Things to know about UKGovCamp 2025 (ukgc25)

UKGovcamp

UKGovCamp is an annual unconference for people who want to make the public sector better. 

This post contains things you need to know about the 2025 event.

[UPDATE – 2pm Wednesday 15 January 2025]
🔵 Social venue now booked for 5pm Friday & Saturday
🔴 The Feathers, 18-20 Broadway, London SW1H 0BH
🔵 Friday we’re seated at the back of the ground floor
🔴 Saturday we have the whole pub to ourselves
🔵 Saturday, 1st drink + limited buffet is free
🔴 Very sorry we didn’t find a dry venue 😞

The short version:

BRING PHOTO ID! 🪪
You must have a ticket in your name to enter the event.
You don’t need to print your ticket, just bring photo ID.

Venue = Ministry of Justice (MOJ) 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ.
Date = Saturday 18 January 2025.
Timings = 0900 doors, 1000 event starts, 1100 sessions start, 1245 lunch, 1700 doors close.
Creche = If you’ve booked a place, bring them a packed lunch and outdoor clothes.
Hashtag = #ukgc25.
Friday/Saturday evening socials = Will be in Westminster, near MOJ.

Thank you to our sponsors

UKGovCamp is supported by sponsors. They keep the event free to attend, provide catering, creché, bursaries and more. Leftover funds go into our grant fund to support similar events.

What (not) to expect

A day of discussions (not presentations). So come with ideas to discuss, questions to answer and interactive workshops you’d like to run (not slidedecks). 

At the start of the event we’ll create the agenda together. Anyone can stand up and pitch a session (or a volunteer can do it for you). Topics are then added to the session grid. 

Sessions are 45 minutes long, with a minimum 15 minute break between each. There’s 2 sessions before lunch and 3 afterwards. There’ll be at least 8 dedicated rooms, giving a potential 40 sessions throughout the day. 

We strongly encourage you to move between sessions, even when they’re running. We call this the law of mobility and it helps spread ideas between sessions. 

If you’d like to read more, we recommend: 

Catering

The onsite cafe provides a free lunch at 12:45 and 2 barista made hot drinks whenever you want. Please bring a reusable cup if you have one. The onsite cafe covers most dietary needs you’ve told us about. Where we can’t, we’ll order from Pret a Manger. 

There’s also a DIY drinks station downstairs, with a selection of teas and cordials. Please bring your own water bottle / flask. We have a limited number of paper cups. 

Crèche

We have a few spaces left in the creche. Email organisers+creche@ukgovcamp.com to book. 

  • Crèche opens at 0900 and closes at 1700
  • You must bring a pack lunch for your child(ren) 
  • Please bring warm/outdoor clothes for your child (if you give consent for creche staff to take them for a walk in the park, weather permitting)

Social media

The hashtag is #ukgc25 (which is short for UKGovCamp 2025). Please use it in everything you share publicly. 

You can also tag the UKGovCamp social media accounts on BlueSky, LinkedIn, Mastodon and X (Twitter). There’s also a LinkedIn group you can post in. 

In the unlikely event that the main #ukgc25 hashtag gets spammed, you can specify a particular session using #ukgc25 +s_ (for the session number) +r_ (for the room number). So the hashtag for Session 1, Room 1 = #ukgc25s1r1

Session notes

Each session has its own collaborative document that anyone can edit. You can access the docs via the session grid at bit.ly/ukgovcamp.

Each session will have a couple of volunteers to add names and notes to the documents. But you’re welcome to add your own notes to the docs, either on the day or afterwards.

Photographs and videos

We encourage you to take photographs and videos to share publicly, except of anyone who’s wearing a yellow lanyard. They have requested not to have their likeness shared.

Swapshop

Outside conference room 1 is the swapshop. If you have stickers, books or anything else (within reason) you’d like to donate to the swapshop, please bring it with you. 

Prayer room

A prayer room is available. Please ask a volunteer for access.

Quiet room 

Conference room 10 is the designated quiet room. They’ll be colouring books or similar to help you unwind in silence. Please do not speak or take calls in this room.

Parents room

Conference room 11 is for breastfeeding or private moments with your children. 

Friday / Saturday night socials

We’re still securing a venue near MOJ and will update this page and email everyone when we know. We’re trying to avoid bars and pubs this year, so let us know if you have somewhere in mind. Both the Friday and Saturday night socials start at 5pm.

Sunday and beyond

Once you’ve recovered, please do dip into the session notes via bit.ly/ukgovcamp and share your blog posts via the #ukgc25 hashtag. Your thoughts will help make the public sector better.

40 comments

  1. Benji Portwin

    Hey!

    Is it too late for me to get a ticket?

    Thanks,

    Benji

  2. Trilly C

    Room for one more?

  3. Lee Baker

    Also hoping to attend at this late stage of possible…?

  4. Amanda

    Hi – literally just stumbled across ukgovcamp … would love to attend.

  5. Paola R

    Joining the queue in case there are still spots! (I thought I had subscribed to the ML last year – I obviously had not) 🥹

    • jacattell

      Hi Paola – yeah, we need to sort that mailing list out, sorry!

      Anyway, check your email 🙂

  6. Anabella

    Hi James is it too late to get a ticket for Saturday? Thanks!

  7. maryam torshizi

    Could I also join please?

  8. Daisy

    Hi, is it possible to get a ticket in the last minutes? Thanks!

  9. Charmaine

    I would also like a ticket as a friend who is in another department told me about thus! I haven’t seen any comms from my section unfortunately. Is it possible to still get a ticket please?

  10. Tom Vaughan

    I’m also interested if there are still spots available

  11. Sucharitha Revanuru

    HI, Is it possible to attend this unconference? Please do consider! Thanks,

    Sucharitha

  12. Ruth Harper

    I’m not Civil Service – I just looked for “unconference” and found this page. I’m a strategy person who’s mostly worked in adland, but used to run bar camps and unconferences (and learned a lot through them).

    Can I come, please?

  13. David

    Hello, is it still possible to get a ticket? I can’t find any info on tickets on the website?

  14. SebastainObeta

    I just checked my schedule and it appears I am free. Is there any way I can apply to come?
    Sebastian Obeta

  15. Elliot Leavy

    Hi would love to attend! Hopefully not too late…

    • jacattell

      Hi Elliot (-: Sorry I didn’t see this it time. We closed the ticketing around 4pm Friday, so we could let security have the final names in advance.

  16. Vijay

    Spending the day with my Mum so unfortunately can’t make this. Hopefully everyone has a great, productive day!

  17. Alex Ash

    Thank you all for an inspiring day; lets do more before 2026

  18. Kiran

    Can I be added to mailing list for future events please ?