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We are driving positive change by developing, connecting and empowering leaders in the voluntary and community Sector.

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Shaping Leaders for Positive Change

We cultivate inspirational, innovative, and highly skilled leaders who can drive positive change and make a significant impact across society.  

We build capacity in the voluntary and community sector, to ensure a thriving sector driving positive change and delivering outstanding impact in our society. 

 CO3 is a membership organisation that represents chief officers, senior managers, and trustees of community and voluntary organisations and social enterprises across Northern Ireland. With 900 members, we provide a wide range of leadership development programmes designed to build leadership capacity, enhance skills, and facilitate peer learning opportunities. Our services include training, mentoring, networking events, policy advocacy, and governance support. 

Learn

Do you want to expand your knowledge or sharpen your skills?

Connect

Build meaningful relationships, share experiences, and collaborate with fellow leaders.

Influence

Shape the conversation, champion your cause, and engage with key decision-makers.

Support

Access guidance, resources, and a community that empowers you to overcome challenges and thrive in your leadership journey.

Upcoming Events & Programmes

Learn

Training Session

18/11/2026

Enniskillen – Financial Resilience for Small Charities

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Learn

Training Session

25/11/2026

Menopause Inclusive Workplace Accreditation: Free Information Session

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Learn

Training Session

01/12/2026

Newry – Financial Resilience for Small Charities

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Learn

Training Session

02/12/2026

Reputation and Crisis Management

Member Price: £129

Non-member Price: £179

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Learn

Training Session

10/12/2026

Coleraine – Financial Resilience for Small Charities

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Learn

Programme

12/01/2027

Cross-Sectoral Leading Edge – Cohort 1

Member Price: £999

Non-member Price: £1600

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Learn

Training Session

12/01/2027

Newtownabbey – Financial Resilience for Small Charities

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Learn

Training Session

27/01/2027

An Introduction to Trauma Informed Leadership

Member Price: £129

Non-member Price: £179

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Learn

Training Session

28/01/2027

Newtownards – Financial Resilience for Small Charities

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Learn

Training Session

04/02/2027

Lisburn – Financial Resilience for Small Charities

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View all upcoming events

What Members Say About CO3

We’re delighted to get behind the financial resilience programme who, which will support a range of charity leaders from the small right through to the large, will really help give them the skills to be strong and be there for their communities for as long as they’re needed.

As a chief executive it is a very lonely job at times, particularly in small charities and Northern Ireland has got many small charities. So when you feel that loneliness or isolation, the one thing that CO3 brought was the ability to go and chat to somebody, whether it be a mentor or whether it be just another chief exec to bounce off.

Kate Fleck
Member of the Board, OCN NI

CO3 offer a wide range of courses for middle, middle managers, senior managers and chief executives within the third sector. Some of the programmes include the Leading Edge programme, there’s other leadership programmes available and then they also offer some micro learning sessions around how to present things like finances to your board of directors, reviewing your governance structure within the organisation and they would bring in some expert facilitators to deliver those sessions as well.

Martin Flynn
CEO, OCN NI

We’re delighted to get behind the financial resilience programme who, which will support a range of charity leaders from the small right through to the large, will really help give them the skills to be strong and be there for their communities for as long as they’re needed.

As a chief executive it is a very lonely job at times, particularly in small charities and Northern Ireland has got many small charities. So when you feel that loneliness or isolation, the one thing that Co Three brought was the ability to go and chat to somebody, whether it be a mentor or whether it be just another chief exec to bounce off.

Kate Fleck
Member of the Board, OCN NI

“CO3 is always a great network for support, for encouragement, for advice, answers to tricky questions when you're really, really stuck. Overall, it's been a fantastic network of colleagues who are always there for guidance and encouragement whenever things are really tough.”

Karen Collins
Chief Executive, Aware NI

“It is so valuable having other people who are in a similar position that you can network with, you can share problems with, you can ask advice. And so my whole career, CO3 has been really, really important to me in providing those things.”

Roger Courtney
Founder & Director, Roger Courtney Consulting

“I think for me the CO3 is a safe space just to have a chat, to make connections and also to learn from other people who are in a similar position in their career as you are.”

Lisa Keys
Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Boys’ Brigade

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Join us as a member

Whether you’re a Chief Executive, Trustee, Senior Leader, or Chair in the voluntary, community or social enterprise sector — or a corporate partner looking to make a meaningful impact — CO3 is your network.

We connect and support leaders who are shaping communities across Northern Ireland. Our growing membership includes over 850 sector leaders and a growing number of corporate organisations committed to social responsibility.

Explore how you can join a trusted community of peers, invest in your leadership, and make connections that count.

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