Global Warming

**About the London Software Guild** ​The London Software Guild gathers developers, architects, and teams across London who care deeply about the craft of building great software. No fluff, no vendor pitches — just people who take the work seriously, sharing what they've learned the hard way. *** ## ​**Tonight's Speakers** ## ​**🎤 Kieran — Founding Engineer, Demand-Genius** ​Kieran is a founding engineer at Demand-Genius, working to close the gap between how humans and machines perceive your brand versus reality. Background in electrical & electronic engineering, previously working on real-time payments systems, high-scale distributed dynamic rules engines, and reverse proxies. Third Start-Up/Scale-Up (because I'm dumb and have never learnt my lesson). ​ **Talk: The Statistical (Un)Certainty That Our AI Co-Founder Ruins Everything** ​We have handed the most powerful text prediction machines ever built the keys to our codebases. They write code that is statistically likely to be correct. But "statistically likely" and "correct" are not the same thing. As we move toward autonomous multi-agent systems writing production code at machine speed, that gap becomes the central engineering problem of our time. ​Code is not text. It is a formal, deterministic, mathematical structure that happens to be serialised as text. Every tool in the agentic coding stack — retrieval, editing, version control, coordination — treats it as text. ​This talk argues that the answer isn't better frontier models. It's better systems around models. Specifically, the engineering disciplines we've used for a century to control uncertain systems — feedback loops, formal verification, dependency analysis, and control theory — are the missing layer between "AI can write code" and "AI can write code you can trust." *** ## ​**🎤 Andy Roberts — Senior Engineering Leader** ​Andy Roberts is a senior engineering leader with 25+ years of experience — the kind where you've actually written the code, run the teams, and been in the room when things went wrong at scale. Previously Head of EMEA Enterprise Solutions at Apollo GraphQL, where he helped companies like [Booking.com](https://booking.com/), PayPal, and The New York Times stop arguing about their APIs. Before that, Head of API Engineering at RS Components, wrangling 11 teams. Has strong opinions about federated architecture and isn't afraid to use them. ​ **Talk: Built for Browsers, Billed by Tokens** *Your microservices solved for latency. AI agents are solving for context. Nobody told your APIs.* ​Every era of software development has been defined by a constraint that reshaped architecture. In the database era we optimised for round trips. In the web era we obsessed over latency. Mobile forced us to think about bandwidth and battery. Each shift required new instincts, new patterns, new defaults. We're in the middle of another one. ​The AI era introduces a new constraint: context. Language models have finite working memory, and every API response your services return goes into it. The kitchen-sink response payloads that work fine for browsers are quietly making your AI agents more expensive and less capable — and the cost is almost entirely invisible in your existing dashboards. ​This talk maps the constraint transition from latency to context, shows what it means for the microservice APIs you have today, and offers five concrete things you can do about it without touching a line of existing backend code.

March's Book: Doughnut Economics: Seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist by Kate Raworth. Economics is broken. It has failed to predict, let alone prevent, financial crises that have shaken the foundations of our societies. Its outdated theories have permitted a world in which extreme poverty persists while the wealth of the super-rich grows year on year. And its blind spots have led to policies that are degrading the living world on a scale that threatens all of our futures. Can it be fixed? In Doughnut Economics, Oxford academic Kate Raworth identifies seven critical ways in which mainstream economics has led us astray, and sets out a roadmap for bringing humanity into a sweet spot that meets the needs of all within the means of the planet. En route, she deconstructs the character of ‘rational economic man’ and explains what really makes us tick. She reveals how an obsession with equilibrium has left economists helpless when facing the boom and bust of the real-world economy. She highlights the dangers of ignoring the role of energy and nature’s resources – and the far-reaching implications for economic growth when we take them into account. And in the process, she creates a new, cutting-edge economic model that is fit for the 21st century – one in which a doughnut-shaped compass points the way to human progress. Ambitious, radical and rigorously argued, Doughnut Economics promises to reframe and redraw the future of economics for a new generation. The meeting starts at 7:30. Shortly after 7.30, we will break up into small groups. Those familiar with the CLH Book Group meeting know how this works: in each group we take turns introducing ourselves and giving our 1 minute thoughts on the book. It's important not to go over a minute and not to interrupt other people's minute so that everyone gets a chance to participate. After this first round, each group discusses for another 20 minutes or so. We then shuffle the groups so as to talk to as many different people as possible and in the new groups repeat our introductions and 1 minute thoughts. We'll do this a couple of times before coming all together at the end in one last big group. While we are very social and welcoming, the book group's primary focus is on discussing books. Feel free to turn up if you haven't managed to finish this month's book but note that the group works best when we have all read at least half of the book and are prepared to share our opinions. *** £3 per person to attend. If it's your first time, come and try us out for free! If you prefer, you can [pay online, by clicking here](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZWCNRJ25BDL96). We encourage dialogue, debate and sharing of information on our site but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any views expressed here are those of the individual posting them and may not reflect those of CLH.

Please join us for our next Bioinformatics London meetup, where we welcome **Francisco Azuaje**, Director of Bioinformatics and AI at **Genomics England**, for a talk on what it really takes to turn powerful models and rich datasets into safe, trustworthy impact in the clinic. **Francisco Azuaje** is Director of Bioinformatics at **Genomics England**, where he leads applied ML and GenAI across national-scale genomic and clinical datasets. With 25+ years across academia, public sector and pharma (including UCB and the Luxembourg Institute of Health), his work focuses on what actually works in AI for bioinformatics: moving from proof-of-concept to robust, governed systems that clinicians and patients can trust. In this talk, he will discuss real-world lessons from deploying AI in genomics pipelines and health data platforms, touching on verification, safety, organisational friction, and why the hard problems now are as much social and operational as they are technical. Approximate schedule: * 18:30 – Doors open * 18:45 – Chitchat, announcements * 19:00 – Talk and Q&A * 19:45 – End, then adjourn to a nearby pub for informal discussion Please **RSVP at least the day before** so we can provide an attendee list to reception. Make sure your Meetup name looks like a real name (e.g. “J Smith” or “Jane Jones”, not “weaselstabber”) so University of Westminster reception can identify you. We look forward to seeing you there for an honest discussion about what it takes to make AI and genomics work *for* real patients, not just in demos.

Ready to get outside? Our Thursday morning session in Dulwich park is back! At this moment we can meet with up to 30 people (of more than two households) to do outdoor exercise and walks. However, i like to keep our exercise groups small, so I have set the maximum participants at 12. For now this walk is for our experienced Nordic Walkers only, who already used to Nordic Walk with us regularly before Covid 19 kept us indoors, and who have their own Nordic Walking poles. As this session is outdoors, we will not ask you to wear a face mask, but we do ask you to keep 2 meters apart. Some of our walkers might be immune compromised or more at risk, so please help us keep everyone safe! Please do not come to the session and stay at home if: - you know you have been in contact - in the last 2 weeks- with someone with symptoms of possible Covid, or if you have been in contact with someone who tested positive. - you have any of the following symptoms: (new) Loss of smell/taste, Persistent cough, Fatigue, Loss of appetite, Skin rash, Hives, Fever, Severe muscle pain, Shortness of breath, Diarrhoea, Delirium, Abdominal pain, Chest pain, Hoarse voice, Eye soreness, Sore or painful throat, Nausea or vomiting, Headache, Dizziness or light headedness We meet by the cafe in the middle of the park. Session Price: £10 per session, £89 for a 10-session card or £70 unlimited sessions per month. Session cards and pay Monthly can be used in any of our outdoor walks or indoor Zoom classes sessions (except for the Parkinson's sessions). Pay What Works: The price shown above is the “true” value of the session that best reflects the work I put into preparing and leading your session. However, I understand that not everyone can afford to pay full price, and I don’t want that to stop you from joining us. In an effort to find a balance between more financial accessibility and sustainable pricing, I now offer a “Pay What Works” model. This allows for financial flexibility while still valuing and respecting the work and energy I provide in creating and delivering these classes. Then send an email to ailien@fitandhappyoutdoors.com with the heading “INVOICE please”- followed by “FAHO 1” to pay full price as quoted below, “FAHO 2”, for 20% off, or “FAHO 3” for 50% off. Pllease do tell me if you want to pay for 10 sessions, or if you’d like to pay monthly. I prefer payment by bank transfer, but if that is not possible you could pay in cash. No cheques please, the queues by the banks are just too long. We walk in all safe weather conditions – if a walk is cancelled, we will contact you to let you know. Please check for text messages or Meetup messages before leaving home!

This is a casual hang out to meet fellow BTS ARMY, play BTS Uno & other games, and discuss Arirang! We’ll meet at the ICA bar on the Mall (nearest tube Charing Cross). Follow directions to the bar until you reach the area labeled “Snug” - we will be at the long table. Feel free to pop in and out as you can! Note: Please read the group description before signing up!

Join OutdoorLads popular weekly Thursday Bouldering evening at The Arch in Bermondsey. OutdoorLads London boulderers welcome all members of the LGBTQ+ community You'll be meeting with a supportive group of 5 to 10 plus boulderers who are always happy to introduce complete beginners or solve difficult bouldering problems with enthusiasts. We usually follow up with a pub visit. This event is for members of all levels of experience and all are welcome to come along to any of the sessions. Bouldering is a form of climbing where instead of long high routes, the 'problems', as they are referred to, tend to be shorter and focus on technique, balance, body positioning and sometimes power. Because of this different emphasis, bouldering doesn't have the hassle of climbing with ropes, harnesses and belaying, which makes the activities excellent for newcomers to the sport. If you're a seasoned climber you won't need convincing about the benefits of bouldering, but for those who've never climbed more than a staircase, the benefits are wide ranging: from the physical - improved strength, tone, balance, power and coordination; mental - problem solving, focus, concentration and body awareness; to the emotional - relaxation, a sense of achievement and a feeling that mind and body are working together perfectly ('feeling psyched'). On top of all this, bouldering tends to be a very social sport where you can hang out with mates and each have a go as you feel regardless of what level you climb at.

SCENIC WALK IN CANADA WATER, then THAMESPATH WALK to GREENWICH and LEWISHAM. **WALK START:Canada Water Station** (Jubilee Line and London Overground - Travel Zone 2) WALK ROUTE: From Canada Water Station we walk through dockland pools and along the Thamespath to Greenwich and then along the Waterlink Walk to Lewisham. WALK DISTANCE: Approx 5 miles. WALK FINISH: At Lewisham Station (Travel Zone 2 - National Rail and Docklands Railway.) STOPOUT POINT: Our walk crosses many London bus routes **Scroll down to see Disclaimer and Notice of Risks.** ENJOY UNIQUE HEALTHY WALKS IN STUNNING GREEN SPACES OR ALONG WATERWAYS IN LONDON. **COST of EVENT**: **All of the walks on this group are only £5 each to attend. Payment is not collected before the day of the event to allow you maximum flexibility.** **This walk is free for holders of the Ken's Events Membership Card.** Get out, explore and enjoy London's abundant green spaces and surprising surrounding countryside. Give up the city streets for a day and breathe some fresh air. Improve your overall fitness levels and make some new friends at the same time. Social Event: Our walks are social walks, where the emphasis is on meeting new people, enjoying nature, healthy exercise, and fresh air. Our walks are not interrupted with running commentaries or historical lectures, although occasionally features of significance may be pointed out. As such our walks will be continuous with few stops and it is your responsibilty to keep walkers ahead in view and to follow the direction of the walk. We always end the walk at a pub where the socialising can continue. Take this opportunity to visit green parts of London, unknown to most people, and that you would not otherwise have an opportunity to see. RISKS:Please dress appropriately for weather conditions and carry a bottle of water and necessary medication. You need to be moderately fit for this walk and be able to walk for four miles without a break. In these walks we use; pavements, cross busy roads, public parkland, towpaths alongside water, other public paths, and tracks through woodland and countryside. Please only wear good sturdy shoes, trousers are recommended, and take care as surfaces may be uneven, and some paths are also used by joggers and cyclists. Be wary of portruding tree roots and low overhanging branches. If you require insurance for these walks then you must arrange this yourself. No large dogs or small children please. Please arrive in good time to allow opportunity to use toilets at the start of the walk as there may not be any toilet breaks available during the walk. WANT TO COME ON ANOTHER WALK? For a list of future walks go to[ http://www.meetup.com/KENS-EVENTS-EXPLORE-LONDON-SECRETS/events/](https://www.meetup.com/KENS-EVENTS-EXPLORE-LONDON-SECRETS/events/) DISCAIMER All Ken's Events are subject to a disclaimer. Please click here [https://www.meetup.com/kens-events-explore-london-secrets/](https://www.meetup.com/kens-events-explore-london-secrets/) to find out more about Kens Events/Walks and click on 'read more' to see full disclaimer. Please post no pre-event messages unless you are posting something relevant for the whole group. Kens Events also has a facebook page. [http://www.facebook.com/Kens.events](http://www.facebook.com/Kens.events) When you arrive at the station look for Ken with Kens Events/Meetup Badge outside the station. WHAT IF THE WEATHER IS BAD? - Light rain is not a problem, only very heavy rain will lead to a postponement.

A GREEN WALK through some of North London's open green spaces and waterways including a ZOO, SEVERAL PARKS and GARDENS, SEVERAL LAKES, WETLANDS and a clear STREAM. All this plus socialising afterwards with CHEAP FOOD and DRINKS in a convivial pub atmosphere with friendly people. Come and enjoy the whole experience!! **WALK START:** **Angel Underground Station (Northern Line**). WALK ROUTE: A green walk along an early stretch of the New River through the often overlooked Clissold Park with its zoo. Then we head through the Woodberry Wetlands an unexpected gem so close to the city. The vast open space of Finsbury Park, Arsenal Football Stadium and Highbury Fields round off this walk WALK FINISH: Pub close to Highbury and Islington Station. WALK DISTANCE: Approx 6.5/7 miles. STOP OUT POINT: Nearby bus routes during some parts of the walk. We also pass Manor House and Finsbury Park Underground Stations **COST of EVENT**: **All of the walks on this group are only £5 each to attend. Payment is not collected before the day of the event to allow you maximum flexibility. Why pay more on other groups for overpriced walks with no afterwalk socialising!!** **The walk is free for holders of the Ken's Events Membership Card.** Get out, explore and enjoy London's abundant green spaces and surprising surrounding countryside. Give up the city streets for a day and breathe some fresh air. Improve your overall fitness levels. Take this opportunity to visit green parts of London, unknown to most people, and that you would not otherwise have an opportunity to see. Social Event: Our walks are social walks, where the emphasis is on meeting new people, enjoying nature, healthy exercise, and fresh air. Our walks are not interrupted with running commentaries or historical lectures, although occasionally features of significance may be pointed out. As such our walks will be continuous with few stops and it is your responsibilty to keep walkers ahead in view and to follow the direction of the walk. WE ALWAYS END THE WALK AT A PUB WHERE THE SOCIALISING CAN CONTINUE. RISKS for all walks: Please dress appropriately for weather conditions and carry a bottle of water and necessary medication. You need to be moderately fit for this walk and be able to walk for four miles without a break. In these walks we use; pavements, cross busy roads, public parkland, towpaths alongside water, other public paths, rights of way, bridlepaths, country lanes and other established paths and tracks through woodland, bush and countryside. Please only wear good sturdy shoes, preferably walking boots and take care as surfaces may be uneven, tree roots may protrude, there may be low overhanging branches and some paths are also used by joggers and cyclists and sometimes cars (country lanes). Some tracks may be muddy and slippery. On occasion wild,domestic and farm animals may also encountered. If you require insurance for these walks then you must arrange this yourself. No large dogs or small children please. WANT TO COME ON ANOTHER WALK? For a list of future walks go to[ http://www.meetup.com/KENS-EVENTS-EXPLORE-LONDON-SECRETS/events/](https://www.meetup.com/KENS-EVENTS-EXPLORE-LONDON-SECRETS/events/) DISCAIMER All Ken's Events are subject to a disclaimer. Please click here [http://www.meetup.com/kens-events-explore-london-secrets/](http://www.meetup.com/kens-events-explore-london-secrets/) to find out more about Kens Events/Walks and click on 'read more' to see full disclaimer. Please post no pre-event messages unless you are posting something relevant for the whole group and only post photos of other members with their consent. Kens Events also has a Facebook Page, Instagram and Twitter accounts. [http://www.facebook.com/Kens.events](http://www.facebook.com/Kens.events) Instagram Page [Kenswalks](https://www.instagram.com/weekendgreenwalks/) Twitter [@KenEvents](http://www.twitter.com/KenEvents) Kens Events also has a Facebook Group that you can join. [http://www.facebook.com/groups/Kensevents](http://www.facebook.com/groups/kensevents) If weekday and evening walks are your thing, then you should join Ken's Weekday and Evenings Walking Group. Click here for more information. [(https://www.meetup.com/KENS-WEEKDAY-EVENING-WALKS/)](https://www.meetup.com/KENS-WEEKDAY-EVENING-WALKS/) When you arrive at the station look for Ken with Kens Events Flag or Badge outside the station. RAIN POLICY: Our walks normally go ahead as planned even if it rains. Light rain is not usually a problem . However if torrentail rain is forecast, please check back to this webpage on the morning of the event around 10am for the latest update. Tell your friends you are going!

​Join us for the 25th London PyTorch Meetup! 🔥 ​We have our first speaker confirmed: **Peter Romov** – Open Source Contributor, 2. PyTorch/Opacus Autoresearch for Discovering State-of-the-Art LLM Adversarial Attacks ​More speakers to be announced.

CHERRY BLOSSOM, BLACKHEATH VILLAGE, PARKLAND, LAKE, followed by SOCIALISING with CHEAP FOOD and DRINKS in a convivial pub atmosphere. **WALK START POINT: LEWISHAM Station** (DLR and National Rail). Look for Ken with the Kens Events/Meetup Flag/Badge outside the station. The fastest way to get to Lewisham is to use British Rail from/via London Bridge (8 mins). WALK ROUTE: Blackheath to Greenwich Park (Cherry Blossom). WALK DISTANCE: Approx 4.5 miles. WALK END POINT: Cutty Sark Station. WALK STOP OUT POINT: We cross several London bus routes. BREATHE FRESH AIR: Give up the city streets for a day and improve your overall fitness levels on a green walk. Explore and enjoy London's abundant and sometimes secret green spaces, forest areas and surprising surrounding countryside. Meet new people and make some new friends. Walking is a great social activity. Visit parts of London, unknown to most people, that you would not otherwise have a reason to see. **Social Event**: Our walks are social walks, where the emphasis is on meeting new people, enjoying nature, healthy exercise, and fresh air. Our walks are not interrupted with running commentaries or historical lectures, although occasionally features of significance may be pointed out. As such our walks will be continuous with few stops and it is your responsibilty to keep walkers ahead in view and to follow the direction of the walk. We always end the walk at a pub where the socialising can continue. *Be sure to join us in the pub for the whole experience!* COST: Free for members (who show their Ken's Events Membership card). For others there is a £5 fee for this event. Scroll down to bottom of page to see disclaimer and notice of risks. WANT TO COME ON ANOTHER WALK? For a list of future walks go to[ http://www.meetup.com/KENS-EVENTS-EXPLORE-LONDON-SECRETS/events/](https://www.meetup.com/KENS-EVENTS-EXPLORE-LONDON-SECRETS/events/) Please post no pre-event messages unless you are posting something relevant for the whole group and only post photos of other members with their consent. Kens Events also has a Facebook Page, Instagram and Twitter accounts. [http://www.facebook.com/Kens.events](http://www.facebook.com/Kens.events) Instagram Page [Kenswalks](https://www.instagram.com/weekendgreenwalks/) Twitter [@KenEvents](http://www.twitter.com/KenEvents) Kens Events also has a Facebook Group that you can join. [http://www.facebook.com/groups/Kensevents](http://www.facebook.com/groups/kensevents) For weekday and evening walks join Ken's Weekday and Evenings Walking Group. [(https://www.meetup.com/KENS-WEEKDAY-EVENING-WALKS/)](https://www.meetup.com/KENS-WEEKDAY-EVENING-WALKS/) RAIN POLICY: Light rain is not usually a problem . However if torrentail rain is forecast, please check back to this webpage on the day of the event around 3 hours before the start for the latest update. Tell your friends you are going! Unfortunately no large dogs and small children are permitted on these walks. **NOTICE of RISKS applicable for all walks:** Please dress appropriately for weather and terrain conditions. Only wear good sturdy shoes, with ankle support, and carry a bottle of water and necessary medication. You need to be moderately fit for this walk and able to walk for at least 8 miles. This walk is suitable for the average experienced hill walker. Expect some hills. Do not attend this walk if you do not fit that description or if you have a medical condition (especially heart and/or lung conditions) that may impact upon your capability of completing the walk. These walks are city walks and countryside walks where all the usual risks of injury during such walks apply resulting from interactions with road traffic, joggers, cyclists, e-scooters,other members of the public, animals (farm, domestic and wild), plants (allergic reactions), uneven surfaces, including portruding tree roots and potholes and there may be low overhanging branches. In these walks we cross busy roads, use towpaths alongside water, bridlepaths, country lanes and sometimes ill defined paths and tracks through woodland, bush and countryside. Some tracks may be muddy and slippery, and conditions may be wet and icy. The walk leader is not and does not purport to be a professional guide, or a medical professional, but is instead a like minded individual who also enjoys hill walking and who is familiar with the intended route. Do not attend this walk unless you accept and consent to the above risks. If you require insurance for these walks then you must arrange this yourself. **DISCAIMER** All Ken's Events are subject to a disclaimer. Please click here [https://www.meetup.com/kens-events-explore-london-secrets/](https://www.meetup.com/kens-events-explore-london-secrets/) to find out more about Kens Events/Walks and click on 'read more' to see full disclaimer.

233, 235, 262, 534, 1085 - Mathematics is the language of nature. Leith Hill is 965 ft asl and the highest point on this planet close to London. On top there is a tower that one can climb to reach 1,000 ft. Happy altitude = Happy attitude. Easter egg prize on the day to the first person on the summit to solve the mathematical sequence above🥚 Outward Travel: Take the train departing 9:41 AM from London Victoria to Box Hill & Westhumble. Beforehand from 9.20 AM the organizer will be easy to spot next to the WH Smith in the centre of the station, wearing a bright yellow shirt or coat. Buy an off peak day return to DORKING - £10.50 with a Network card or Groupsave. Walk start: 10:40 AM from Box Hill & Westhumble rail station. Bring a packed lunch. Snacks available at the summit. Pub stop for drinks only. The walk is 16 miles (26 km) ending at Dorking where there are regular trains back to London. *How to join?* * The walk is entirely free of charge; * You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses; * Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part); * Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips: http://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/ *What to bring* * Plenty of water, 1-2 litres recommended * Enough snacks and packed lunch to keep you energized along the walk * Extra snacks and an extra packed lunch just in case * Rainproof (ideally waterproof) clothing, sturdy shoes/boots you don't mind getting muddy * Spare socks * Walking poles and/or an umbrella :-) * Yourself... * ...and your camera! * Cash for train ticket * Cash for pub at the end of the walk? Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section! IMPORTANT Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes. Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader". Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen. Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-) By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer. Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips: http://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/ TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel - this gives everyone the freedom and choice. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered. As most of our trips are confirmed or postponed very close to the event date - heavily depending on the weather forecasts - we advise not to buy this until the last minute. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.

**Londoners! Join us Sunday, March 29th at noon as we stare futility in the face and laugh: we're joining tens of thousands of proud dorks nationwide who love their communities and want them to be more beautiful. We refuse to accept that life under capitalism means swimming in the unwanted filth of our plastic-addicted civilisation.** **Sturdy gloves, bags and picking tools will be provided, so just bring good shoes, durable clothing and a fearless determination. Joining us will be residents of the local area who need our help to bring some pride back to their neighbourhoods.** **We'll meet at noon at Abbey Wood station on the end of the Elizabeth Line, about 20 mins from central London. Our community partners will lead us onwards from around 12:30.** **The intrepid picker who picks the most will win a £10 Co-op gift card!** Why is LCC doing litter-picking? Read on for our analysis of why this form of mutual aid is both necessary and weirdly fun. \-\-\-\- Have you noticed that lately, the filth seems to be spreading? Living in a great megalopolis like London, it's easy to gaslight ourselves into believing that it's always been like this, that "cities are just dirty"; and anyway if there's a problem, the council should solve it! What else do we pay taxes for? But no, it's not your imagination. Halfway through the 2020s and we really are living through an [unprecedented explosion](https://wastedirect.co.uk/guides/fly-tipping-statistics/) in fly-tipping and general filth. It's true that, [across the country,](https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/economic-growth/regional-development/2024/01/council-bankruptcy-tracker-local-government-authorities-finances) many of the local governments whose job it is to collect trash are going bankrupt or getting close. In Birmingham, which went bankrupt in 2023, this financial situation has provided cover for a refusal to pay sanitation workers a fair wage, leading to one of the [longest all-out strikes](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crleyz0d557o) in modern British history and sky-high rubbish piles - even as the council says it's [no longer](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crleyz0d557o) bankrupt. None of this really explains what's going on in London, where local authorities are still mostly solvent and sanitation workers not on strike, at least after Tower Hamlets [settled its dispute](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66917779) a few years ago. This despite the fact that London has some of the [highest fly-tipping rates](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fly-tipping-uk-map-ranked-worst-b2705154.html) in the country. To our historical-materialist minds here at LCC HQ, there are bigger forces than councils at work, namely: the exhaustion of the global supply chain in recycling and waste on the one hand, and on the other, the ongoing colonisation of our spectacularly corrupt political economy by organised crime. These days there's simply too much trash for councils to deal with, at any price - which is where fly-tipping comes in. Without most of us being aware, China - once the [leading importer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%27s_waste_import_ban) of the world's waste - quietly [stopped accepting westerners' trash in 2018 as part of National Sword](https://e360.yale.edu/features/piling-up-how-chinas-ban-on-importing-waste-has-stalled-global-recycling). Having allowed the [recycling and waste-processing infrastructure](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/09/britain-2bn-recycling-industry-export-plastic-waste) necessary to deal with it ourselves to collapse along with the rest of our industry, since foisting it on the Global South is more to our liking, we are now swimming in an ocean of garbage with no idea what to do with it. A paltry 600,000 tons of waste, including valuable recyclables, is now being dumped abroad annually - and with Indonesia [having just joined China in banning waste imports,](https://seasia.co/2025/09/06/indonesia-ends-plastic-waste-imports-amid-growing-environmental-concerns) it's no wonder that things are really starting to get bad here. Perhaps this explains why over the past couple years, [criminal gangs have been porting millions of tonnes of our junk](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/organised-crime-fly-tipping-police-environment-agency-b2853238.html) away from the cities, mostly to illegal "mega-tip" sites in the countryside. We've already [buried ancient woodlands and bluebell fields in Kent](https://news.sky.com/story/ancient-bluebell-woodland-smothered-in-illegal-waste-as-campaigners-tell-authorities-to-do-the-right-thing-13125165) under hundreds of tonnes of rubbish; we all saw the news about [Kidlington's 150m long, 15m wide, 10m high super-tip.](https://news.sky.com/story/kidlington-fly-tipping-two-men-arrested-over-rubbish-dumped-in-oxfordshire-field-13500924) Now that these sites have become too large to ignore, suddenly laws are being enforced out there. As of writing, it seems that the chickens have come home to the cities to roost: fly-tipping gangs are now simply leaving our alleys, parks and road by-passes strewn with a distributed, ever-growing network of waste piles. A situation now exists where the reality of waste has become impossible to ignore in the traditional way, that of putting it in the bin and forgetting its existence: the streets are proof that, in the age of plastics, nothing can ever really be "thrown away". In fact, there is no *away.* Alongside the proliferation of chemical waste, human shit and other effluvia now coursing through our rivers and water tables, we can add the trash crisis to Britain's overall *sanitation crisis.* So what? Like so much about life under modern capitalism, from the Epstein revelations to skyrocketing food insecurity, the mind looks for an escape route when confronted with the scale of the problem. British leftists raised on a steady diet of *Novara Media*-style social-democratic welfarism will protest: working-class people work hard enough without having to clean their own streets! The government needs to fund waste collection properly, rebuild our recycling plants and crack down on the fly-tippers! All that may be true. But Britain doesn't have a government, it has an occupying army of capitalist parasites wearing a liberal-democratic skin suit. They're not going to help us and they never will, because there is no sanitation crisis inside their gated communities. What's a proletarian supposed to do? Live with the indignity? Get used to living like an unloved animal, just because conditions outside are like a pigsty? You can definitely write your councillor, petition Parliament, and generally campaign for a state-led clean-up. But if we've seen much evidence of anything in politics in the last twenty years, it's that this kind of activism is niche. Too niche to make much of a difference. This won't change from the "top down", with one more big push by activist groups to get everyone involved in their letter-writing campaign. People, largely, lack the confidence to get involved in anything political. To rebuild that confidence, we need to work from the bottom up. Many hands make light work, as the saying goes - workers together can really transform an area in the space of an afternoon, if enough of them rally to the task. In this case, we're working from the *very* bottom: picking up trash may not represent even a small-scale political "victory", but having a more beautiful local street or park does make for a marginally more enjoyable daily life. Meeting and building solidarity with other people who love their community and aren't afraid to put some work in to make it better is also a powerful reason to get out there. Not quite "another world is possible", but maybe this - especially for those who are looking for a community of like-minded people - could be a step towards achieving that consciousness. Litter-picking groups have [grown in popularity across Britain](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgnne5mmz7o), but not so much London as of yet. Why? Maybe we think we're too cool for something so profoundly dorky, thankless and Sisyphean. Isn't the trash just going to come back? Maybe - but one must imagine Sisyphus happy. So pull on those work gloves and join us for a bit of litter-picking! https://www.tcv.org.uk/media_hub/litter-picking-a-beginners-guide/

Join us for the Spring edition of [Nature Loving Fest](https://www.facebook.com/events/895148649812928), a small, thoughtfully curated outdoor gathering celebrating vegan eats, handmade goods, and the beauty of the season. Formerly known as our Vegan Pop-Up, this new chapter reflects what the event has always been — a space rooted in nature, community, and intentional living. Expect around 20 local vendors offering seasonal vegan eats, small-batch bakes, handcrafted goods, and earth-conscious products. Come support local makers, share good food, and celebrate the beginning of a new season with us. Admission is Free.

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.

Hi ladies. We will meet in front of the Nature Center and head to the two Observation decks. We will then hike Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook and Sugarbush trails to get approximately four miles total distance. We will walk approximately a 18 minute mile pace. Please wear appropriate hiking shoes.