Hello fantastic friends and fellow thinkers,
Summer isn’t yet letting up, continuing to bring surprises, sojourns and sunny days galore – long may it last! I’ve heard today that the period between the lunar eclipse and the solar eclipse is a moment for fresh thinking and new ideas. Here’s to you dreaming big and boldly until Sunday’s solar spectacle. And to complement this, I am delighted to offer 5 social tips, tit-bits, treats and talking points that I’ve come across or re-discovered over the past 2 weeks! Please enjoy!
1. What I’m reading: STATE/BANQUET by Carol Ann Duffy – In case you missed the ex-Poet Laureate’s timely poem on Trump’s state visit to the UK, it’s well worth a read, encapsulating the shady contrasts between the political establishment and those they purported serve…
2. What I’m organising: Athens Book Launch – Join us on 4th October in Athens for a local book launch event for Remnants of War, Migration, Love together with Taha Salim, other local poets and musicians. It promises to be an intimate, creative event held in the gorgeous social and community library, We Need Books.
3. What we’re launching: The Gaza Food Project – Cyril and I are pleased to be (softly) launching a new campaign initiative, working with poster activists across the world, as well as with restaurants, cafes and bars to raise funds to support community-led kitchens in Gaza. We’re still building strategic partnerships at this point, but please do reach out if you’re interested in learning more or would like to volunteer alongside us!
4. What I’m exploring: The World Giving Report – Which is the most generous continent? Who are the least generous? What’s the most popular way of donating? How much of our annual incomes do we donate? These questions and many more are analysed in this new, well-presented report by the Charities Aid Foundation. A good read for anyone working in the funding and charity sector.
5. What I’m celebrating: Finalists in the Social Enterprise Awards – We’re very happy to have been shortlisted as a finalist in these UK awards for 2025. Amid the day-to-day challenges of running Circular Design, it’s rewarding for Cyril and I to see that our concept for how business should be re-distributive and social to its core is gaining traction and recognition!
📣 Opportunities from me and my network
🏳️🌈 Get your tickets in London for this drag fundraiser this coming Thursday!
🌍 Join The Iris Collective newsletter for climate funding and capacity-building opps.
🎼 Know a school looking for an Indonesian Gamelan? We’re selling one! Email me!
💻 Time for a new website? Visit Circular Design, my non-profit web agency
🔥 Need pro bono legal support for your charity? Try out PILnet and TrustLaw
🥦 Become a Vegan Society Member for free if you’re under 26!
📖 Don’t forget to order your copy of Remnants of War, Migration, Love by Taha Salim.
🎨 Looking for fabulous art to gift? Support my brilliant friend and artist Nadine here.
⭐️ Know someone critically-minded? I’d love to nominate them for Aspen Rising Leaders.
That’s it for this fortnight! As ever, please let me know your thoughts and feedback – and send anything you’d like me to include in upcoming editions this way.
