Transparency Programme Lead & Programmer | @mysociety / @whatdotheyknow / @cardiffrb / @_buildingbeauty 20/21
Cardiff, UK
Joined February 2009
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- Following883
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- Likes3.2K
Gareth Rees retweeted
If you’re a journalist, campaigner or someone who simply wants to learn more about FOI, why not consider our upcoming zoom course for requesters?
When: Thursday 16th October from 10am to 4pm
Sign up details via this link: cfoi.org.uk/2025/08/using-th…
Gareth Rees retweeted
🔔Final Call 🔔
Last chance to book in for our webinar tomorrow – “A guide to making successful freedom of information request”
Space is limited to first come first served, so if you haven’t yet booked your space make sure to book today!
🔗 Sign up now: tinyurl.com/WebinarFOI
ALT Using FOI: a guide to making successful information requests Free online webinars Tuesday 29.04.25 14:00-15:30 or Wednesday 30.04.25 18:00-19:30. Book now: foi.scot/foi-users-guide
Gareth Rees retweeted
As part of the 20 year celebrations we are holding our first webinar of 2025. If you are a member of the public, a campaigner or just someone want to
access their information rights, this is the webinar for you.
🔗 Register now: tinyurl.com/WebinarFOI
ALT Using FOI: a guide to making successful information requests Free online webinars Tuesday 29.04.25 14:00-15:30 or Wednesday 30.04.25 18:00-19:30. Book now: foi.scot/foi-users-guide
Gareth Rees retweeted
THAT'S better. Adding height AND making London more gorgeous & interesting.
Bravo to our friend @FTerryArchitect & Finchatton for improving London. No rules of economics or physics stops us making our streets more lovely - only modish malevolence & the curious concept of "pastiche" which mysteriously only applies when evolving styles from pre 1930
Gareth Rees retweeted
The first set of FOI stats for central govt since the general election has been published today and shows a similar pattern under Labour to the FOI performance of the Conservative govt - which is not surprising.
Gareth Rees retweeted
A charity donation makes a great Christmas gift, and if you care about democracy, transparency, community & climate, we'll put it to very good use. mysociety.org/donate/?utm_so… #Thankyou
Gareth Rees retweeted
Freedom of information doesn't just require public bodies to respond to the requests they receive - they also have to publish information, letting people access it directly.
Some examples below of news stories from across the UK which arose from published information. 👇
I love a Freedom of Information request. I also love not sending an FOI request. As a data journalist, sometimes it’s easier to go digging through published data for the story rather than using FOI, especially if what y... clairemiller.net/2024/10/mor…
Gareth Rees retweeted
I’ve at last got around to setting up a blog to about UK transparency law.
It is a crucial democratic safeguard, but it is imperfect, treated with distain by many in government, and often badly enforced.
You can read all about it on Relight My FOIA
relightmyfoia.blog/
Gareth Rees retweeted
.@TBIJ is looking for a data journalist with in-depth experience of scraping to work on an ongoing investigation. If you're interested, or can suggest someone who might be, please drop me a DM
Gareth Rees retweeted
Our friends at @TheBristolCable are 90% to their fundraising target, which will unlock a crucial bonus grant of £40,000.
They do a lot of valuable journalism - support them via this link.
thebristolcable.org/join/?jo…
Gareth Rees retweeted
Our Alaveteli software which helps people run FOI sites all over the world - including our own @whatdotheyknow - has enjoyed a series of recent improvements. Here's the first - more to follow! mysociety.org/2024/07/09/new…
Gareth Rees retweeted
It's great that our public feed of information requested from authorities has helped with this analysis. FOI helps uncover emergent themes in what people need information about. Looking forward to seeing what comes out of authorities digging a layer deeper into each theme.
NEW: Together with @WhatDoTheyKnow, we’ve analysed more than 150,000 FOI requests to identify the common themes that people are interested in to help you decide what information you could proactively publish. ⬇️
ALT An icon of a yellow and white line graph with a magnifying glass over the top. This is to represent that we're taking a closer look at the data behind FOI requests.
Gareth Rees retweeted
I'm so excited about this project I agreed to make a video explaining it! eek!
please share, engage etc and check out whofundsthem.com! ❤️
Gareth Rees retweeted
A great opportunity from @mySociety for journalism students and journalists:
💪 Help hold power to account
🧠 Build skills and knowledge
🤩 Valuable experience to add to a CV
mysociety.org/democracy/who-…
Gareth Rees retweeted
NEWS
This government is the most secretive ever... FACT
Transparency plummets to new low.
@PeterKGeoghegan has found that just 34% of resolvable FOI requests were granted in full in 2023, the lowest since records began
They've trashed Nolan Principles in every conceivable way
🚨Government transparency plunges to the lowest level ever
🔴Departments and government agencies granted just 34% of “resolvable” Freedom of Information requests in full last year
🔴 Cabinet Office data admits this is “the lowest figure since monitoring began in 2005”
🔴 Public right to know? More like 'government right to secrecy'
New story on Democracy for Sale newsletter:
democracyforsale.substack.co…
Gareth Rees retweeted
🚨Government transparency plunges to the lowest level ever
🔴Departments and government agencies granted just 34% of “resolvable” Freedom of Information requests in full last year
🔴 Cabinet Office data admits this is “the lowest figure since monitoring began in 2005”
🔴 Public right to know? More like 'government right to secrecy'
New story on Democracy for Sale newsletter:
democracyforsale.substack.co…
Gareth Rees retweeted
Early birds get a 50% discount! Don't leave it too late: #TICTeC ticket prices go up after 20 April - that's just 3 days away! Find out more and book your place: tictec.mysociety.org/event/t… #civictech
ALT A colorful bird with a green and red beak
Gareth Rees retweeted
If you are at #SPANC24 and have a nose for investigations, please do join me for my class on how journalists can get the most out of freedom of information requests at 2.30 today!
Gareth Rees retweeted
"From one point of view, the UK has been through an openness revolution..."
@benworthy1 reflects on several decades of openness and FOI.
opengovernment.org.uk/2024/0…
Gareth Rees retweeted
What Do they Know is an invaluable tool to both submit your FOI requests and browse the FOI requests made by others.
@openDemocracy FOI Conference.
whatdotheyknow.com/