Well, hello world! State of the Future is a new think tank (from @gavinfreeguard.com) for public servants and others who believe data, digital, openness and innovation can deliver better policy, better services and better outcomes for people. sotf.org.uk (Quiet news day to soft launch, eh?)

🚨 6PM, WED 25 February 🚨 At the MoJ or online. Liam Hawkes and Violette Gadenne, CoLab HO on service design in a spending review ​James Plunkett, Kinship Works, on the energy at the edges - and how the centre can spread it luma.com/q19znan6 Please share! Thanks 🙏

3rd annual Agile in the Ether, In Real Life meetup was this month! As always, I left with piles of things I want to look into further. neil-vass.com/a-list-of-li...

We're looking to fill a couple of Senior Content Designer roles across the OPG and Probation digital teams www.jobtrain.co.uk/justicedigit...

AitE is probably my favourite community space, so many knowledgeable people, such a safe environment to learn and grow. Thanks as ever to Emily for curating and nurturing it!

🚨 6PM, WED 28 January 🚨 At TPXImpact or online Matt Wood-Hill, MHCLG, and Linda O’Halloran, TPXimpact on public service market-shaping. ​Patrick Diamond, Professor in Public Policy, Queen Mary, University of London, on government effectiveness luma.com/pc7ji8sg Please share! Thanks 🙏

Thanks everyone.

And that's a wrap! Thank you to everyone who took part in #ukgc26 and made it such a success! Write ups of the sessions can be found at ukgovcamp.com/grid. All the till next year! 👋

Civic Pride! #ukgc26 open for attendees!

One week to go until UKGovCamp 2026! Take a look at the agenda to get a feel for what to expect on the day: ukgovcamp.com/agenda/ Check our FAQs for common questions: ukgovcamp.com/faq/ If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to email us.

#UKGovCamp people; www.ukgovcamp.com is now updated with agenda, sponsor and FAQ information, in readiness for next weekend!

Woody Guthrie's New Years Rulins from for January 1943

We're also looking for some perm Senior Delivery Managers in an exciting range of locations www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...

If you have secured a ticket for UKGovCamp 2026 on 17 January 2026 but can no longer attend, please unregister on Eventbrite, so your place can be released to someone on the waiting list. Thank you so much for being considerate!

Obligatory Spotify Wrapped post, with the self-righteous caveat that I still listen to more vinyl than streaming, and that people should also support live music and artists!

The view from inside Engine Lock on the Caldon

Another huge loss www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...

🚨 NEXT WEEK 🚨 Join us at 6pm, Weds 26 November for the 11th @transformgovtalks.bsky.social We'll hear from: - @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social on local govt AI procurement & a new version of Consequence Scanning - @katybeale.bsky.social, Chief Delivery & Engagement Officer, Westminster City Council

Jet and Karl, my two BSL tutors, have just put some excellent new videos together for basic and introductory signs in West Midlands regional variation www.bid.org.uk/resources/bs...

It's been a month for ace live music! Senser at the Castle and Falcon were superb, so much energy from the stage and the crowd, and such a tight set. One of my most formative bands, still delivering.

Just watched Barrier(s) at the Birmingham Rep (our BSL group block-booked!) - what a fantastic and relevant piece of theatre, if you have the chance to see the last few dates do so (or indeed any Deafinitely Theatre productions) www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/bar...

What topics are you curious to explore at UKGovCamp 2026? Whether it is digital transformation, service design, AI, accessibility, policy, or collaboration, share your thoughts in the comments! Register today for UKGovCamp 2026 (17 Jan 2026 in Brum): forms.gle/tL5q1ZBHYxAq...

Register is open for UKGovCamp 2026! Join us on 17 January 2026 for a free, community-led unconference where public sector people meet to share ideas, collaborate, and improve services. Spaces are limited. Secure your spot today: forms.gle/tL5q1ZBHYxAq...

Nova Twins definitely worth the ticket app hassle, they are bloody fantastic live; so much stagecraft and such a unique wall of sound

🚨 6PM, WED 29 October 🚨 At the MoJ or online Ed Humpherson, Office for Statistics Regulation, on why 'transformation' has been so challenging for official statistics ​Dr Lauren Petrie, Government Internal Audit Agency, on the GIAA's work with data and AI luma.com/3c92r9qr Please share! Thanks 🙏

Buying and viewing gig tickets from seller to obligatory venue app is a clusterfuck of bad UX, terrible integration and unnecessary appception, with nob-all thought to accessibility even if you do have a smartphone and data, all packaged up in an egregious, labyrinthine, monopolistic box of bullshit

The final Product for the People of 2025 is going to be in Newcastle (Howay the Toon!) on the 21st November - sign up here www.tickettailor.com/events/produ...

LinkedIn crosspost, but GovCamp is breaking out of London and coming to Birmingham in January, and we need sponsorship more than ever to make it happen www.linkedin.com/posts/imhuyo...

Bull-Ready for UKGovCamp 2026: Registration Opening Soon! We are pleased to announce that UKGovCamp will be making its first-ever visit to Birmingham on 17th January 2026! Stay tuned to our channels to secure your place and be part of Birmingham’s first UKGovCamp!

We're recruiting for a Bilingual Content Designer (Welsh and English) on our team, please spread the word to anyone who might be interested! www.jobtrain.co.uk/justicedigit...

What a huge loss www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

Our little narrow boat co-op has reached the glitzy heights of Waterways World!

Banger of an intro paragraph When I see people write like this about finance, it spurs me to be braver in my own writing. Very very well done @dsquareddigest.bsky.social on.ft.com/47ZzGzI The grimdark future of credit risk models

Happy International Day of Birmingham, and alright bab to those who celebrate www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article...

We've just released some mid-level CS Developer roles if anyone is interested, or knows anyone who might be www.jobtrain.co.uk/justicedigit...

🚨 6PM, WED 24 September 🚨 Join us at the MoJ or online * Dr Moira Nicolson & Holly Marquez "Failing Forward: Why Planning for AI Disasters Unlocks Breakthrough Innovation" * ​Ben Sauer "Always Be Creating Clarity: Daily habits for strategic storytelling" luma.com/sm09nslz Please share! Thanks 🙏

Death to Chronos! 25th Sept! youtu.be/U8lJRcUeEMs?...

had some stuff to get off my chest about strategies ~ gilest.org/notes/strate...

Hey @cthimon.bsky.social @ldncdo.bsky.social We'd really appreciate it if you could share the post below with your followers and @bowsy.co.uk, @derekalton.bsky.social and @gavinfreeguard.bsky.social would like to extend you a personal invite too! We hope to see you there! 👋

*tosses mortarboard in the air* woo! I definitely recommend anyone with an interest in Communities of Practice to sign up to @ewebber.bsky.social's course emilywebber.co.uk/ive-launched... hugely insightful and enjoyable, with a great format, and practical tools which have real world applications

If in doubt, organise! The tech industry is a roaring bin fire, so brilliant to share the results of this survey of 522 UK tech workers who want sthg better buttondown.com/society-of-h... Help design the Society for Hopeful Technologists and give a voice to ppl who want to make a meaningful change

@maltbyps.bsky.social @prateekbuch.bsky.social @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social @richardpope.org @sallymeecham.bsky.social @samfr.bsky.social @stamanfar.bsky.social @rufflemuffin.bsky.social @cthimon.bsky.social @edent.tel @ldncdo.bsky.social @tomski.com

Used to put uneaten cat food out for the foxes and magpies but with Crowley gone there hasn't been any. Anyway, this is in the exact place the bowl normally is, pretty sure it's a fox/magpie food summoning sigil

Lost Crowley yesterday, sadly. When you rehome an older FIV cat you know it's not going to be forever but he had lots of other complications and in the end his little body just started shutting down. Very sad, but it was the right time. He was the friendliest, most placid cat I've ever met

LOADS of pitches this time and a great afternoon agenda has emerged!

One of my newer product teams just published this blog (and their github repo) for a svelte component library for front end devs looking to do data visualisations in gov - really pleased this work is out in the world and hoping it can help some other people! mhclgdigital.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/18/c...