It was the first time I’ve been on a motorbike since I was a little kid being taken round the block by someone’s Dad, and I loved it. Felt really safe and free whizzing through London from Bethnal Green to Kings Cross (well, sort of whizzing – lots of traffic).

A real treat for me, I hope it was useful for Paul and his mystery project:

“Why on earth am I doing it? Because I like riding bikes, can work anywhere on the move (from the roadside if necessary), and I like people. And disruptions, like large snowfalls, are great times to look at things afresh. Oh, and you could call it research for an idea…” (more here)

A picture of Paul below outside my new office, where I’ve joined as Community Co-ordinator on The Guardian’s new Global Development site – very exciting!

Loving the fancy new Twestival site – awesome work by @amanda & co.

And loving the new tube-inspired London Twestival logo too designed by @rchasteauneuf. (Made me wonder where are TfL though, and why they’re not on Twitter?)

About Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide was founded in 1968 to meet the needs of people living in extreme poverty, for whom every day is a fight for survival. Concern is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of poverty. Their mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives – improvements they can sustain without ongoing support. Concern meets the needs of these people in a caring and personalized manner, respecting their human and cultural dignity. They are committed to reaching the most vulnerable, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Concern’s work is informed by a vision for change and their education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world, with particular emphasis on reaching out-of-school children such as girls, orphans, street children, working children, children affected by conflict, children affected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities. Concern’s education programs currently reach over 700,000 people in 25 countries across the regions of Africa,  Asia, and the Caribbean.  Please follow @concern on Twitter to get a glimpse of their staff tweeting from around the world; including their efforts on the ground in Haiti.

Where the Twestival funds will go

Each city and school hosting a Twestival will be given the opportunity to select an area of education to support.  This will be recognized with a special icon on their website once they have set a goal.  For as little as $28USD they can provide the uniform, books, pencils, and paper a child needs to attend one year of school. Concern Worldwide are able to guarantee that 100% of Twestival funds will go direct to project costs.  This means that the money would be used for material purchases (curriculum, desks, pencils) as well as project activities such as construction of schools; rehabilitation of classrooms; teacher/management training; PTAs; HIV/AIDS school clubs; water and sanitation in schools; health education in schools; education advocacy; vocational/life-skills training for youth, farmers and women; and curriculum development for secondary school/university. Money will not be used for things like administration, overhead, reporting oversight, etc. Concern Worldwide requires all fields that receive money strictly adhere to a six- and 12-month formal reporting protocol in which the field details the specific activities it has undertaken and how the funds were utilized. This system provides a very tangible case studies, evidence and updates, and other detailed information about how programs have progressed and benefited program participants; including the financial allocation in field; the GPS locations of schools in receipt of funds; digital video clips and photos from the schools; and case studies/quotes from people who have benefitted from the projects.  As cities are confirmed and fundraising goals are set, we will work with the team at Concern Worldwide to identify specific projects we will be supporting.

It was an introduction to the idea of Twestival, how we fundraised, set the tone, spread the word etc. Mainly it demonstrates the same social media good practice that you read anywhere – keep it simple, human, take people on a journey at their own pace etc. Interesting to revisit for me in terms of my experiences at Amnesty now, and people’s journeys towards greater action/activism online.

And of course, I can’t neglect to mention that the next Twestival Global is on March 25th 2010 in aid of Concern who are doing amazing work in Haiti right now. London event details to follow soon.

This week’s blog, Gizmonaut, reports on London’s policing and human rights, watching a variety of sources and cases, contributing to debate and openness on this issue in our capital.

Describe your blog in less than 15 words
Reporting about being calm, almost too calm, on human rights and policing issues, plus technology.

Why did you start blogging?
I created a personal website, gizmonaut.net, in 1999. Its content had remained mostly static. At the end of 2005, I published the story of my arrest by the Metropolitan Police and kept updating it with new developments. Many readers asked for a notification mechanism for when I updated that story. After trying a few options, I started a blog so that readers could subscribe to its RSS feed. Eventually I published on the blog news-related articles on more general issues. The separation about what goes on the blog part of the website and what doesn’t is not clear cut any more.

What about London inspires your blog, or what is its mission?
Security theatre measures that criminalise innocents while not increasing overall security are a constant source of inspiration. A large proportion of posts is about stop and search tactics, the National DNA Database, terrorism and human rights. Most London-related posts are about some aspects of London policing. There are a few posts about technology and foreign topics.
Several posts are based on my unfortunate personal encounter with the Metropolitan Police. They serve several aims: exposing what the Met is doing to innocent Londoners, and documenting the actions I’ve taken and their outcome (question to the MPA, answering consultations, giving talks, participating in demonstrations and rallies, etc.) so that others can figure out if any of these action is also appropriate for them.

Wee Birdy is a Sydney chick who’s made her home in London, spending her time seeking out treats and secret gems in London’s indie shops – with a fair share of cafes and markets too. Essentially all that is lovely about London – just in time for Christmas shopping!

Describe your blog in less than 15 words.
Bird-nerd seeks out London’s best shops – hidden gems – local designer-makers – cupcakes.

Why did you start blogging?
Lots of reasons, but mainly because I had just moved to London and wanted to document all the shiny new things I loved about my new hometown. I was convinced I was bleating on about stuff that most Londoners already knew about, so it was really like a postcard home to my family and friends back in Australia. I was a magazine editor back in Sydney, so it was also kind of my ‘edit’ of London (and other stuff I was stumbling across online, like Etsy). I’ve always loved London and spent most of my twenties wanting to live here, so when I finally made the big move I needed some kind of outlet for all the excitement, as corny as that sounds. But I do tend to get excited about things – and I think the whole ‘editing’ aspect is entirely relevant as well.

What about London inspires your blog?
Where to start … Flowerboxes, sugar mice, picking over 400-year old clay pipes on the banks of the Thames, the incredible galleries and museums, Time Out magazine (who, in the interests of full disclosure, are my lovely employers), Saturday mornings at Broadway Market, dusty old bookshops, sitting in the bar at the Tate Modern watching the sun go down over the city, wandering around the tea aisle at Fortnum & Mason, people-watching at Princi, robins in the snow, getting lost again in Soho, Erdem, Selfridges’ Christmas windows, geese and squirrels in St James’s Park, the coots on Regent’s Canal, springtime blossoms, Pepys’ diaries, carboot sales, Charbonnel et Walker pink champagne chocolates, Cheshire Street, Dover Street Market, old-fashioned men’s grooming shops in St James, The British Museum, conkers in autumn, petals in spring, London fashion designers, Rob Ryan, Tatty Devine, Ezra Street at Christmas, clutching a bunch of bargain peonies from Columbia Road flower markets, afternoon tea at the Dorchester, raclette at Borough Market, and about a million other things I’m yet to find the time to blog about.

Sam of Ghost Signs is this week’s blogger, whose fascination with the legacy of painted wall advertising has led him to document them as they come and go in London’s ever-changing environment. The blog has been mentioned as a favourite by many of our previous interviewees so we thought it was high time we found out more.

If you had to describe your blog in less than 15 words how would you do it?
Documenting the lost craft of hand painted wall advertising a.k.a ‘ghostsigns’ before they all disappear.

Why did you start blogging?
I needed a platform for the work I was doing, somewhere to make sense of everything and share this with others. Having an online presence felt like a massive gap and writing a blog was a simple way of gaining this. It’s funny looking back on those early posts and how the blog has evolved alongside the nature and scope of the project. There was something of the ‘first album’ effect in that the first month saw me write 34 posts, a clear spilling out of things I’d wanted to write about for a long time. Month two had 19 posts and it has leveled out since then with five or more being a busy month.

What about London inspires your blog?
One thing – the fading ghostsigns that can be found across the capital. I first started spotting them in Stoke Newington and was soon cycling to all corners of the city to follow up leads given to me by friends, family and members of the public. It’s been a real adventure full of discovery.

What’s your favourite find so far to date – and is there anything you’d love to find?
Favourite find is definitely the Black Cat Cigarettes sign on Dingley Place in Islington (pictured). It is still one of the best signs I’ve ever come across. The thing about that find was that I’d been cycling past it every day for months but because I used to come home by a different route I had only ever gone down the road in one direction. One day I happened to glance backwards and spotted it.

As for what I’d love to find, my role has evolved slightly from when I was out and about photographing every week. I am now working on cataloguing ghostsigns from across the country to establish a permanent photographic archive at the History of Advertising Trust. Through Flickr I am now part of an extended network of enthusiasts and photographers which means that new signs tend to get picked up and shared by others before I see them – e.g. the Veglio Cafe sign recently revealed on Oxford Street.

Read the rest on Londonist.

This week’s blogger is Jean-Paul Séculaire who has been documenting London’s nightlife, cafes, record shops, bars and more since 2001, including a monthly calendar of club nights. His site, The London Dossier, is “an unapologetically personal guide to all that is cool in the UK’s capital city”, a great snapshot of London socialising and full of previews and tips.

Describe your blog in less than fifteen words
Hot tips from the hipster’s guide to London.

Why did you start blogging?
As an extension to my main London Dossier listings website. Adding a news blog seemed a simple and useful way to bring more information about special events to my readers.

What about London inspires your blog?
All the cool stuff going on. Especially in terms of nightlife, gigs and festivals covering vintage black music, cinema and modern art.

What are your top five London moments to date?
In chronological order I would probably say, my last Right On! club night – I’m still looking for the perfect new venue – any suggestions welcome! The first time I saw Prince Buster The King of Ska live in 2007 – Prince Buster has not been too well recently and we are all wishing him a return to good health. The first time I saw John Holt live in 2007, my 30th birthday bash Home Cookin’ extravaganza and the after party. Finally, my first time on stage at a burlesque show – Corsets & Courgettes at The London Burlesque Festival.

Read the rest on Londonist.

Many Londoner’s are fascinated with the city’s past and the glimpses of history on most streets. None more so than the brilliant Faded London, documenting “a city constantly re-inventing itself, but every now and then there’s a window on to the past..all worth recording before they are finally removed or hidden”. We’ve been wanting to talk to this London blogger for a while.

If you had to describe your blog in fewer than 15 words how would you do it?
A Walk On The Mild Side – Celebrating The London Others Rarely Bother With

Why did you start blogging?
It’s all down to being given a digital camera one Christmas. After months of saying “I saw a really interesting drainpipe – coalhole – shop sign this morning” my bluff was called and I soon found myself with a load of photos that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with. A blog seemed a good way of having to put some sort of structure to them and also made me think about what I was recording as there was always the possibility that someone might actually be reading it! I’m not savvy or dedicated enough to think about creating a proper full-blown website so the informal and straightforward nature of a blog suited me down to the ground.

What about London inspires your blog?
I’ve lived in London, and South London at that, pretty much all my life, which makes it difficult for me to identify something ‘different’ or ‘inspirational’ about London as it’s pretty much the only environment I know. If I was to try to put my finger on something specific though I’d have to say that the blog is inspired by London’s ability to share small secrets. A city like London is basically a layer cake of styles and aspirations laid down over the centuries and however modern it appears at first glance clues to these older layers are impossible to eradicate – even if for the most part we ignore them for their irrelevance. How many people see or notice coalholes or even know what they are for? Or bootscrapers, house name-plaques and drainage vent-pipes? London is always playing peek-a-boo with the past and once you realise that the game is on it’s quite enjoyable to join in.

Read the rest on Londonist.

If you had to describe your blog in less than 15 words how would you do it?
Craft, community, place to share and publicise: our events, members, designer makers and friends!

Why did you start blogging?
It’s a great way to showcase what we’re doing as a collective.

What about London inspires your blog?
The huge amount of great,generous people in the craft community! It’s a big city but you find niches of really interesting communities like the craft community that actually want to share, be part of something ethical and make their own things.