“If I can do it, so can you!” – day 1 at the Institute of Fundraising North East Conference

I do like Newcastle. Everyone is so friendly, and the bridges over the Tyne are such a great sight when you arrive by train. But anyway. This isn't a TripAdvisor review. It's just that I jumped at the chance of coming to the Institute of Fundraising North East region's conference as a delegate, continuing my mini-tour of regional fundraising conferences. This, here, is my write up of day 1. Most of the tweets shown here are threads, which means that if you click through to them, you can get a fuller picture of each of the presentations featured. The keynote speaker, Professor Sue Black, was wonderful. Wise, inspirational, self-effacing, open, and warm. "If I can do it, so can you.""I was quite geeky from an early age."Kicking off #NEFRConf19 is @Dr_Black talking about her inspiring journey to being one of the top women in tech in Europe. pic.twitter.com/qoAMYofbnK— Richard Sved (@richardsved) September 23, 2019 I loved her honest story about how she became one of the top women in tech in Europe. It was about finding your passion, and being ready to back yourself in pursuit of it. Professor Black was a leading figure in the campaign to save Bletchley Park, and has worked to encourage women and girls into tech. Both campaigns are awe-inspiring and with immediate relevance to those of us working in fundraising. Tell your story, get people to share your passions, and change lives while you're at it. Next up, I headed to hear Claire Warner talking about the resul