| Notes |
www.connectedbaby.net www.tigersltd.co.uk 4 November 2017
Dear First Minister
Invitation to speak at national conference on Adverse Childhood Experiences 26 September 2018 Glasgow
Expected attendance: 1500+ delegates

We write to invite you to speak at a major national conference to be held at the Armadillo on 26 September 2018, on the issue of Adverse Childhood Experiences. The event builds on the massive success of the film Resilience, which you will know has been screened across Scotland this year. There is clearly a hunger for information on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) in our country, both at the policy level and amongst ordinary citizens. This national conference is designed to build on that enthusiasm, helping to drive the cultural change that is needed to facilitate trauma-informed practice and policy.
It is for this reason that the conference has been titled: Making Scotland the World’s First ACE-Aware Nation.
It may be of interest to note that although the conference will focus on Scotland, the event is already drawing attention throughout the UK and beyond. We fully expect the event to draw international attendance and media interest.
The conference is co-hosted by the two organisations for which we serve as directors: TIGERS Ltd and connected baby. You met [redacted] at the film screening you attended, hosted by Children 1st. You will recall [redacted] sat on the panel and was the driving force (along with [redacted]) behind the original tour of the film, reaching 25 Scottish communities over the summer. [redacted] has woven relationship-led practice throughout her entire company, having become committed to an ACE-informed philosophy. This knowledge now sits at the core of all apprenticeship training provided by TIGERS to the construction, early years and business industries. The fact that TIGERS is regularly receiving national awards demonstrates the success of this approach.
We feel extremely well placed to host this conference. The response we have received via social media, upon announcing the conference, has been overwhelming. It tells us we have judged this moment well. Dr Burke Harris has become something of a household name in Scotland, due to her presence in the film Resilience. There is massive interest in her attendance at this conference, both from within and outside Scotland. We are confident we will more than fill the 1500 seats we have reserved. Dr Burke Harris turns down many speaking invitations, but she tells us she has watched momentum build in Scotland over this summer and is extremely pleased to accept our invitation. We have no doubt we are lucky to have her. She will inspire our nation.
We plan to hold three events over two days:
25th September: Immersive Afternoon with Dr. Burke Harris
26th September: Main Conference, with a range of inspirational speakers 26th September: Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony
You are welcome to join us at any of the events, and we will work to your schedule. Our primary hope, however, is that you will be able to attend the Main Conference on 26th September, where you might speak for approximately 20 minutes, immediately following Dr. Burke Harris’ keynote address. Your comments would serve as a response to hers. It would give you an opportunity to talk about the government’s vision for ACE-informed policy and why the SNP were keen to have ACES included in the Government’s programme of work for 2018.
It may be helpful to know we have already met with [redacted], in the Scottish Government, and with [redacted] at NHS Health Scotland, both of whom are involved in taking forward work on ACES. We have outlined our plans for the conference and discussed potential ways of working together.
We can provide you with any additional information about the conference you may require. In the first instance, we wanted to extend this invitation. We very much hope you will be able to accept.
Yours,
[redacted] connected baby [redacted] TIGERS Ltd |