieva, Country Director, Oasis, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• Darya Rybalchenko, Chairman of the Board at the National Network of Local Philanthropy, Kyiv, Ukraine 

Plenary session: Ways forward 

Speakers and participants will discuss how civil society organisations in the region can make further progress. 

If you have any queries about the event, please contact BEARR’s Information and Administration Officer Valdone Sniukaite on info@bearr.org.