Welcome to the Community Governance Leadership Summit 2026

We are pleased to announce the Community Governance Leadership Summit 2026, building on the strong engagement and positive feedback received from our Community Governance Conference held in 2023.

Following the success of the 2023 conference, where community leaders highlighted the value of accessible, practical, and culturally responsive governance discussions, United Care Trust is excited to bring this next summit to the Wellington region. The 2026 summit continues our commitment to strengthening governance capability across ethnic and community organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand.

About the Summit

The Community Governance Leadership Summit 2026 is a high‑level forum bringing together community leaders and board members from ethnic organisations, societies, associations, and the not‑for‑profit sector.

Community organisations play a vital role in supporting people, fostering social cohesion, and delivering services at a grassroots level. Many of these organisations are governed by volunteer boards operating in increasingly complex environments, balancing governance responsibilities, compliance requirements, funding pressures, and long‑term sustainability.

This summit provides a structured, inclusive, and forward‑looking space to reflect on governance practice, share lived experience, and engage with system‑level perspectives that influence community leadership and decision‑making.

Programme Overview

The summit will be delivered through three facilitated panel sessions:

- Governance Support and Training

This session focuses on strengthening governance capability across community and not‑for‑profit organisations. Discussion will centre on governance awareness, best practice, and practical approaches that support effective, responsible, and sustainable boards.

- Community Board Chairs Panel

This session brings together community board chairs to share experience and insight. The discussion will explore common governance challenges, opportunities for improvement, and lessons learned from leading volunteer‑based and community‑led organisations.

- System‑Level Perspectives

This high‑level session offers broader system perspectives on community governance. It will explore priority areas for community leadership, opportunities to strengthen governance capability, and future directions to support long‑term, community‑led work.

Hosted by United Care Trust

📅 Date: Friday, 18 July 2026 

⏰ Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Guest arrivals from 1:45 pm) 📍 

Venue: The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt 

🎟️ Cost: Free event (limited seats)

Who Should Attend

This summit is designed for senior community leadership and governance roles, including:

• Executive      Committee Members
• Community      Leaders
• Board      Members
• Advisory      Board Members

Attendance & Eligibility

✅ This is a free event ⚠️Seats are limited

Due to venue capacity and the nature of the discussions, attendance is limited to executive committee members, community leaders, and board or advisory board members. Early registration is recommended once registrations open.

Contact

For enquiries or further information about the Community Governance Leadership Summit 2026:

Dr. Junaid Qureshi Summit Chair 

📧 info@unitedcare.org.nz 

🌐 www.unitedcaretrust.org.nz