Events

Launching the public sector web network

The webIt’s only a soft launch, but a launch nonetheless.

Public Sector Customer Services Forum and Kind of Digital are coming together to develop a content and events focused online community for those that use the web in their work delivering public services.

So, it’s not a network just for those that work in web teams. We know that people in all sorts of roles are now heavily web focused in their activity and we want to reflect that in the events we run and the content we publish here.

Our first event is a social media themed conference in Glasgow in September – you can find out more here. It features presentations about the very latest good practice in the field, from practitioners making things happen within their organisations right now.

We’ll be adding more to the site over the next few weeks, curating and drawing together resources that are already out there, and generating some brand new content exclusive to the network.

Don’t forgot to make sure you are kept in the loop by signing up to our email newsletter, or grabbing the blog’s RSS feed. Of course, we are also on Twitter and you can follow us there as well!

LocalGovCamp this Saturday

This has rather crept up on me, but this Saturday , 18th June, sees LocalGovCamp coming back to Birmingham.

Around 200 people from across local government will be getting together to figure out how we can keep innovating in this age of austerity.

Following some cancellations, there are still a couple of places free if you want to come along.

Various discussions about the event are happening on the discussion group – it’s easy enough to sign up and join in!

It should be an awesome day!

Photo credit: Arun Marsh

Give us a break

Am sharing the details of this event on behalf of my good friend Jude, who is running what looks to be a really interesting project.

GIVE US A BREAK: Ideas for developing easy ways to source respite breaks for carers online

Give Us A Break tackles the feelings of social isolation that are often experienced by people caring for an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner. Give Us a Break aims to ease the burden of caring by providing a few days away from day-to-day responsibilities, as well as ongoing support over the phone and online. It is the first project run by soundinnovation, a not-for-profit hub to develop projects with a social purpose.

A key part of the project is to develop ideas around online support for carers to enable them to access respite opportunities. There doesn’t seem to be any specific ‘go to’ websites for carers to tap into carer friendly accommodation. For example one of the most interesting carer friendly accommodation like the Kiloran Trust are very hard to find.

How can you help?

On Thursday 9th June from 6.00pm we’re hosting a brainstorming evening with tech savvy individuals to explore and potentially develop ways of enabling carers to access info for breaks – online. For example it could simply be finding a way to map appropriate and available respite opportunities across the country by geo-tagging respite opportunities around the country and getting other carers to rate them or make suggestions for carer friendly accommodation.

We’re not planning on reinventing the wheel but what is clear is that when a carer can get access to a break we want them to be able to find it quickly – but there doesn’t seem to be much available.

Location:

soundinnovation offices at Happy Computers, Cityside House, 40 Adler Street, London E1 1EE.

If you can come along, please RSVP to jude@soundinnovation.org.uk.

Thank you, LocalGovCamp sponsors!

Since my last desperate begging funding drive, several companies and organisations have leapt to support LocalGovCamp, namely:

Many thanks to them. They join those who had already stuck their hands in their pockets:

We’re still not quite there yet though, and if anyone out there still has a bit of marketing budget they’d like to lavish on the coolest (ok, joint coolest with the FutureGov stuff…) event in local government, please do get in touch.

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