Charity leaders from across the South congregated at a breakfast event at the Hotel du Vin, Winchester.

The round table discussion, hosted by HWB Chartered Accountants and Charisma Charity Recruitment, delved into prevalent issues and prospects within the charity sector. Director Adam Stacey guided the discussion around challenges such as the cost of living crisis, fundraising difficulties, local government budgets, and discovering new revenue sources.

A diverse range of organisations attended, covering areas like mental health, housing, wildlife preservation and arts provision. The attendees utilised the occasion to air shared difficulties, exchange ideas, expand their network and devise actionable strategies for their respective organisations.

READ MORE: Local food and drink producers network at kitchen firm

Mr Stacey said: "An event like today is an opportunity to get shared learning, peer-to-peer engagement, and collaboration and it is a privilege for the two host organisations to facilitate this type of meeting.

"In the short term we will probably see more charity mergers and acquisitions, as well as collaborations, with people working together to deliver services to the same high standards as in the past.

"However, we have a resilient sector that has stood the test of time and will still be here, committed to delivering the best services that it can within the budgets it has."