In this Christmas special, I explore what the nativity story teaches us about welcoming refugees and asylum seekers today with @welshrefcouncil.bsky.social & chaplains from Cardiff University. Listen here: spareathought.podbean.com/e/jesus-was-...

Nation of Sanctuary Awards 2026 nominations are now OPEN 🌟 Every day, incredible individuals and groups work tirelessly to create welcoming spaces. And now is your chance to give them the recognition they deserve! ✅ Everything you need to nominate is right here: wrc.wales/nation-of-sa...

When someone is recognised as a refugee but only offered a short-term status, what follows isn’t safety: it’s limbo. Read our full statement to hear why the UK Government's proposals will lead to insecurity without solving any of the real issues ⬇️ wrc.wales/our-response...

Professor Karen Jacobsen discusses her new book, "Host Cities: How Refugees Are Transforming the World's Urban Settings," and her career as a scholar of forced migration. @tomspare.bsky.social@yalebooks.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/6g3o...

The gap between electricity and gas prices in Jan will now be 20% larger than a year before, pushing up bills for a typical household using electric storage heating by £100, compared to typical dual fuel billpayer seeing bills rise by just £2.50 www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...

On 4th November it will be a year since the US went to the polls to re-elect Donald Trump. In the lead-up to voting day I crisscrossed the US before spending voting day in Washington DC. Over the next couple of days I’ll be reflecting on my trip via Substack.

What lessons can we draw from future? Let's time-travel and find out. In the latest episode of Spare a Thought, author and activist Rob Hopkins takes us in his time machine to the year 2030 so we can fall in love with the future. 🌍🔮🎉 Listen here: spareathought.podbean.com/e/how-to-fal...

I know that there are a lot of Welsh politics folks out there missing the @hiraethpod.bsky.social while it is on hiatus. While I would ofc point anyone needing a fix either to ‘For Wales, See Wales’ by the ever excellent Will Hayward and BBC Wales’s #WalesCast I’m happy to say that I have *news*

Happy to confirm that our new Welsh politics pod is on the way filled with informative, astute, and what I would euphemistically refer to as “robust“ debate between Lee Waters MS, Prof Laura McAllister and former Conservative Special adviser Lauren McEvatt. We’ll be ready to share soon! #Senedd26

New pod alert. Coming soon...

Big thank you to @jaychard.bsky.social for coming on the show - we worth a listen

🗞️ New analysis by Nesta, featured in @the-independent.com, shows the high cost of reducing obesity rates in the UK with weight-loss medication alone, compared to a strategy that includes prevention policies ⤵️

What’s it like to find yourself at a Trump rally? Well you can find out today! I’m releasing a mini series focused on the my travels to the US during last year’s Presidential Election. Here’s a video taster of what’s in store, listen now: spareathought.podbean.com

To all the people having Roast dinner today, god bless you, but aren’t you a tad hot? To all the people making Roast dinner in this heat, there should be a law prohibiting you from doing so.

The NHS is in the news a lot right now! If you’d like to know what’s going on, from someone who worked as a doctor for 10 years+is now an NHS campaigner, sign up to my newsletter. I’ll give you important info (plus there’s no trolls, it’s lovely!🤣🥰💙) jujuliagrace.substack.com

I learned so much from my conversation Dr Julia Patterson, CEO of @everydoctor.org.uk we talk NHS privitsation, the state of healthcare in the UK and the welfare of NHS staff

Govt just published the Bill to cut disability benefits for > 3 million people, revealing that mitigations for those with the most severe conditions ministers have been telling MPs about will protect only up to 10% of new claimants from a halving of UC's health element 1/5

Can we save NHS? I spoke to @jujuliagrace.bsky.social of @everydoctor.org.uk to discuss government reforms, the role of private providers in NHS services, the wellbeing of staff and patients & her own journey from Doctor to campaigner. Listen here: spareathought.podbean.com

Well, electricity levies and heat pumps are in the news this morning… … and we have a brand new Nesta report out on levy reform. We’ve looked closely at all the options, and this is what we think the best approach is… www.nesta.org.uk/report/how-t...

Today Nesta publishes recommendations on how to make energy bills fairer & greener ⬇️ Levies are driving up the price of electricity bills, making it harder for people to switch to low-carbon heating. We’re proposing to rebalance levies in a way that is easy & fair, using new Nesta modelling.

I’ve interviewed Zoe Daniels from the International Rescue Committee to discuss Gaza. You can listen here: thepoliticaldispatch.podbean.com

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump are “two opposing faces of modern America as it was built and performed by their generation,” Eric Alterman writes in a guest essay. “They offer their fan bases a promise of entirely different futures.”

Today marks five years since George Floyd was killed by police. Our June 22, 2020 cover “Say Their Names,” by Kadir Nelson, illustrated how Floyd’s murder embodies the history of violence inflicted upon Black people in America. nyer.cm/UmfefJw

Give yourself a real treat on this glorious Sunday and read my latest newsletter. willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/why-cuts-d...

Had the pleasure of speaking to @willhaycardiff.bsky.social about Wales and the media. You can listen to our conversation wherever to you get your podcasts from or follow the link: spareathought.podbean.com

With all this talk about wasted money, and inefficiency in the NHS, can we please start asking the government how much money has been spent by politicians in the name of ‘NHS reforms’? These ICBs were only created in 2022! www.bbc.com/news/article...

Racism called out by @maitlis.bsky.social lots of other interviewers would have let it slide. Great journalism speaking truth to power.

One of the things EveryDoctor is planning is a detailed database tracking MP responses to constituent concerns about the NHS. We’re fed up of politicians ignoring their constituents- they’ve been getting away with it for too long 🚨 Please help! 👇💙🚨🌟 www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-our-n...

My reflections on VE Day: tomspare.substack.com

Latest episode of Spare a Thought is out. In today’s episode I talk to @lukeyoung.bsky.social Head of Policy @citizensadvice.bsky.social about proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP): spareathought.podbean.com

Are you looking for your next job role? Our current vacancies could be the right fit for you ⤵️ 📊 Group Data Journalist 🗞️ Group Media Officer 📈 Junior Data Engineer 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Head of Nesta Cymru Find out more and apply on our website: www.nesta.org.uk/jobs/

In January Cardiff University announced it was opening a consultation to cut 400 FTE academic staff and merge or close departments. I've made an episode focused on Modern Languages which is earmarked for closure: spareathought.podbean.com

Wales is getting screwed over by the Treasury (again). A deliberate decision has robbed public sector bodies in Wales of money while protecting those in England. This is fiddly but really outrageous. You can either watch the video or read below... [Thread]

The Welsh Senedd has voted to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food items in certain ways in Wales - a positive step towards improving health. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 In our calls for the 2026-2030 Senedd, we set out opportunities to go further to take action and reduce obesity ↪️ bit.ly/3EnXaS9

The latest episode of Spare a Thought is out now. I have gathered the testimonials of 12 'long haulers', people who have and are living with long Covid. It's a really powerful compilation of stories. Listen by clicking on the link 👇 spareathought.podbean.com

The latest newsletter is out. I break down the holes in the arguments put forward by Labour MPs who votes against giving Wales more money open.substack.com/pub/willhayw...

Where next for Wales? Ble nesaf i Gymru? 6pm Wednesday 2nd April in the Senedd Neuadd Be there or be square! 😉 😄 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/where-next...

To celebrate international women’s day I spoke to @lauramcallister30.bsky.social and Lowri Roberts about the Wales Women’s team, the progress of the women’s game and the benefit the Euro’s will bring for sport in Wales ⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏆 You can listen to the episode here spareathought.podbean.com

The latest episode of Spare a Thought is out now. @gwerngwynfil.bsky.social from @newwales.bsky.social joined me for a conversation about Welsh identity, devolution, history and the future of Wales.

‘We’re losing decades of our life to this illness’: long Covid patients on the fear of being forgotten

This will be very interesting Wednesday April 2nd 6pm in the Senedd Neuadd Come and join us, bring your questions! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 www.eventbrite.com/e/what-next-...

Nesta Cymru exists to significantly improve the lives of tens of thousands of people in Wales by tackling some of our most significant societal challenges. We partner with government, public sector organisations, industry and academia to design, test and scale new ideas in our mission areas.

As Joe Biden leaves the White House today, I reflect on his life and legacy.

🇳🇱 📍What can Amsterdam teach us about childhood obesity? Learn about Amsterdam's leading obesity reduction policy, with experts like Professor Jacob C. Seidell, co-director of the research institute evaluating the programme. 📍London/Online 🗓️ Tue 11 Feb, 09:30–10:30 Register: bit.ly/3PyNsyO

🇬🇧 📍What can we learn from the UK’s furlough scheme? We’ll be joined by the inventor of the UK furlough scheme Tim Leunig to find out how effective policy design and data implementation saved 3.25 million jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. 📍London 🗓️Tuesday 4 Feb 9:30-10:30 Register: bit.ly/4alDn1Y

How can we make good things happen? Our event series explores successful policies from across the globe and draws out insights for UK policymakers 🌏 Join us this spring to hear from policy experts and find out how to move the dial on a complex social problem. Here’s what’s coming up ⬇️

How to turn early-years policy into practice 🚀 We’ll be deep-diving into the Labour government’s ‘Opportunity Mission’ with @juliangrenier.bsky.social, exploring how policymakers and practitioners can make this vision a reality. Join us on 4 Mar: bit.ly/40kF8rD

How public institutions can lead the good food revolution 🥫 Professor and author Kevin Morgan joins us on 18 Feb to explore why the food served in schools, hospitals and prisons could be key for driving improvements in public health - and how policymakers can drive systemic change. bit.ly/3PBGf0U

Just announced: join us online this spring for our free, lunchtime events 💥 We’ll be in conversation with experts at the forefront of innovation, exploring topics such as parenting interventions, public health and future technologies. Find out what’s coming up and register your attendance ⬇️