Times like these: Researching civil society responses to and recovery from COVID-19

7 & 8 September 2020 (Free online event)

Join us for our Research Conference ‘Times like these: Researching civil society responses to and recovery from COVID-19’  e-conference on 7 & 8 September 2020. A summary of the programme can be found below, and full details here

In particular, we would like to draw your attention to the excellent mix of speakers we have for our plenary sessions. For our opening plenary, 10:00-11:00 on the 7 September, two speakers will share their thoughts on how we might frame, or conceptualise, civil society responses to Covid-19. Professor Tracey Coule’s (Sheffield Hallam University) talk - ‘Bringing organization back in: Deliberating organizational means and ends in ‘times like these’ – will take a critical look at what has been going on within voluntary organisations, while Chris Dayson’s  (also Sheffield Hallam University) talk -‘Re-making state-civil society relationships during the COVID 19 pandemic?’ – will explore shifting relationships between civil society and the state. For the second day of the conference, our plenary session (10:00-11:00, 8 Sept), will feature a panel discussion with four third sector leaders reflecting on how civil society has responded to COVID 19, and on what the future might hold for civil society in light of COVID 19: Brian Carr, BVSC; Karl Wilding, NCVO; Anna Fowlie, SCVO and  Naser Haghamed, Islamic Relief Worldwide. What a fantastic line up!

We would also like to draw your attention to our two more informal events. To end the first day of the conference (4-5pm, 7 September), you are invited to join the Editors of Voluntary Sector Review to chat about how to get published in the Journal. To end the second day (4-5pm, 8 September) you are invited to join Jon Dean and Alison Body to celebrate the launch of their new books The Good Glow, and Children’s Charities in Crisis, both published by Policy Press. Feel free to bring along a glass of wine, or cup of tea!

And all of this is of course on top of the eight parallel sessions which will run across the two days, bringing together nearly 40 presentations on different aspects of civil society responses to and recovery from Covid-19, with speakers from across the UK and beyond.

You can register to attend the conference here The conference is free to attend, but registration is essential. Shortly before the conference we will send full details of how to access the conference, which will be hosted on zoom webinar, along with the programme, abstracts, and speaker biographies.

We look forward to seeing many of you there! Please do pass this on through your networks.

Day 1: Monday 7 September 2020
10.00 – 11.00	OPENING PLENARY SESSION: FRAMING CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSES TO COVID 19 Speakers: Chris Dayson and Tracey Coule, Sheffield Hallam University
11.00 – 11.30	Morning break
11.30 – 13.00	SESSION 1A: PHILANTHROPY, FUNDRAISING, FUNDING AND COVID-19
	SESSION 1B: VOLUNTEER MOBILISATION IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19: INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL AND LOCAL INSIGHTS
13. 00 - 14.00	Lunch
14.00 – 15.30	SESSION 2A: COMMUNITIES AND MUTUAL AID DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC – CONCEPTUAL INSIGHTS
	SESSION 2B: VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND COVID-19 – MICRO, MESO AND MACRO PERSPECTIVES
16.00- 17.00	VOLUNTARY SECTOR REVIEW: AN INFORMAL SESSION WITH THE EDITORS
Day 2: Tuesday 8 September 2020
10.00 – 11.00	OPENING PLENARY SESSION: EXPERIENCING CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSES TO COVID-19 Speakers: Brian Carr, BVSC; Karl Wilding, NCVO; Anna Fowlie, SCVO &  Naser Haghamed, Islamic Relief Worldwide
11.00 – 11.30	Morning break
11.30 – 13.00	SESSION 3A: VOLUNTEERING EXPERIENCES DURING COVID-19: INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANISATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND IMPLICATIONS
	SESSION 3B: CIVIL SOCIETY AND COVID-19: CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
13. 00 - 14.00	Lunch
14.00 – 15.30	SESSION 4A: VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND COVID-19 – MICRO, MESO AND MACRO PERSPECTIVES
	SESSION 4B: COMMUNITIES AND MUTUAL AID DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC – INSIGHTS FROM THE FRONTLINE
16.00- 17.00	BOOK LAUNCH: CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF ALISON BODY’S CHILDREN’S CHARITIES IN CRISIS AND JON DEAN’S THE GOOD GLOW, BOTH FROM POLICY PRESS