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Building Resilience in the Age of AI: Lessons from Industry Experts

We recently hosted the Cyber and AI Preparedness Free Webinar, which brought together 3 incredible speakers from different industries. The webinar saw a lively discussion between Isabel Scavetta, a multi-award-winning cyber and diversity advocate; Matthew Forshaw, a senior advisor for skills at The Alan Turing Institute and AI researcher at Newcastle University; and James Tumbridge, an intellectual property and data regulation lawyer at Keystone Law who also chairs digital services for the City of London Corporation. As AI rapidly reshapes every industry, the UK’s public sector faces a critical moment. How can public bodies embrace innovation without exposing themselves to new risks? AI offers incredible potential, but how do we ensure that the workforce is prepared for this revolution?

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Practical Cyber Security Checklist for SMEs

Cyber security is no longer just a concern for large corporations. In the UK, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly targeted by cyber criminals precisely because they are often less protected. From phishing emails to ransomware attacks, the risks are growing - but the good news is that strong cyber security doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. This practical cyber security checklist, brought to you by the Public Sector Cyber Security Conference, is designed to help UK SMEs strengthen their defences, reduce risk, and build a more resilient organisation.

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The Hidden Cost of Youth Violence: What Communities Lose When Young People Slip Through the Cracks

Youth violence is often discussed in moments of crisis. A headline. A police cordon. A court appearance. What’s rarely discussed is the costs this violence has on communities, individuals and economies. Behind every incident is usually a young person who didn’t suddenly 'go wrong', but gradually slipped through a series of cracks: in education, mental health support, youth services, housing, and community connection. The topics discussed in this article directly relate to the National Tackling Gang Crime, Violence and Weapon Crime Conference 2026, which was held on the 29th January 2026.

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Embedding Biodiversity and Community Into the Heart of Development: Lessons from The Land Trust

As the climate crisis deepens, sustainability has shifted from a niche concern to a core pillar of business strategy, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is redefining how the UK thinks about land use, planning and community development. Yet while legislation and metrics can guide the what of environmental policy, it’s the people and organisations behind implementation that bring the how to life. BNG is an approach to development that makes sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development. It requires developments to result in at least a 10% increase in biodiversity compared to the pre-development state. This can be achieved on-site, through green infrastructure, off-site or a combination of both. Importantly, BNG is a mandatory requirement for most planning permissions in England.

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Developing a More Diverse and Modern Construction Industry: The CITB Case Study

Construction is one of the most male-orientated industries in the UK. Only around 15% of the construction workforce are women. CITB expects 251,500 extra construction workers will be needed by 2028 to meet the expected levels of work, so a push to engage more women in the industry will lead to a more efficient and diverse workforce. Julia Stevens from the CITB recently attended our Women in Construction Conference. She called for a renewed effort to break down the barriers and drive inclusion in construction. This article explores her keynote, the challenges women often face and the changes companies can make to more effectively engage and retain women.

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Financial Pressures at University: How Small Changes Can Make Big Differences

Life at university can be extremely stressful. Academic expectations are very high and rising house, food and transport costs are putting additional weight onto the burden of students. Financial issues have increased drastically alongside inflation and the cost of living crisis is impacting students deeply. In this article, Chloe Lockett, who works at the Students'​ Union at Bournemouth University - SUBU, explores her own experiences working at a major UK university and how the financial strains are impacting students' mental health. The work done by SUBU to support its students is commendable and highlights how change doesn’t need to cost a fortune - sometimes just having guidance can change people's experiences.

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Why Building More Cells Won’t Solve the UK’s Prison Crisis

Prisons are at a breaking point, with overcrowding bottlenecking services, straining mental health and lowering overall standards throughout the UK. We recently held The Prisoner Health and Wellbeing Conference, where industry leaders came together to explore prisoner wellbeing. In attendance was Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at The Howard League for Penal Reform. His keynote session explored prison capacity - the biggest thing impacting the prison system at the moment. Most people assume that the answer to this is to just simply build more prisons, but Nielson underlines how this issue is much more complex than that.

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AI Image Generation and Children: Protecting Our Most Vulnerable from AI

For most, AI image generation has been nothing more than a way to experiment and wonder at a powerful new tool, creating images that are often pretty or amusing. However, underneath this powerful tool is something sinister. The intersection of AI generation and sexual abuse is being exploited by offenders who are using it to create and distribute malicious content. According to the UK National Police Lead for AI, the largest criminal use of AI is by offenders creating child sexual abuse (CSA). The Preventing Child Abuse Conference took place on the 24th of June, and one of the impressive speakers in attendance was Hannah Swirsky from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), who detailed how the Internet Watch Foundation is devoted to stopping this harmful practice.

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Solidarity, Hope and Dignity: Refugee Action’s Vision for Refugee Protection

What does it really mean to give someone a fresh start? For Tim Naor Hilton, Chief Executive at Refugee Action, it begins with dignity, safety, and the chance to be seen as more than a statistic. Speaking at the Supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees Conference 2025, Hilton laid bare the realities of the UK asylum […]

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UK Government to Ban Public Bodies from Paying Ransoms to Hackers: The Cyber Security Battle

On the 22nd of July, the UK government published its plans to crack down on cyber criminals who use ransomware. In a move designed to strengthen national cyber resilience and reduce the growing threat of ransomware attacks, the government plans to ban public bodies from paying these ransoms. The decision comes after a surge in […]

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Navigating Cybersecurity In a Rapidly Evolving Digital Landscape

The UK has seen a sharp rise in cybercrime targeting public sector organisations over the past year, highlighting the need for stronger digital resilience and security strategies. We hosted the award-winning Public Sector Cyber Security Conference last February in London, which saw a collection of the UK’s data protection and cyber security leaders come together […]

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The Asks Around Social Housing: Tackling the UK Housing Crisis

In the time it takes you to read this article (around 4 or 5 minutes), at least one household will become homeless in England. The struggles to stay afloat with rent, to find social housing and the issues of temporary accommodation impact hundreds of thousands of people in the UK daily. It costs local councils […]

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