Jonathan Owen has been at the helm of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) as Chief Executive, where he has played a crucial role in advocating for local councils and supporting community-led initiatives across the country. Jonathan's extensive experience in local governance and community leadership has been instrumental in empowering rural communities and ensuring that local councils are well-equipped to foster resilience and vibrancy in their regions.

Jonathan will be speaking at the Community Services Discussion on 18 September. His insights into the role of local councils in creating balanced and sustainable rural communities will provide conference attendees with practical strategies and examples of successful community leadership.

Matthew Harris is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Public Health Medicine, Theme Lead for Innovation and Evaluation, and Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health. He also serves as an NHS Consultant in Public Health Medicine at Imperial College NHS Trust.

With a background that spans work in Brazil as a GP, Ethiopia with the WHO, and Mozambique as an HIV advisor, Dr. Harris’s research has focused on translating frugal healthcare solutions from low-income contexts to the NHS. He is the author of “Decolonizing Healthcare Innovation: Low-Cost Solutions from Low-Income Countries” (Routledge, 2023) and co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Healthcare Innovation (OUP, 2024).

Matthew will be speaking at the Rural Health and Care session on 19 September. His vast expertise in public health and his pioneering work on bringing innovative solutions from low-income countries to the NHS promise to offer valuable insights into how rural health services can be improved to become more resilient.