Facing the Future: Perspectives on Public Services

Across the nations of the UK, Public Services are facing increasingly significant and diverse challenges. All are welcome to register for this online event, where three respected speakers will discuss these issues together and offer their insights, before taking questions from the audience.

The event will be chaired by Ann Packard, a former Trustee of the RSA. Ann, with Dr Eric Carlin and Amy McPherson, Fellowship Engagement Manager, are the RSA Team Scotland and part of Northern England.

Speakers

Lynne Hendry

As an Educationalist and Public Health professional, Lynn has worked for over 20 years in and with the not-for-profit sector. She has experience of Local and Scottish Government and within the Health Sector. She has led policy development for Education, Enterprise Education and Health Promotion. She works for The Hunter Foundation, a venture philanthropy investor, managing a portfolio of partnership investments focussed on Public Service Reform, Education, Leadership and Child Poverty.

Katie Kelly

RSA Fellow Katie Kelly is the Chair and Non Executive Director of *New Local, an independent national think tank and network of public sector bodies with a mission to transform public services and unlock community power. She is an affiliate at Nurture Development, a Solace Associate, Executive Coach, Mentor and Strategic Advisor. She is the former Deputy Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council where she developed and led the unique and nationally acclaimed Vibrant Communities approach. She has recently retired following a career of over 30 years in the public, health and communities sectors. Katie is passionate about working alongside people and communities, reducing inequalities, servant and collaborative leadership, coaching and helping to make a positive and lasting difference to people’s lives. Katie provides executive coaching and leadership mentoring for colleagues from across the public and third sectors and acts a as critical friend and facilitator for senior leadership teams. Across the UK and Europe Katie is a champion for Community Power, Community Wealth Building and Public Service Transformation, and is a regular chair, contributor and panel member at national conferences and a member of Expert Advisory Groups.

Dr Jim McCormick

Dr Jim McCormick is Chief Executive of The Robertson Trust, an independent grant-making charity which funds, supports and influences solutions to poverty and trauma across Scotland. He will specifically speak to ‘Shifting ways of working across public services to drive out poverty’. He joined the Trust in 2020. He is a member of the Living Wage Commission and co-Chair of Highland Poverty and Equality Commission (2025-26). Previously he was Associate Director Scotland with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2017-20), ran an independent research consultancy and was Director of the Scottish Council Foundation think-tank. He has chaired the Disability and Carers Benefits Advisory Group reporting to the Scottish Social Security Minister, the Edinburgh Poverty Commission and been a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC), which scrutinises the Department for Work and Pensions ’GB regulations. In 2018 he was a travelling Churchill Fellow looking at the impact of mentoring programmes for children and young people facing disadvantage in the USA, Canada and New Zealand.

Taking part in Online Events

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Please be aware that registrations will close two hours before the event is due to start.