Why UKCharityCamp is my favourite day of the work year
We’ll build the agenda on the day, from what folk want to talk about. Every unconference session is a promise to have a conversation
UKCharityCamp is my favourite day of the work year.
It’s the most face-to-face conversations I’ll have in one day, the widest variety of charity digital folk I’ll see in one day, and the most I’ll learn in one day.
It’s an unconference, so it’s about everyone there sharing their stories, in small groups, on specific subjects.
It’s for people working in digital in the third sector, it’s free to attend, and we’ve a budget to help with travel costs as well as an accessible venue to make it as inclusive as we can.
We’ll build the agenda on the day, from what folk want to talk about. Every unconference session is a promise to have a conversation.
We’re sticking to our usual format of “Write the conversation you want to have on a post-it, we’ll solve the jigsaw.” We don’t make you pitch, it’s a collaboration not a competition, we just want to know what interests you. Bring the subjects you want to learn about, the areas you can share about, and the issues that are getting in between your charity and its goals. There will be someone who has been there, done that and got the t-shirt – and you’ll be that person for someone else.
We’ve listened to feedback, and again we’ll iterate on how the event is run. This year, we’ll be looking for volunteers to do some very light touch session facilitation, simply to be sure the conversation flows and incorporates every voice that wishes to be heard.
We’re helped in putting the event on by a lineup of like-minded organisations. UKGovCamp, Zounou, Tilt, Nexxer and Radiate Hiring are all chipping in alongside dxw.
This year, UKCharityCamp’s got a special resonance for me, because I’m now the (fractional) CTO of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), a charity dedicated to strengthening local democracy in the UK and the wider world. For the first time, I’m sitting where agency folk say “client side”, and what I’ve always referred to as “closer to the people we’re helping.” I’m taking a wider view on digital in an organisation, as well as trying to help some really insightful people deliver their work. It’s a lot messier than project delivery, that’s for sure, and there’s more to weigh up. I’m learning a lot about the everyday frustrations of using digital services, and how to respond. Fortunately, I’m surrounded by excellent folk who really know their stuff.
And it’s that learning that UKCharityCamp is for; real, practical learning from people facing the same problems you are, some of whom will know what’s worked for them, some of whom will want to share what hasn’t.
This is the fourth time UKCharityCamp has run, and it’s interesting to see how the mix of subjects has changed. Just a single mention of AI in 2023, four sessions in 2024, eleven in 2025 – all on different specifics. I’m really looking forward to how that shapes up this year, I’m looking forward to deeper discussions about how we decide when *not* to use AI. If you’d like to dive in to what’s gone before – it’s here.
Yet again, this year we’ll be speaking to the subjects that matter most to the people who participate in this open event.
Tickets are up for grabs here.
Grids from 2023-2025 below
