Charity leaders and trustees from across Northern Ireland are being invited to put their fraud defences to the test at a unique new event designed to expose just how easily organisations can become vulnerable to fraud, governance failures and cybercrime.
Protecting Every Pound, hosted by HM Chartered Accountants in partnership with the Fraud Advisory Panel, will take place at The MAC Belfast on Friday 16 October 2026.
Rather than a traditional conference, the event will put delegates directly into realistic situations where they will have to make decisions, identify warning signs and consider how their own organisation would respond when something goes wrong.
The morning will include an interactive forensic investigation led by Barry O’Donnell of HM Chartered Accountants. The Board Meeting: Could It Happen Here? will place attendees in the trustee’s seat as they follow a developing fraud scenario and see how apparently reasonable decisions can contribute to serious financial and governance failures.
The PSNI Cyber Crime Team will also bring its Cyber Escape Room to the event, challenging teams to work against the clock to identify threats, recognise scams and experience some of the techniques criminals use to target organisations.
Real-world insight will come from Catherine Gleeson, Head of Internal Audit & Investigations at Concern Worldwide, and Daniela Rea, Internal Audit Manager, who will share lessons learned from their work in internal audit and investigations within the charity sector.
Angela Craigan and Jane Fyffe of HM Chartered Accountants will then focus on what organisations can do differently, examining the questions trustees should be asking, the warning signs boards should not ignore and practical governance measures that can help protect charitable funds.
Barry O’Donnell, Associate Partner, HM Chartered Accountants commented
“Every pound entrusted to a charity matters, and protecting those funds is ultimately about more than having the right policies sitting on a shelf.
Fraud, cybercrime and governance failures can develop in ways that are surprisingly difficult to spot until an organisation is already dealing with the consequences.
“We wanted Protecting Every Pound to be different. Rather than simply telling trustees and charity leaders what the risks are, we are going to put them into situations where they must spot the warning signs, make decisions and ask themselves a very important question: could this happen in our organisation?
Our aim is that everyone leaves with practical questions and actions they can take straight back to their next board meeting.”
The event will conclude with The Trustee Takeaway, giving attendees a practical set of questions and actions to take back to their organisations.
Protecting Every Pound takes place from 9.00am–12.30pm on Friday 16 October 2026 at The MAC Belfast.
Places are limited and advance registration is required.