James Plunkett
@jamestplunkett.bsky.social
Interested in more human ways to govern our lives together, and how technology can help. Blog: https://medium.com/@jamestplunkett 🏳️⚧️
A story of grief, community, and hope... 🧵
November 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM
A story of grief, community, and hope... 🧵
Had the induction today to be a ranger with London National Park City. Unreasonably excited. What a brilliant movement. You can read more here: nationalparkcity.london
Welcome to London National Park City
London National Park City is the long-term grassroots movement for everyone making our city greener, healthier and wilder.
nationalparkcity.london
November 8, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Had the induction today to be a ranger with London National Park City. Unreasonably excited. What a brilliant movement. You can read more here: nationalparkcity.london
Theory: one of the big things holding back modernisation of the public sector/civil society is that almost all innovation funding flows via institutions that are themselves antiquated.
i.e. organisations with very low digital capability (universities, Combined and Local Authorities, etc). (1/n)
i.e. organisations with very low digital capability (universities, Combined and Local Authorities, etc). (1/n)
November 7, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Theory: one of the big things holding back modernisation of the public sector/civil society is that almost all innovation funding flows via institutions that are themselves antiquated.
i.e. organisations with very low digital capability (universities, Combined and Local Authorities, etc). (1/n)
i.e. organisations with very low digital capability (universities, Combined and Local Authorities, etc). (1/n)
Reposted by James Plunkett
Well worth a read - this is the kind of thing so many of our communities need.
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Disassembling bureaucracy
And reassembling something better
medium.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Well worth a read - this is the kind of thing so many of our communities need.
Reposted by James Plunkett
We'll be there!
@jamestplunkett.bsky.social is on the panel alongside @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social of Carefull Industries; @hetanshah.bsky.social of @britishacademy.bsky.social; and Emily Bolton from Our Future.
@jamestplunkett.bsky.social is on the panel alongside @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social of Carefull Industries; @hetanshah.bsky.social of @britishacademy.bsky.social; and Emily Bolton from Our Future.
Join us in Westminster for the launch of our new essay collection, marking a decade of Power to Change and the community business movement and looking ahead to the next 10 years.
In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.
Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.
Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
November 6, 2025 at 4:26 PM
We'll be there!
@jamestplunkett.bsky.social is on the panel alongside @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social of Carefull Industries; @hetanshah.bsky.social of @britishacademy.bsky.social; and Emily Bolton from Our Future.
@jamestplunkett.bsky.social is on the panel alongside @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social of Carefull Industries; @hetanshah.bsky.social of @britishacademy.bsky.social; and Emily Bolton from Our Future.
Reposted by James Plunkett
Join us in Westminster for the launch of our new essay collection, marking a decade of Power to Change and the community business movement and looking ahead to the next 10 years.
In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.
Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.
Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
November 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Join us in Westminster for the launch of our new essay collection, marking a decade of Power to Change and the community business movement and looking ahead to the next 10 years.
In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.
Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.
Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
St Barnabas church in Homerton, where the grounds have been turned into a community garden. One of my ‘what if’s’ when it comes to revitalising community life is: ‘what if every church did this?’
November 6, 2025 at 1:31 PM
St Barnabas church in Homerton, where the grounds have been turned into a community garden. One of my ‘what if’s’ when it comes to revitalising community life is: ‘what if every church did this?’
Question for BlueSky mind: who are the great contemporary sociologists? People writing ethnographic studies of the character of daily life in a digital / social media age.
“Each decade we shiftily declare we have buried class and each decade the coffin stands empty.”
November 6, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Question for BlueSky mind: who are the great contemporary sociologists? People writing ethnographic studies of the character of daily life in a digital / social media age.
Oh dear, I'm writing a spicy blog that might get me cancelled by half of Whitehall. In fact the next one off the blocks isn't much better ('We need to talk about the Treasury' (!)). ...
November 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Oh dear, I'm writing a spicy blog that might get me cancelled by half of Whitehall. In fact the next one off the blocks isn't much better ('We need to talk about the Treasury' (!)). ...
What I hadn’t anticipated is how freshly relevant this feels.
In Lynsey Hanley’s intro, she paraphrases Hoggart’s argument:
“Men with great powers of persuasion are about to suppress what you know about yourself in order to profit from what you haven’t yet explored. Don’t let them do it.” 1/n
In Lynsey Hanley’s intro, she paraphrases Hoggart’s argument:
“Men with great powers of persuasion are about to suppress what you know about yourself in order to profit from what you haven’t yet explored. Don’t let them do it.” 1/n
“Each decade we shiftily declare we have buried class and each decade the coffin stands empty.”
November 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
What I hadn’t anticipated is how freshly relevant this feels.
In Lynsey Hanley’s intro, she paraphrases Hoggart’s argument:
“Men with great powers of persuasion are about to suppress what you know about yourself in order to profit from what you haven’t yet explored. Don’t let them do it.” 1/n
In Lynsey Hanley’s intro, she paraphrases Hoggart’s argument:
“Men with great powers of persuasion are about to suppress what you know about yourself in order to profit from what you haven’t yet explored. Don’t let them do it.” 1/n
“Each decade we shiftily declare we have buried class and each decade the coffin stands empty.”
November 4, 2025 at 5:04 PM
“Each decade we shiftily declare we have buried class and each decade the coffin stands empty.”
This is also now available via a nice new blog section on the @kinship.works works website. For anyone who hasn't read it yet, put the kettle on!
www.kinship.works/blog
www.kinship.works/blog
November 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
This is also now available via a nice new blog section on the @kinship.works works website. For anyone who hasn't read it yet, put the kettle on!
www.kinship.works/blog
www.kinship.works/blog
21st century city triumph. Rented a cargo bike using the new scheme by Our Bike and @hackneycouncil.bsky.social. Booked on the app, easy pick up, dropped off two loads of rubbish at the recycling centre. Good bike lanes the whole way. 💪
November 2, 2025 at 2:39 PM
21st century city triumph. Rented a cargo bike using the new scheme by Our Bike and @hackneycouncil.bsky.social. Booked on the app, easy pick up, dropped off two loads of rubbish at the recycling centre. Good bike lanes the whole way. 💪
Reposted by James Plunkett
This latest post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social on the Kinship Works project is excellent. Very reminiscent of @hilarycottam.bsky.social 's Radical Help as well work by Camden and also Barking and Dagenham Councils. Feels in the zeitgeist!
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Disassembling bureaucracy
And reassembling something better
medium.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:16 AM
This latest post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social on the Kinship Works project is excellent. Very reminiscent of @hilarycottam.bsky.social 's Radical Help as well work by Camden and also Barking and Dagenham Councils. Feels in the zeitgeist!
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Reposted by James Plunkett
We’d love people’s input to this! 👇 Where are the UK public sector reformers?
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Where are the public sector reformers? Can you help us find them?
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
October 31, 2025 at 12:56 PM
We’d love people’s input to this! 👇 Where are the UK public sector reformers?
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Thoughts go out to the London trick or treaters! 💧💧💧🌧️
October 31, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Thoughts go out to the London trick or treaters! 💧💧💧🌧️
We’d love people’s input to this! 👇 Where are the UK public sector reformers?
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Where are the public sector reformers? Can you help us find them?
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
October 31, 2025 at 12:56 PM
We’d love people’s input to this! 👇 Where are the UK public sector reformers?
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Reposted by James Plunkett
Where are the public sector reformers? Can you help us find them?
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
October 30, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Where are the public sector reformers? Can you help us find them?
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
Of all the posts I've written, the quotes from this one really stick in my mind. From Winner, Arendt, Ellul, and co. More relevant than ever?
On generative AI and not being free:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
On generative AI and not being free:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Freedom in the age of autonomous machines
We need to slow the hell down and do some philosophy
medium.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Of all the posts I've written, the quotes from this one really stick in my mind. From Winner, Arendt, Ellul, and co. More relevant than ever?
On generative AI and not being free:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
On generative AI and not being free:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Reposted by James Plunkett
Excellent, inspiring stuff. We need to go both deep and wide if we want to change bureaucracies. And this piece speaks to both these ambitions. @innovationunit.bsky.social @kscopehealth.bsky.social @jessmcp.bsky.social
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Disassembling bureaucracy
And reassembling something better
medium.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Excellent, inspiring stuff. We need to go both deep and wide if we want to change bureaucracies. And this piece speaks to both these ambitions. @innovationunit.bsky.social @kscopehealth.bsky.social @jessmcp.bsky.social
How do we turn bureaucratic services and systems into something more human? A new long read 👇
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Disassembling bureaucracy
And reassembling something better
medium.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:38 AM
How do we turn bureaucratic services and systems into something more human? A new long read 👇
Reposted by James Plunkett
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Disassembling bureaucracy
And reassembling something better
medium.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Disassembling bureaucracy
And reassembling something better
medium.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM
New today! Disassembling bureaucracy - and assembling something better.
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
We know we need to make bureaucratic services more human. But how? A long-read, using a fascinating case study. With bonus caterpillars.
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
If you want to nerd out on relational practice, this from @antlerboy.com is brilliant in capturing the depth and breadth of the work.
This is my new favourite rejoinder to people who say ‘isn’t that stuff all a bit fluffy?’
stream.syscoi.com/2025/10/24/n...
This is my new favourite rejoinder to people who say ‘isn’t that stuff all a bit fluffy?’
stream.syscoi.com/2025/10/24/n...
Nick Kimber on LinkedIn: “Hello. Can anybody point me to a decent accessible history of relational practice/thinking/ leadership (ideally short form)?”
[On LinkedIn, Nick Kimber asked: Hello. Can anybody point me to a decent accessible history of relational practice/thinking/ leadership (ideally short form)? I’m writing something on test and learn…
stream.syscoi.com
October 26, 2025 at 2:27 PM
If you want to nerd out on relational practice, this from @antlerboy.com is brilliant in capturing the depth and breadth of the work.
This is my new favourite rejoinder to people who say ‘isn’t that stuff all a bit fluffy?’
stream.syscoi.com/2025/10/24/n...
This is my new favourite rejoinder to people who say ‘isn’t that stuff all a bit fluffy?’
stream.syscoi.com/2025/10/24/n...
Early birthday present! I’m a bit 😍. The evocative clunk of the buttons and the squeak as you open the cassette boxes
October 26, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Early birthday present! I’m a bit 😍. The evocative clunk of the buttons and the squeak as you open the cassette boxes