Wide range of hot topics at Association of Provincial Bursars Annual Conference and AGM

The Association of Provincial Bursars have held their annual Conference and AGM. The Association of Provincial Bursars was set up in 1982 by religious bursars for religious bursars and exists for the support of its members in their various stewardship roles in Religious Institutes.

“We were very pleased to be able to meet in person this year for the Association of Provincial Bursars (APB) Annual Conference and AGM 2021. There were around 140 delegates in attendance and it was a very successful event,” Eileen Head, General Secretary told www.thecatholicnetwork.co.uk

All the presentations were chosen to inform, interest and assist the members with their stewardship duties. The Conference opened with the Keynote speaker, Dr Catherine Cowley, Religious of the Assumption, talking on ‘Investing for the kingdom and the bursar’s mission in the 21st century’.

This was followed by Dr Emma Gardner, Head of Environment, Diocese of Salford with her colleague Dr Roland Daw of St Mary’s University, talking about Net-Zero emissions for Catholic properties and their new Guardians of Creation project.

Other topics covered included employment law update, disaster planning, risk assessment and continuity of business, updates on Immigration law and the new Catholic safeguarding system post-Elliott and investing in line with Catholic social teaching and cyber security.

“For the professional Friends of APB we held a Market Place over two extended lunch periods and this allowed them to have informal but constructive talks with the members,” said Eileen.

A conference highlight was an Open Forum Panel with solicitor Tim Rutherford of Stone King and accountant Amanda Francis of Buzzacott, both answering the members’ questions.

The final session was Dr Carmody Grey’s talk on ‘What’s faith got to do with it? Ecological conversion and the role of faith communities’.

“As one member put it “It was providential that she [Dr Grey] was the final speaker as it brought us to a different level,” said Eileen.

“It was necessary and good to look at the practicalities of being a bursar but Dr Carmody gave it another dimension, one that was scripture based, one that touched hearts with its sincerity and call to action.

“All in all a great conference and we are looking forward to and preparing for the next one”.

You can find out more about the work of the Association of Provincial Bursars at: https://www.apbursars.org.uk

Story by Joseph Kelly of www.thecatholicnetwork.co.uk