The BEARR Trust Annual Conference 2026

Register to attend The BEARR Trust 2026 Annual Conference in person or online on 20 November at Voluntary Action Islington. The BEARR Trustees warmly invite you to attend our Annual Conference on Friday 20 November at Voluntary Action Islington in London or online. This year’s theme will be: "Prevention of violence against women and girls in Eastern Europe and Central Asia" This theme mirrors that of our Small Grants Scheme this year, through which we fund partner organisations across the region working directly on this issue. BEARR frontline partners will join other specialists to consider what practical steps can be taken to prevent gender-based violence. Two moderated panel discussions will explore the balance between addressing the causes of violence and supporting those who have already experienced harm – and ask whether progress across the region is advancing or being lost. There will be opportunities for questions throughout. Full details of the speakers and programme will follow. Please register by selecting either a donation ticket or a free ticket. Please support BEARR’s work To ensure the conference is accessible to all, there is no charge to register and attend. However, if you can, please consider making a voluntary donation of £25 per person (or any amount that you wish to give) when registering. Your donation will help BEARR support grassroots organisations working to prevent violence against women and girls and assist survivors. Their work includes providing shelter, legal advice and counselling, as well as challenging the attitudes and conditions that allow violence to persist. It will also support BEARR’s wider work strengthening civil society across Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. BEARR is a small charity, and every donation helps local organisations continue serving their communities. Programme 09:00 Registration in London 09:30 Introduction to BEARR, conference format and themes 09:40 Keynote presentation by Prof Marianna Muravyeva, University of Helsinki, Finland. 10:05 Panel 1: Progression or regression? • Halyna Skipalska, Country Director in Ukraine, HealthRight International, Ukraine • Victoria Fletcher MBE, Chair of Board of Trustees, Women’s Centre “Gulrukhsor” UK, Tajikistan • Nurdin Satarov, Project Manager, Resource Centre for Elderly, Kyrgyzstan 11:40 Panel 2: Prevention or cure? • Veronica Teleucă, Co-founder and Strategic Director, First Feminist Moldovan Fund, Moldova • Lyubov Maksymovych, Director, Women’s Perspective, Ukraine • Nare Hovhannisyan, President, Center for Legal Initiatives, Armenia 13:00 Conference round-up by journalist Anna Bowles 13:30 Online conference ends. Light lunch in London Attending the conference The conference will be held at Voluntary Action Islington, 200a Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP, with online participation via Zoom. For online attendees, Zoom link will be sent closer to the event. When registering, please indicate whether you will be attending in person or online. In-person attendees should arrive at 9.00 for registration. A light lunch and an opportunity for networking will follow at 13.30. Simultaneous interpretation into Ukrainian and Russian will be available online only. If you have any queries about the event, please contact BEARR's Programme Manager Valdone Sniukaite on [email protected]. About The BEARR Trust The BEARR Trust is a UK-based, English-registered charity that has been supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus for 30 years. Since 2022, The BEARR Trust has responded to the devastating impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine by supporting grassroots efforts to support the most vulnerable affected by the war. Find out more about BEARR’s work on their website.