Tom Disney

Job losses at research-intensive universities double in two years - Research Professional News Exclusive: Scale of redundancies revealed branded a “disaster” for UK research capacity

Job losses at UK research-intensive universities double in two years.

Exclusive: Scale of redundancies branded a “disaster”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Over the past 14 years, English local authority funding for youth services has fallen by 76% in real terms, a loss of £1.3bn. Since 2012-13, England has lost about half of its local authority youth workers, and one in 12 councils now report having no youth centres at all.

An incredibly worrying set of data about youth provision that the government’s youth strategy will barely touch.

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Youth work ‘black holes’ in half of all council areas in England, study finds First mapping of youth centres in decades shows poorer areas in north worst affected by cuts since 2010

The loss of youth work has not had the attention it needs

Ministers to crackdown on profiteering in care sector and make renewed fostering push Josh MacAlister issues warning as government launches £88m ‘call to arms’ to recruit 10,000 new foster carers

Profit doesn't belong in children's social care

"Landmark legislation to eliminate private profit from children’s social care services in Wales...

But in England, more than 80% of child residential homes are for profit"

Time for England to copy Wales

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

‘Hope and relief’ as seaside town’s last youth centre saved Charity praises effort to stop Ramsgate’s Pie Factory Music closing but calls for more youth services in coastal towns

"Youth provision should not depend on charities like us alone. That’s why we urge local MPs and the communities minister to go further in strengthening statutory protections for youth services and review councils’ statutory duty to provide youth services."

The Guardian view on universities: Labour needs a clearer plan | Editorial Editorial: Ministers promised a ‘change of approach’, but their new tax could tip weaker institutions over the edge

'Despite all their difficulties, universities remain an enormous and irreplaceable national asset. As well as educating millions of people, they generate about £24bn in export earnings, which is about 1% of GDP – more than aircraft manufacturing and legal services combined'. 1/2

Privatised citizens: the business of kids in care Children in care are growing up as commodities in a system driven by profit. What does that mean for them day to day? In the first part of a series on the care system, Charlotte Reck worked under cove...

Major new investigation by The Observer: Privatised citizens: the business of kids in care. Children in care are growing up as commodities in a system driven by profit.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Are you a physical geographer looking for an editorial opportunity? Join the wonderful team at The Geographical Journal - details below⬇️

Logo featuring bold letters GFGRG representing the Gender and Feminist Geographies Research Group on a light background.

The Society's Gender and Feminist Geographies Research Group is offering sponsorship of up to £300 to support events that promote feminist geographical research and practice.

Contact c.freeman@exeter.ac.uk for the application form. Deadline: 15 January 2026.

Small blue house perched precariously on the edge of a concrete structure against a cloudy sky.

📣Join the States of Precarity team for the launch of the States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography report.

📅 Wednesday 14 January
🎦 Online
👉 Sign up to attend: https://bit.ly/4rvQgP2

Check out the report before the launch: https://bit.ly/44HTUvg

this is a crucial report with significance across the UK #highered sector, for all workers, on fixed-tem contracts or not, including senior management. @rgsibg.bsky.social @rgs-ibghe.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social @timeshighered.bsky.social @resprofnews.bsky.social

Call for chapters: Geography and Education: Concepts for re-imagining research, policy and practice! Full details here www.gereco.org/2025/11/17/c... and abstracts due 30/01/2026

Editorial Assistant for RGS-IBG Journals | Job vacancy An exciting opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the academic peer review and publishing process. Part time, six-month fixed term contract.

📣Work with us! The Society is seeking an Editorial Assistant to support the publication of its academic journals (part time, fixed term contract).

Application deadline: 11 December.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/8tZU50XCI4w

Excited to announce @leverhulmecal.bsky.social posts - we are looking for 7 interdisciplinary fellows to join our Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life, closing date 30 January 2026 (1/3) durham.taleo.net/careersectio...

Austerity policies limit the right to parent in safe and healthy environments by decoupling service provision and welfare entitlements from the level of need.

Our latest paper with @jenchanfreau.bsky.social shows that they can also have knock-on effects on the right to have a child.

Hi @drlisacherry.substack.com happy to have a chat perhaps via email? I could send you my more recent publications. Thank you for your interest!

A blue tile with a quote from the editorial introduction to the 'Legacies of Austerity' Special Section by S. van Lanen & S.M. Hall (2025): "As political discourse transforms and the period of fierce austerity implementation moves into history, we believe critical geographers should remain attentive to its traces in everyday practices, policy realities and material conditions. To imagine alternative futures, austerity's legacies should not be forgotten".

A blue tile sharing the titles of 8 open access papers within the 'Legacies of Austerity' Special Section: 1) 'Legacies of Austerity: Editorial Introduction' by Sander van Lanen & Sarah Marie Hall 2) 'Family Hubs and the vulnerable care ecologies of child and family welfare in austerity' by Tom Disney et al. 3) 'Relational legacies and relative experiences: Austerity, inequality and access to special educational needs and disability (SEND) support in London, England' by Rosalie Warnock 4) 'Lived experiences of utilities-based indebtedness in Greece: Tracing the afterlives of austerity' by Aliki Koutlou 5) 'Grassroots temporary urbanism as a challenge to the city of austerity? Lessons from a self-organised park in Thessaloniki, Greece' by Matina Kapsali 6) 'De-municipalisation? Legacies of austerity for England's urban parks' by Andrew Smith et al. 7) 'Austerity's afterlives? The case of community asset transfer in the UK' by Neil Turnbull 8) 'Austere futures: From hardship to hope?' by Julie MacLeavy

Special Section in The GJ:

'Legacies of Austerity', edited by @smhall.bsky.social & @sanvanlan.bsky.social

This #OpenAccess collection explores how the lens of legacies can be applied to understand austerity's effects in Europe. Available here⬇️

rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...

Editor role available at Society journal Advert for a new Physical Geography Editor for the Geographical Journal.

📢New Editor sought📢

We are seeking to appoint a Physical Geography Editor to The Geographical Journal. The GJ publishes work which engages with public issues and policy-relevant agendas.

🗓️Deadline: 7 January 2026

For more information, please see this page: www.rgs.org/about-us/our...

States of Precarity in UK HE Geography: A new report on the long and short term effects of precarity across career stages, with a series of best practice resources to support more equitable working cultures.

www.rgs.org/research/hig... @rgsibg.bsky.social @antipodeonline.bsky.social

New Pathways report, released with the Care Leaver Covenant, sharing the views of 106 care experienced students transitioning from care to university. We reflect upon the impact of changes in higher education policy since 2019 and highlight gaps in support: doi.org/10.15131/she...