It makes things easier for me, as that’s where the Twitter account sits, and it also allows the people tracking the goings on of the WMCSMS to see what else is going on.

Please update your bookmarks, and RSS readers, and head on over to http://www.letsbesocial.co.uk

There’s no reason why we can’t stream meetings, but for the costs involved, who would watch it, and what would they get out of it?

I was one of 8 or 9 people in the spectator’s gallery, most of those were students, so for the general public.

In a time when Councils are being told to cut costs, and in some cases services, where does the funding come from to do this, and how would it be justified? I am all for citizen engagement, democracy, and due process, but I am really struggling with justifying the expense of making things like this available online to the directors, and members of the Council.

Any ideas?

OK so two were set-up previously, but they all spent the evening learning more about how they work, and ways in which searching for local data can be useful.

Ken Hawkins

Martin McCarthy

Mick Corser

Hopefully we’ll see more blogs over the coming months, and these ones getting more content, so please be supportive.
Thanks to Paul Hadley, Dan Slee, and Lorna Parsons for helping the Councillors this month!

6-7:30pm Civic Suite

December the 3rd in Room 1

Please let us know in the comments if you can make it!

We had Cllrs Bell, Reeve, and Hawkins at this SMS, and all were deeply engrossed in conversation with their surgeons.

We have Cllr David Bell now on Facebook, and learning the ropes from Gavin Wray, and Cllr Ken Hawkins now on Twitter as @councillorken.

I’m going to start sending out a few more emails prior to the December SMS to see if we can get a few more faces along next time

6-7:30pm Civic Suite

November the 10th in Room 4

December the 3rd in Room 1

Lots of good conversations going on, coffee being drunk, and nods of understanding.

I love these sessions!

It’s a short 4 minute video about social media usage by MPs and quite interesting. It also features someone I know, Alastair Smith from Newcastle City Castle, who has done a hell of a lot to increase the usage of social media for councils, and as such Newcastle CC’s Twitter account has one of the highest followings of any UK Council.

I am sure many of our Councillors feel the same way, so are these surgeries going to change their perceptions?

I hope so!

As before, free coffee, biscuits, and parking around the Council House itself.

6-7:30pm Civic Suite

I can see Kate, and Gavin helping 3 other Cllrs, but I bet I’m the only one posting an article about it