Beyond the horizon: leading civil society’s next chapter

There comes a point in leadership where experience stops being the constraint and starts becoming the lens through which you see what others can’t. This is a space designed for that moment.

Beyond the horizon brings together a small group of highly experienced civil society CEOs to step out of the immediate pressures of their roles and engage with a more strategic, future-facing set of questions:

• what is really shifting in the sector?
• where are current models reaching their limits?
• what kind of leadership will be required for what comes next?

It is deliberately reflective rather than reactive – creating space to think at depth, alongside similarly experienced peers, in a way that the pressures of day-to-day leadership rarely allow.

This session is for CEOs with at least eight years’ experience in any civil society CEO role who are ready to think beyond organisational problem-solving and engage with the wider system. It will resonate with leaders who recognise that many of the sector’s most pressing challenges – funding, power, legitimacy, and workforce – cannot be solved within organisational boundaries alone.

If you are looking for practical tools, operational insight, or passive learning, this is not that space.

Instead, this is a curated, high-trust environment where peers can speak candidly about what is often left unsaid, test emerging thinking, and explore their role not just as organisational leaders, but as actors within a broader ecosystem.

You can expect a facilitated, discussion-led experience with no panels or presentations – just depth. Through a series of structured conversations, you will surface the unspoken tensions shaping civil society, explore where system-level innovation is overdue, and reflect on how leadership itself must evolve in response.

Alongside a carefully selected peer group of no more than 15 leaders, you will be challenged to rethink assumptions, reconnect with your influence beyond your organisation, and identify a small number of meaningful shifts in how you lead. You will leave with sharper strategic awareness, a renewed sense of agency, and relationships that extend beyond the room.

This event is proudly supported by Ansvar Insurance, who are generously hosting participants and will provide a networking lunch afterwards.

To express your interest in this free event, please complete the application form via the link below. Places are limited and selection will be based on:

• indication of personal reflection across question set
• diversity of perspective across the cohort
• mix of sub-sectors
• indication to engage beyond organisational thinking

Successful applicants will receive:

• short note explaining why they were selected

• clear expectations around contribution and confidentiality

• pre-session reflection prompt, in order to deepen the conversation from the outset.

Deadline: the deadline for applications is 8 June 2026. Applicants will be informed whether their application has been successful by 25 June 2026.

The event will be hosted by our partner, Ansvar Insurance, at Benefact Group, 24 Monument Street, London, EC3R 8AJ

Sponsor

Speaker

Jane Ide OBE

CEO, ACEVO

Jane Ide OBE

CEO, ACEVO

Jane joined ACEVO in May 2022. She previously headed up Creative and Cultural Skills, working to create fair and inclusive opportunities within the creative and cultural sectors. Before that, she spent four years as CEO of NAVCA, where she led the transformation of the national membership body for local voluntary sector infrastructure organisations in England.  She has leadership and communications experience in both the voluntary and public sectors and a genuine commitment to delivering a valuable and impactful experience for members.