Musings on collaboration and other things too... innovatingsymca.substack.com/p/collaborat...

It's been a good week of listening, learning and building relationships... innovatingsymca.substack.com/p/laying-a-p...

A summary of week 2... iteam.substack.com/p/there-is-a...

📂 As @tomcw.xyz and I bring @dataforaction.bsky.social to a close, we thought we'd try and find a place to archive the project work we've done over the past three years, as well as curate some of the different tools we've made along the way. 🔗 So, here it is: dataforaction.notion.site

👣 Change is afoot... 🔺 I am delighted to be taking up a new role at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority at the end of this month. 😔 With sadness, this means that @tomcw.xyz and I will be winding down @dataforaction.bsky.social after 3 years of working and experimenting together.

📍 So, we now know we have 147 neighbourhoods in Sheffield (see www.notion.so/dataforactio... for a potted history). 🤔 ...but how is each one of them organised and where are the 'anchors'? ⚡ You tell us: tally.so/r/wMlVXl ⚡ @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

“A lot of people round here have already given up.” The estates of Batemoor and Jordanthorpe are to be given £20 million over the next decade to create “change that people can see on their doorstep”. But is it enough to address the deep-seated problems of one of Sheffield’s most deprived areas?

📣 We now have a new place for communicating about the neighbourhood work in Sheffield, but also across South Yorkshire more broadly too. So, if you want email updates every now and again... actionnetwork.org/forms/south-... @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

📣 Roll up, roll up... 🗓️ 02/07/25 🕚 11am-12pm (UK time) 🔗 Sign up: lu.ma/cqgxggr1 @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

📣 We now have a new place for communicating about the neighbourhood work in Sheffield, but also across South Yorkshire more broadly too. So, if you want email updates every now and again... actionnetwork.org/forms/south-... @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

⚡ All the latest Sheffield neighbourhood maps in one place ⚡ 🔗 dataforaction.notion.site/mapping-shef... @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

🌿 I was lucky enough to be up at @thegreenestate.bsky.social today doing a spot of face to face neighbourhood mapping as part of a wider event bringing together community organisations from across the Manor Castle ward....

🌿 An experiment looking at #Sheffield neighbourhoods and access - or lack thereof - to a variety of managed green, recreational and wildlife sites as local assets. A starting point for #neighbourhood conversations. 🔗 Have a play: felt.com/map/Sheffiel... ⚠️ The Peak District isn't included!

dataforaction.substack.com/p/neighbourh... @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

dataforaction.substack.com/p/neighbourh... @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

⚡ Street art and sheltering from the zombie apocalypse. The latest citizen mapper in Sheffield, Liz Hnat, has been starting another neighbourhood conversation... 🔗 See more detail: felt.com/map/Meadowhe... @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social

⚡ Another citizen mapper representing their neighbourhood(s) in a way that makes sense to them 🙌 Thanks to John Armitage for this one. @dataforaction.bsky.social @citizennetwork.bsky.social felt.com/map/Walkley-...

An exciting new project is asking citizens across #Sheffield to map out what they like and what they don't like about their neighbourhood. @sammgreg.bsky.social had a go, and found out why @tomfrench.bsky.social believes it could radically transform how we see the city 📌 @dataforaction.bsky.social

Sam is one of the many citizen mappers @dataforaction.bsky.social are working with across South Yorkshire to experiment with ways of representing the region's neighbourhoods. He has very kindly written about his experience of doing it in Now Then Magazine! 👇🙂👇 nowthenmagazine.com/articles/i-h...

Another Sheffield neighbourhood mapping experiment... felt.com/map/Sheffiel...

🤔 Exploring overlapping 'fuzzy boundaries' around Sheffield's neighbourhoods... The blue map builds a rectangle around each neighbourhood using the its widest and tallest points: felt.com/map/Sheffiel... The pink map adds a 300m 'buffer zone' around each neighbourhood: felt.com/map/Sheffiel...

🗺️ We've been making maps recently at Data for Action. Quite a lot, actually. 📝 So, we've written a bit about it and how we see them as a starting point for conversations, rather than an end unto themselves... dataforaction.substack.com/p/maps-as-co... @tomcw.xyz @dataforaction.bsky.social

Is there a shared understanding of when or what circumstances one should consider their profile picture out-of-date? Asking for an ageing friend... 🫠

I've just rediscovered this work that @tomcwatson.bsky.social and I did a while back. It's about settling on a consistent language for describing data work in/around the voluntary sector and civil society, and how it's funded and supported. Any thoughts? dataforaction.notion.site/Building-a-s...

The @dataforaction.bsky.social office (and t-shirt) tour went to its latest venue today: Brimham Rocks. @tomcwatson.bsky.social and I had a most excellent walk and talk. I don't think I want to do inside meetings anymore, virtual or otherwise.

This is amazing. More of this please, everyone (including me). nowthenmagazine.com/articles/ene...

After feeling a bit frustrated by a few different things yesterday and getting in a slightly negative mindset, here's my @dataforaction.bsky.social principle of the day in response.

"[A]sking questions drives learning, innovation, and relationship building within organizations." I mean, this clearly fits in with my existing world view bubble, but it's a most excellent read all the same... medium.com/data-steward...

This is important. We hang onto a very poor conception of what money is and what work it does. I always remember being struck by the fact that the velocity of money was discounted by monetarists.

A very interesting (if inconclusive) read... www.faircomment.co.uk/p/who-are-th... @fairness.bsky.social

🫖 An idea is brewing at @dataforaction.bsky.social... ⚡ open.substack.com/pub/datafora... 🗨️ Let me or @tomcwatson.bsky.social know if you fancy a chat about it.

An idea we are kicking around at Data For Action building on Neighbourhood Mapping www.loom.com/share/108f34...

I'd like to chat with a few people working in local public bodies eg local authorities, NHS trusts, academy trusts, police forces, about working with local communities around data/digital stuff, and what kind of support would be helpful. Is that you or can you recommend someone?