Events

Biographies of Speakers - ACFA Conference 2009

Mike Royal

Mike is the National Director of The Lighthouse Group, a Christian charity that works with young people who have been excluded from school or are in crisis in their education.  Among other things he is responsible for building relationships with and fundraising from philanthropists, corporates and other funding bodies for major TLG projects. Having an academic background in urban studies and applied theology, Mike has spent a number of years in pastoral ministry. 

More recently, he has actively engaged senior politicians on school exclusion and acted as an adviser to the police on issues of gangs.  Mike has also been involved in projects to engage the corporate world with the world of marginalised young people. 

Further information at: www.thelighthousegroup.co.uk

Matt Bird

Matt is Director of Make It Happen which works with third sector organisations to turn their ideas into reality through strategic partnerships and powerful communications.  He is also a Director at ABA a brand and marketing agency whose clients have included London Stock Exchange, 2012 Olympics and Yellow Pages, and Director of Matt Bird Tastings – a fine wine events business whose clients include Price Waterhouse Cooper, BHP Billiton and Osborne construction.

Matt is co-founder of Cross Pollinate a funding network that aims to raise £1million for Christian social change charities. 

Further information at: www.makeithappenuk.com; www.crosspollinate.co.uk; www.mattbirdtastings.com

Louis Group

Louis Group UK was founded by the South African Louis family in Stratford-upon-Avon as the European headquarters for their financial services, property and leisure interests. The company now forms part of the Banque Louis group of companies. Opened in 2009, Banque Louis is the first private Swiss bank with African origins

Through 2009, Banque Louis will be developing wealth management products for sale by UK IFAs which will benefit both from the company’s property expertise and the security offered by the backing of the bank.

Louis Group believes passionately in the principle of ‘paying it forward’ and wholly sponsors its Business Academy, offered in conjunction with Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. The Academy draws on the company’s extensive business experience and the University’s academic excellence to foster and encourage entrepreneurial activity among business owners and would-be business owners in the local community.

Built on Christian and family values, the company is active in England, Germany, the Isle of Man and Switzerland.

Further information at: www.louisgroupglobal.com.

Duncan Parker

Duncan Parker is a development professional with a background in leading complex NGOs and private sector organisations. Duncan initially studied Community Development with a focus on developing countries, globalisation and child/youth related issues. Duncan has worked with marginalised immigrants in the United States on employment, gender and social rights issues, followed by two years focused in East Africa running gender, HIV and Micro Credit programmes.

Post Graduate studies followed, specialising in micro credit at the Institute for Development and Management Studies (Manchester University). After returning to the UK, Duncan held a number of appointments before being appointed International Development Director for The Salvation Army, with specific responsibility for Humanitarian Aid, Development, programme support and raising funds for issues relating to justice and social responses.

Duncan moved from the third sector to the Financial Services industry to focus on high social impact investing. His most recent appointment was as Managing Director for an investment house focused on ethical investments particularly impacting food, Agri and Africa, the mandate being high social and financial returns. Duncan has extensive experience of field work in Africa, together with operational responsibility for social development across five continents. His development specialisms include social impact investing, innovative and creative fundraising, micro-credit, gender and child related issues.

Duncan is the Director of Make It* Happen Philanthropy. Duncan is a founder of Croydon Community Against Trafficking (www.theccat.com) and trustee of Stop the Traffik (www.stopthetraffik.org) and takes an active leadership role within his Church.

Further information email: duncanparker@makeithappenuk.com
Tel: +44 (0)7792898247