Rachel

I nearly missed this one. End Digital Poverty Week runs from 7 to 13 September, and it's the first time the Digital Poverty Alliance has expanded what used to be a single day into a full week. It marks their 25th anniversary too, and it brings government, industry and the third sector together to look at how digital exclusion shows up across education, employment, healthcare, finances and everyday access to services. At Open Voice Lab we talk a lot about doing digital better. This week is a...

Episode 2 of our Open Voice Lab Podcast is now live! And we are diving into one of the biggest debates in modern engagement: are community stalls still effective, or has digital engagement already taken over? Community stalls have been a core part of engagement and consultation for decades. But with digital reach, targeted ads, online listening, and high‑volume conversations happening on social media every day, many organisations are asking whether traditional face‑to‑face methods still...

We’ve pulled together some information to support engagement professionals who need to understand what has happened with the updated EHRC Code of Practice, and how it may impact on the work you do with communities. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has now brought its updated Services Code of Practice into force (August 2026). This follows the 2025 Supreme Court ruling that “sex” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex, and the code sets out how organisations should apply...