Why GovCamp North?

Find out why the organising team got involved with GovCamp North and why they feel such an event is important.

Sharon Dale

Since discovering UKGovcamp in 2015 I have attended every one except in 2017 when I had flu. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn with public service heros, all passionate about making things better. In 2018 I ran my first session #NotJustLondon which was about the London centricity of events. I am delighted to be involved in making something inclusive happen in the North where I have lived for 20 years (this time) and even more so since we are making it available online and can be even more inclusive. It is important to do this to involve people who don’t normally get to go to things like this which is why we have also decided not to run this at the weekend.

Debbie Blanchard

I want to help bring GovCamp to the North as I believe that there is a wealth of talent outside of London that doesn’t always get access to these types of events. I want to help deliver an event that lets people reflect on the big picture and add their voice to the call for change. I got involved to help grow communities in the North.

Salma Patel

GovCamp North aims to bring together people who are selflessly striving to make public services better for everyone, because it is the right thing to do. It will be a space where people park their job titles outside the door, and join together as equals to share, reflect, learn and spread love. The agenda for the sessions will not be set beforehand, rather attendees will set the agenda, based on what they feel are important topics to discuss.

I am excited to help organise GovCamp North as it is one step towards creating a public sector and a world that has more equity, justice and altruism, and will be a happier place for everyone.

Hannah Dell’Armi

I’m pretty new to the public sector world, but even I could see that there was a lack of events taking place in the north. With so many talented people it only seemed right that we tried to facilitate an event that could bring these individuals together to share ideas and solve problems together.

I’m looking forward to helping organise GovCamp North, to meet new people and really get involved in the community we have here. I think in our day jobs it’s very easy to become siloed, and not reach out to the wider community, hopefully this event will encourage more people to take their problems and discussions out into the wider community.

I’ve never attended an informal event like this but I can’t wait to see what discussions and pitches people bring to the table. Now that we are going “virtual” I hope this opens up the event to even more people who want to be involved.

Peter Bromley

Our day jobs often require us to look within the limitation of our individual departments. This can be on how we build services, develop policy or, share knowledge and experiences. Gov Camp provides a space where we can learn and share with others who are striving to make public services better. It brings together a group of people who are dedicated public servants to learn and share in space a where all opinions are respected and valid.

Gov Camp North offers the opportunity for us to look at the challenges that we face in and around government through a uniquely northern (and importantly non-London centric lens). Be this the way that we work to the impact of policy and devolution on the ways we see implemented in our communities.

I became involved as I wanted to bring the positive experience to a wider northern audience. I work in a relatively small department and the opportunity to speak and work with others across the north is a great opportunity. It challenges both my ways I work and my own ways of thinking. Plus it’s loads of fun.

Saul Cozens

GovCamp has always been the highlight of the public sector event calendar. It’s informality invites people to share and learn, and to discuss the really hard problems facing us.

Bringing it to the north is an important step in opening it up to be available to more people — particularly those who might not be able to attend a weekend event in London. It is also an opportunity to try a few variations of the format, to include more things that will be appealing to people who don’t spend every waking moment scrolling through Twitter and reading Medium posts.

Ian Graham

Government these days can be complex and challenging. GovCamp North provides a valuable space for making connections, reflecting on practice, and thinking about how we design and deliver services differently to meet some of those challenges.

I got involved in GovCamp North to help people come together, work together and make a positive difference together, developing how we all support government, citizens and communities in the North.

Imran Hussain

UK GovCamp is one of the events I watch on social media every year, with envy. I’ve never been, because of logistics and family commitments but feel a deep connection with the ethos of the event. Many friends and colleagues attend, and the output from GovCamp is always really positive and productive for the public sector.

When the opportunity to start something up North came about, I couldn’t resist. Mostly because I wanted to attend!

We’re making it a weekday event that focuses quite a lot on the personal development of the attendees. I’m excited to be able to share the positivity of UK GovCamp with friends and colleagues in the North.

Want to volunteer and get involved in GovCamp North? We’d love for you to be involved, so please get in touch!