Allan Johnstone

The deadline to apply for Pension Credit is Saturday 21 December. This is a way to top up your income and receive the Winter Fuel Payment. Find out if you're eligible: https://buff.ly/41rFIGa

I know it might be horrible outside today, but if you were planning a trip to your local craft market, please go anyway. There are hundreds of us all over the country hoping that the weather doesn't ruin our day!

The value of caring in Scotland rose by 19.4% between 2011 and 2022.
This is according to our new report, 'Valuing Carers 2022: Scotland', created in partnership with @centreforcare.bsky.social.
Download the report and read the findings in full here: www.carersuk.org/media/l5sa1s...

“Everything we do is driven by our communities”: Inside Test Valley’s ground-breaking approach to community engagement - New Local Test Valley Borough Council is pushing the envelope on community engagement. Listen to this podcast to find out how.

🎙️ How one council made community power a part of everything it does

We get under the bonnet of Test Valley’s ground-breaking approach

Ft. leader Phil North, chief exec Andy Ferrier, deputy chief exec Salena Mulhere & officer Imogen Colley

This is the rallying call that I've needed to hear since November 6th. From Roxane Gay in today's New York Times www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/o...

A quick reminder on how to contribute to uksnowmap.com ahead of any possible #uksnow tomorrow 👀

Post with the hashtag #uksnow, the first-half of your postcode, and a snow rating x/10 and help draw a real-time map of where it is snowing in the UK.

Well, welcome to the 3,500 folk who followed me over the weekend.

I have just finished a long Research Project at Scottish Government and my report Foundations of the Digital State is published today.

📢 We're hiring 📢

Do you want to turn the principle of community power into reality?

Do you have brilliant quantitative analysis skills?

Do you enjoy working with a range of partners, from the #NHS to #localgov?

Find out more and apply 👉 https://buff.ly/3REhZtO

Quite used to it.
Its the same when there's a story about 'the NHS' or 'the Education Minister announces', or 'water companies', etc.
None of that applies to Scotland.

Today is World Wombat Day so I must again say that my favourite ever blessing is an Indigenous Australian one and it goes "may the wombat of happiness snuffle through your underbrush"

This figure by Hogan et al. (2022) shows that community ownership (in full or in part) of wind farms is correlated with a) higher levels of acceptance, and b) perceived greater energy justice processes and outcomes.

Full paper here: doi.org/10.1016/j.en...

Feeding the Machine: Seven links between AI and inequalities Behind the smooth surfaces of our tech products and the endless possibilities promised by artificial intelligence (AI) lies a much darker picture – one in which the companies behind these new techn…

Feeding the Machine: Seven links between AI and inequalities blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...

👀

Just 3.5% of the population participating actively *never fails* to bring about change.

Highlights potential of libraries:

With 25% of people engaged with UK libraries, it’s a realistic, achievable step to engage just 3.5% actively on climate change to make a real difference.

#GreenLibraries

Very interesting fringe with both Peter Kyle and Patrick Vallance. Great to hear Kyle talk about adoption and diffusion of technology as being a core issue, not just a focus on frontier tech

Three NHS paradigms: state, market & community. Given recent NHS reform debates, re-upping our @wearenewlocal.bsky.social grid on the shifts needed.

The NHS operates with state assumptions + market reforms: but needs active community participation in health.

www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

📢 Thousands of people in Scotland are being forced into extreme poverty and homelessness by UK immigration policies.

Study by Heriot-Watt University, funded by JRF, has found that immigration policies are "virtually guaranteeing" destitution and homelessness. 1/3

satirical detournement of Creative Scotland logo -transformed into 'Corrosive Scotland. by Stephen Skrynka.

Silence from arts funders and culture ministers over the disastrous cancellation of funding for artists in Scotland.
Find out more here: www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/08/20/c...

petition here: www.campaignforthearts.org/news/cfta-ur...

Stride and ride: England's path from laggard to leader in walking, wheeling, and cycling | IPPR These include large returns on investment, addressing emissions from road transport, reducing regional inequalities, and improving health. Despite this, in

On the theme of public health from one of our latest reports…

“If cycling in England were to increase to the levels seen in Denmark, it would be worth as much as £17 billion to the NHS”

Positive to see this being recognised by the Transport Secretary

Source: www.ippr.org/articles/str...

📣 We're hiring 📣

Could you be our next Chief Executive?

We're looking for a passionate and experienced leader to drive forward our work to make community power the dominant idea shaping policy and practice at national and local levels.

www.newlocal.org.uk/about/jobs