Meet Kirsty Styles a digital journalist and youth activist. A proud Warringtonian, along with Kerry Katona, she is also an enthusiastic dodge ball player and (very) amateur comedian.

Kirsty has worked as a media campaigner for Oxfam and as a freelance journalist for local, national and specialist organisations, including The Observer, RockFM and the Sunday Mirror. In a brush with the dark side, or something of an undercover project, she has also worked in advertising.

Bringing a bit of street smarts and good old common sense to the world of political thought, Kirsty is an elected youth member of the left-wing think tank Compass. Passionate about social issues last year, Kirsty put herself in the thick of it and appeared on a BBC documentary about youth unemployment, which was screened on BBC3, and also featured on Radio1.

And oh, she hates being told that change isn’t possible.

See the original post here: http://www.letsbebrief.co.uk/a-quick-intro-to-new-lbber-kirsty-styles/

Written for and first published at: http://www.letsbebrief.co.uk/notpartof2012-how-about-rio-2016/

Admit it. The cries of “Yes Jess!”, the shouts of “Go Mo” and the summer anthem ‘Gold on the Ceiling’ left you wanting more. I spent Super Saturday watching the big screen in Haggerston Park and I was carried away. We started talking about us as ‘we’, despite some of our deepest troubles being laid bare here just a year ago.

For an event that could have spiralled into the LOL-ympics, London 2012 has left an Olympic-shaped hole in the Universe. It took me some time to appreciate that this was not an event about fizzy drinks and fast food, weary with all of the pre-event advertising.

So this was actually about sport – about dedication and commitment – a call to arms. After ‘My Generation’ by The Who closed the celebration, Jaque Roggue, Head of the IOC said: “I call on the youth of the world to gather in Rio in four years’ time from now and celebrate the 31st Olympiad.”
Participation in sport among 16-24-year-olds in the UK is low and falling. It appears that in the upheaval between full-time study, job hunting and work, we stop taking part. For all our preoccupations with looking good, we abdicate the one activity that will help us stay trim and impress potential mates. The charity softball league I play for has produced six marriages.

But it was our Conservative government, who mock the alleged ‘prizes for all’ ethos of state schools and expanding waistlines, which scrapped our measly two hours of compulsory sport. Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, wrote an Olympic verse asking for school playing fields back, sold off to property developers, for every medal won. All of this government policy means that 60% of school children no longer play any competitive sport.

It was actually a hurdler that went to Eton who nearly didn’t make it to London 2012 because he was pushed towards academia as he was leaping over desks. Perhaps there is a leotarded gymnast in George Osbourne? And it was Yorkshire, in the relatively deprived northeast, which added 12 medals, proving that sport changes the lives of ordinary people. However, a third of the medallists went to private school, despite making up just 7% of the population.

A Guardian/ICM poll has found that support for the Olympic legacy is strongest amongst under 35s, who see hope for the future and the chance of a better world. Though the BBC declared Usain Bolt’s potential retirement as the ‘end of athletics’, this is the beginning for a generation inspired by the achievements of those 17 days.

There are 1400 days to Rio, and many winners in 2012 who ‘just picked up’ a sport. Samantha Murray, winner of the modern Pentathalon, said: “I’m just a normal girl”. The money that camera-friendly Olympians make from advertising cosmetics, fashion and cereals is an uncomfortable reality; or another perk of the job?

David Cameron was on the BBC sofa on Sunday pledging the same support for elite athletes going to Rio 2016 as there was for London. But how do you get up to that level in the first place? And what happens after that?

Jade Jones, gold medallist in Taekwondo, thanked her family and friends who fundraised so she could compete, which could become the norm as government money is shared thinly around. It might be this investment by communities that boosts us to further success, or perhaps Team GB volunteers will lead us into a community renaissance? Should schools coordinate this effort, if so, how do we get children, teachers, parents, politicians and sports enthusiasts involved? We should take the idea of the Big Society and stick it to them. Why do we let the rich be in charge – they are already powerful – how can they be expected to really have our interests at heart?

This is a 20-year job. And that means a little investment from you, us. You might not be the next Mo Farrah, but you might be the person who inspires the person who is. The reality of the volunteering effort is that more than 1 million young people still need jobs. We can’t be expected to endlessly work unpaid.

There were more cringe-worthy moments of course (George Michael in the closing ceremony), questionable commentary (“So how do you feel [about letting us down by not winning gold]?” said to sweaty and elated participants) and the heavy back patting at crisis well-averted. Bolt promised he would be back in the UK ‘when the tax laws change’, a powerful kick in the face for us, whose taxes made a huge contribution to the Games.

A charity has been set-up ‘Join in Sport UK’ with events starting this weekend. Sport is fun, try your best. Time will tell whether success was borne from a cynical need to look good, the Labour project that the Conservatives could have done without, and not a long-term commitment.
That’s all from me on this. Don’t forget we have the Paralympics still to come.

As Lord Coe said in his final speech to the crowd: “When the time came, Britain, we did it right.”

Yes Sir, just about…

Written for and first published at: http://www.letsbebrief.co.uk/week-2-notpartof2012/

So it’s the end of week 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games (a banned syntactic arrangement from the list issued by organisers), and it’s now clear to me that Olympics is quite an annoying word to write again and again. That aside, unless you are on holiday avoiding it, there is an unmistakable air of the Olympics in London town. Like it or not, CBeebies and BBC Parliament have made way for wall-to-wall coverage of the greatest show on earth. Despite having no tickets, my bike, TV and my residence in East London have ensured that the events are very much inescapable.

Given that you can see the stadium from my house, last Friday raised a dilemma – to party, or not to party? Hearing that there were big screens in Victoria Park down the road, and with helicopters flying worryingly low overhead, the journalist in me decided to pick up a few beers and head down to take my place among the great unwashed for the opening ceremony.

Strike 1. Gated area, ticket-holders only, and leave your booze at the door.

Thousands of others had heard news of a massive communal telly-watching opportunity, but what we didn’t know was that while the event was free (unlike Hyde Park, where audience members paid £60), they were only letting 5,000 people in on the door. Ticket-holders only. Hmpfh. As a miscellaneous urban voice addressed the crowd behind the metal fence, the rest of the park, and the huge queue, were cast out into darkness. At least we still had our booze…

The following morning, I dragged my bigger half to an anti-Olympics protest which promised to bring together more than 40 groups, including Occupy London and War on Want. It was a bit late to argue with the whole thing, as they’d already done the launch party, but I was interested nonetheless.

The beardy weirdies were out in force, flanked by Socialist Workers and quite a lot of the world’s media, including Channel 4. A stroke of genius by someone, somewhere, had led to the creation of a printable t-shirt stencil that read ‘official Olympic protester’, which looked strikingly similar to the actual Games logo. Which does say 2012, if you hadn’t deciphered it.

While a non-corporatised and non-militarised Olympics sounded like just what I was after, I wasn’t sure the kids of the ALARM anarchist group, who assured me that I ‘didn’t get it’, when I suggested that there were different types of freedom, were the people to deliver it.

Strike 2. Get Ahead of the Games… Wait…

We’ve been warned to stay off the tube for what feels like forever, fearing even bigger crowds than we’ve grown begrudgingly accustomed to. Apparently, that PR message was received a lot more clearly than the one that said ‘don’t get North and South Korea mixed up, they really hate that’. Hotel rooms next to Hyde Park that were £500 a night are now going for less than £100, shops and museums say visitors are down 30% on last year, traffic has reduced by a fifth.

Small businesses, like my local pub, where the landlady told me she’d had the worst day in living memory this week, have been left out in the Olympic advertising wilderness as the big brands, who only put in 2% of the £9.3 billion budget, were given 100% share of voice. I cycled past a pub that had avoided any mention of the Games by chalking a crude, but understandable, podium on the board outside. That’s one for the underdog. I also saw two boys brandishing Visa signs, with no discernible point, other than for people to see them. We own 85% of RBS and we don’t command the same power over what it says and does. If we did, those ‘ISA, ISA baby’ ads would never have seen the light of day…

Strike 3. LOCOG makes even more money on tickets.

I’ve been waiting patiently for a knock at my door by a purple-shirted volunteer asking me to fill up an empty seat; asking anyone, as one does when hosting a party, to give the illusion of popularity. You can’t argue with soldiers (unless you are married to one, I’m sure!) getting tickets. But I do know that I barely remember being a child…

In true Olympic spirit (or just for a laugh), I’ve been wapping out the Games buzzwords to see how far it gets me. So far, it’s 1-1. ‘Get Ahead of the Games’ appeared to help when I asked a wandering PCSO if I could ride in the Olympic Lane rather the angry queue of normal traffic. He advised me to ride on the pavement. ‘Get Behind the Games’ did not work on G4S workers at Haggerston Park, who clearly weren’t strict process followers in their civilian lives, but were keen on the ‘process’ of me walking to an entrance at the other end of the park (visible from where we were standing), as bikes were not allowed in the one they were covering. Ughhhh.

Loving
– The weird sports no one knew anyone was practising
– Men owning gymnastics and women playing excellent football

Hating
– Medal envy – ignorance of silver, bronze, or even qualifying, as demonstrating significant investment of time and effort
– Not letting the Chinese have their moment – are we just worried that this the first Post-US Games?

Written for and first published at: http://www.letsbebrief.co.uk/notpartof2012/

There is nothing like being made to feel like a party pooper to stop people from raising genuine concerns.

‘Get Behind the Games’ has become the mantra of public figures and politicians keen to jolly up all those who just don’t seem to be able to see past the G4S security fiasco, or that the biggest global celebration of health and amazing ability has descended tiring and predictably into an event for the highest bidder. Given that tickets are going on the black market for £100,000 for the 100 metre final, how can I, we, really be involved?

On Any Questions on Radio 4 last weekend, former chancellor Norman Lamont said that the proposed Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union strike this week was “doing damage to our reputation”, and was timed to cause “maximum embarrassment while the world is watching”.

Well, yes.

The strike by frontline staff at the Home Office, including in the Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau, against 5,000 job losses was called off with just days to go to the Olympics. The government claimed irregularities with the ballot. The union has said that they have been promised that more than 1,000 new jobs will be created. Nothing like a clear cut end to a disagreement…

I wasn’t sure whether the action was a good idea. It would make a big impact, certainly, and really highlight the need to keep the jobs that are now on the line, but the media coverage would have been unbearable. Any sense of the reason would be drowned out by front-page pictures of visitors queuing, babies in Wenlock suits with their lower lip out, to have their passports checked.

But really, we have known that we would be hosting the games for seven years. The Government has had two years in office with this knowledge. Why did they only find out two weeks beforehand that G4S wouldn’t be able to fulfil its commitment to provide security staff? How wasn’t security -sad world that we have created for ourselves in what should be a time of worldwide solidarity – top of someone’s list?

We knew that the eyes of the world would be on us, and it seems we buckled under the pressure.

If the world got the impression that workers are unhappy, jobs are being cut and private sector contracts aren’t improving standards, then they would be right. The media cannot report what doesn’t happen. They can only find bad news if something has gone wrong.

I want to support our Olympians and Paralympians to do things that I could never do. But I think we are all just as sick of the tales of incompetence as we are of finding out how brands are going to help us pick up our must-have Games souvenirs.

If more time had been spent managing projects, thinking about how to deliver something that we could all be truly part of and proud of, not scrabbling for the cheapest option in our race to the bottom, or worrying about the perception of the work, the whole project would have been seen as more successful.

Perhaps we, the people, can take this historic moment of competition to appreciate the one thing that makes us all the same. We are #notpartof2012, we are the Olympic Fringe. We have a mass communication tool at our fingertips, the largest collective in human history, and no doubt lots of lovely people with fun, and free ideas. We could do anything. Edinburgh ain’t seen nothing yet.

Why let the machine of the state take food to our mouths if we can do it, and feel good about doing things ourselves? This is ours, Britain, our Games. Let’s find some way to make it feel more like that.

I am #notpartof2012. How about you?

Kirsty Styles, a dedicated Compass Youth activist, tells us about its inspiring political action training day.

As a growing youth movement, enthused to bring together and support young people to build a Good Society, the Compass Youth team arranged an exciting political action training day on Saturday July 16^th. Around 25 people came to participate, from the Labour Party, the Greens and those with no party at all.

As ever, Neal Lawson, Compass Chair, opened proceedings with some often needed inspiration. In a room full of bright and enthusiastic under 30s, he emphasised that working for the ‘Democracy Industry’, making the case for change and then actually creating it, can take a very long time, “but if you never give up, then you can never fail” and that “It’s not what party card you hold, but what’s in your heart.”

Three of our most committed campaigners were then reconised on the day for their contribution this year for making space to debate and making positive change. Lewis Dagnall won the award for Campaigner of the Year, James Whitaker won Most Improved Campaigner of the Year, and Jack Wilson won Compass Youth Ambassador of the Year. All received letters of thanks from Neal Lawson.

Next, we had an inspiring workshop by Jamie Audsley (a former Compass Youther) and Jim O’Connell on political organization. We did a Power Analysis to work out where Compass and Compass Youth could seek to influence the national debate and ways to engage people. Jim said, “if you find people who are angry, ask the right questions and use your sense of humour and you can build the kinds of relationships that are necessary to help you join together and make a difference.” Jamie went on to explain how we could create hubs in community centres and schools, to take our message further.

After a bit of a break, we had a group discussion on issues of generational politics which sparked some great conversations. Zain Sardar from the Young Greens and Deborah Grayson, contributing author to the Regeneration book of the Radical Futures series gave some great insights as did our Chair, Will Cass. We explored ideas around generational identity politics, discussed the main issues facing young people now and over the next 20 years, and look at questions of intergenerational justice.

Deborah said that it is easy for young people to feel angry at the raw deal we’ve got from some of our parent’s generation and that this should only compel us to ensure that we don’t do the same thing to our children. We should also, she argued, use this as a reason to justify our right to speak. Zain went on to quote the BBC journalist Paul Mason, ‘the whole option for self-betterment has been withdrawn,’ but, he pointed out, this is the UN Year of Intergenerational Solidarityand a time to work with all generations against a common enemy.

We then were invited to get up off of our chairs when we had a practical session by Lyn Griffiths from Monkey Boat Facilitation who explained some basic principles for holding a meeting. This included the power of not having any tables, having chairs in a circle to make communication easier, how to make a clear start, listen, and ask good questions.

Then Jake Coleman then got us to explore Consensus Building. He explained that in a world that teaches us to be competitive, we should use this as a tool to make decisions that takes everyone’s views into account to create common goals. Sometimes, that means being realistic in accepting that you have to accept conflict.

The day was an excellent introduction to framing and building the discussion around how to make a Good Society a reality and how to make the case for change. Thankyou to everyone who helped to organise the day and we look forward to the next one!

We will be having many more events similar to this one over the coming year. For more information email youthchair@compassonline.org.uk, like us on facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Written for Compass Youth and first published here: http://www.compassyouth.org/compass-youth-events/compass-youth-training-day-reflections-political-organising/

Any good advertiser knows that a big key to success can be aligning your brand with a huge public event. To hijack it, so to speak. If you have been to the UK recently you will have seen some interesting commandeering of the ad space, in newspapers and on the tube, with Jubilee-themed advertising.

From ‘Queen-tisentially’ British Buxton water, to the Pimms o’clock stats news story in the Metro today, and a ‘Right Royal Dine in for 2 meal’ from Marks and Spencer’s. Matalan urges you to ‘Kit out your Royal Family’, lastminute.com thanks her majesty on our behalf for the long weekend. With liked and loved British brands, getting into bed with the Queen is like putting strawberries with cream. A perfect combo.

Other brands must run into more trouble.

So, in light of their valiant effort, the Jubilee Advertising Award has to go to my new favourite advertising team, the one in charge of Jungle Formula insect repellant.

Flies + photoshop = bunting. Sorted.

Innovation in the Mobile Sector goes to our good friends at Swiftkey, who have updated their hit Android keyboard app to include Queen’s English. Timely, and different.

As if we needed more confirmation that mobile is big and here to stay, the humble QR code has made its way into the monarchy’s media mix. Scan, enjoy, loyal subject. By Royal Decree, we urge you to enjoy the long weekend.

Olympics here we come…

Written for Somo and first published here: http://www.somoglobal.com/news/1941/

Fragmented Android landscape by Open Signal Map

Another week in mobile and, as always, many new developments in the global platform war. It looks like Google will finally be launching its very own tablet this July. As Android is by far the most popular operating system and Andy Rubin, Senior VP of Mobile, told reporters at Mobile World Congress that ‘2012 is going to be the year that we double down and make sure we’re winning in that space’, we’re expecting a big push. Somo’s Innovation Director, Maani Safa, spoke to the International Business Times about the problems with the fragmentation of Google’s operating system after OpenSignalMaps identified 3397 unique Android devices. Could this hinder Google’s attempt to disrupt the tablet market?

Google tab and Kindle Fire head-to-head?
Rumour has it that the seven inch tab will sell for just $199 – could this be a loss-leading strategy to snatch marketing share from the Kindle Fire? Amazon is yet to launch the Kindle Fire in the UK, but Brand Republic reports that the company has negotiated a deal with UK bookseller Waterstones. Although a top online retailer joining forces with the struggling publishing sector might seem counter-intuitive, Barnes & Nobile in the US is showing how a multi-channel strategy like this can work – their stores provide Nook tablets for kids to play on, and special deals for their tablet owners, to entice them in store.

Facebook to buy browser?
Facebook is rumoured to be buying the Norwegian internet browser Opera, showing yet another serious move towards becoming a fully integrated ecosystem, after a rocky week post-IPO. Microsoft, moving ever-closer to being a post-PC digital company has launched So.cl (pronounced social), its assault on the social networking space. With the ‘screen agnostic’ Windows 8 OS on the way, they may also be poised to lead in the smart TV market; VP Frank Shaw detailed that CEO Steve Balmer keeps an 80-inch in his office…

Apple Developer Conference
This multiplatform glory could be short-lived; we are all on the edge of our seats for the Apple Developer Conference on 11^th to 16^th June, where we expect to see iOS 6, without Google Maps, perhaps an NFC-enabled iPhone 5 and possibly the Mac TV. How much do you think it would take to get the UK’s ITV channel to sell their trademark? We want iTV!

Written for Somo and first published here: http://www.somoglobal.com/news/our-week-in-mobile-google-tablet-facebook-browser-rumours-and-apples-developer-conference-predictions/

Yesterday, another long-awaited opportunity was finally revealed as Facebook launched its own app marketplace, The App Center.

Facebook has a $3 billion advertising business that’s tipped to get a lot bigger. Despite recent speculation that it can’t win on mobile, the company is in a commanding position both in terms of user base and the value per user. This new social discoverability platform will soon reach one billion people, more than 50% of internet users and nearly 15% of the world’s population.

To date, only web or mobile apps built with Facebook were displayed on their platform. Developers can now promote any Android or iOS app that allows users to log in via Facebook. New ‘product pages’, similar to other app stores and brand Facebook pages, will hold app details.

The aim of this move is to drive mobile downloads, either directly or through links to the relevant app store. The center will contain paid apps, the first time they have been given visibility on Facebook.
Facebook has not yet revealed what will be taken into account when ranking new apps, however, we are expecting highly social elements – weighted towards social sharing, positive ratings and reviews.
We expect Facebook to become one of, if not the biggest, mobile publisher and this is an excellent opportunity for our clients to promote their apps in a highly populated and social setting.

End of Google Maps on Apple?

In other news in Platform Wars, Apple is likely to drop Google Maps from the next iteration of iOS. According to ‘trusted sources’ speaking to 9 to 5 Mac, this will give way to a new Map app with an Apple back-end. This is unsurprising in the race to become the ruler of mobile, but is potentially an unsettling change as many people are used to Google Map. How different can a map be you ask? Apple’s new offering should include 3D. Like you’re actually standing there…

Watch out for Apple getting rid of Google as its default search engine…

Written for Somo and first published here: http://www.somoglobal.com/news/our-week-in-mobile-facebook-app-center-deadline-no-more-maps-on-ios-and-uminski-on-the-brand-perfect-tour/