What's ahead for the rest of 2026

Coming your way...

Back in May we ran Unreasonable Connection, a London Coworking Assembly event, and introduced the 'fund the work' to make everything reader supported.

It threw up a disconnect: people asked 'am I supporting the Coworking Values Podcast, or am I supporting the London Coworking Assembly?'

So we're leading with the Coworking Values Podcast and Unreasonable Connection event, and London Coworking Assembly is a newsletter and yearly meet up Workspace Design Show London in February.

The events.
Unreasonable Connection will happen four times in 2027.
Three cities are already lined up, and we're looking for a fourth.
Plus four online events across the same year, kicking off with one online event in November.

The whole point is people getting together and talking to each other.
No star speakers.
No adverts disguised as content.
No crap swag

The move.
The London Coworking Assembly URL now redirects to the Coworking Values Podcast - we're still fixing a few things!

The publishing.
Twice a week, a combination of essays and podcasts. 

This is not a customer acquisition podcast, and it's not best in class with seamless integrations. 

It's a conversation about hyper-local leadership and third places, the cost of living crisis, economic inclusion, the neurodivergent experience, and coworking as a civic and social force - listen below for the whole deal in less than three minutes.

Five links worthy of your attention

Amanda Perry - Brain First

Next week, we publish an episode with Amanda Perry talking about how coworking spaces can accommodate neurodivergent people better. When stuff is designed with neurodivergence and accessibility in mind, it works better for everybody.

Amanda is gathering data via this survey to find out how neurodivergent people (which is a lot of us) find coworking spaces. The more of us that fill this in, the more information we'll have to change the way we design spaces. And yes please click the post below and like and share her post!

Amanda's full post is here 👇

#cowork #flexiwork #neurodiversity | Amanda Perry

When the survey data shows exactly what you predicted.... At BRAIN FIRST we are running a survey to understand better the habits of neurodivergent biz owners when it comes to engaging with cowork spaces. There are so many assumptions about what works and what doesn't - I want the data to back it up 🙌 So please take 5 minutes to complete the survey and I would love it if you could share it out too! Thank you! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eThzuEGR Leanne Mullen Felicity Haycox Daisy James Ben Branson 🟢 Pip Jamieson Olly Morton Nicola Pearson - Smith Nicky Harris 👩🏻‍💻Emilie Lashmar Liz Elam Bernie J Mitchell Lorna Bladen #cowork #flexiwork #neurodiversity

LinkedInAmanda Perry

Gaza Sky Geeks

We met Gaza Sky Geeks via Founders and Coders via Space4, where we had our unreasonable connection event back in May.

During the pilot phase of Gaza Sky Geeks’ Coworking Space Support Program, they supported five coworking spaces across Gaza with essential resources to help them remain accessible and operational.

Over the next few months, we'll be podcasting from the owners and community managers who run those coworking spaces in Gaza, the first episode is being edited now.

Read Sky Geeks full post here 👇

Gaza Sky Geeks' Coworking Space Support Program Boosts Digital Resilience | Gaza Sky Geeks posted on the topic | LinkedIn

What does investing in a coworking space actually change? 🌐 In Gaza, a coworking space is more than a place to work. It can be a connection to the outside world and a lifeline to learning, opportunity, and income. During the pilot phase of Gaza Sky Geeks’ Coworking Space Support Program, we supported five coworking spaces across Gaza with essential resources to help them remain accessible and operational. 📊 And the impact was measurable: Up to 20% increase in workspace capacity Up to 30% improvement in internet bandwidth Up to 22% increase in operating hours But behind every percentage is a person. It means having reliable internet when connectivity is uncertain. Electricity to charge a laptop or phone. A safe and functional place to work, learn, and connect with the outside world. And, perhaps most importantly, a chance to stay connected to the global workforce at a time when opportunities in many other sectors are increasingly scarce. These spaces help keep doors open to remote work, digital skills, freelancing, professional networks, and income. The pilot showed us what targeted investment in local infrastructure can enable. As we expand the initiative, we want to reach more people across Gaza and keep this digital lifeline alive. 💙 You can help. Support Gaza Sky Geeks, or if you are a coworking space outside Palestine, consider partnering with one of our coworking spaces in Gaza or organizing a fundraising initiative. 🔗 Donate: https://lnkd.in/d6W-BXkd or get in touch: https://lnkd.in/d6hpwZkX #GazaSkyGeeks #Gaza #Coworking #DigitalResilience #GazaTech #FutureOfWork #DigitalEconomy #RemoteWork

LinkedInGaza Sky Geeks

Lucy Mcinally & Ashley Proctor

Ahead of this year’s Coworking Canada Unconference between 19-21st October, Ashley took Lucy to the early days of the movement, and explains why she thinks its next chapter could be about something much bigger than workspace.

Read Lucy's full post here 👇

Ashley Proctor on the Values That Built the Coworking Movement

One of the coworking industry’s original voices reflects on over 20 years of collaboration, community, and the movement she helped establish.

The Inclusive CoworkerLucy McInally

More words of wisdom from Ian Minor

If we want to understand what makes places socially valuable, there is a lot to learn from how people gathered before we became so good at separating everything into categories.

One of the places that intrigues me is the Agora.

In ancient Greece, the Agora was much more than a marketplace. People went there to trade, conduct business, exchange ideas, hear what was happening in the city, participate in civic life and meet other people. Different activities happened alongside one another, which meant that people arrived for one reason and often experienced something completely different while they were there.

Read Ian's full post here 👇

The New Social Architecture Part XII — The Agora: When the City Was a Social Space

I have a process when I think about where hospitality is going, I look back, sometimes way back. I look where we are now and I then map the direction for future concepts.

LinkedInIan Minor

Black Friday vs Citizen Friday

Listen, folks, I don't want to be too virtuous, I use a lot of software I brought in a Black Friday deal and that renews around this time every year. Between AppSumo and Black Friday deals over the years I save around £900 a month on tech.

A lot of you reading this have been to the events we've done with Jon Alexander, and many of you have shown ACTionism screening in your coworking space.

On Friday 27th November, the day much of the world knows as Black Friday, a little gang of special humans has decided to invite Citizens to find the others and do something together. A global day of gatherings, under the banner, #CitizenFriday - with this beautifully simple call to action:

Share, Repair and Get Out in the Fresh Air.

Read Jon's full post here 👇

#citizenfriday #citizenfriday #citizenfriday #citizenfriday | Jon Alexander | 17 comments

What will YOU do on #CitizenFriday? On Friday 27th November, the day much of the world knows as Black Friday, a little gang of special humans has decided to invite Citizens to find the others and do something together. A global day of gatherings, under the banner, #CitizenFriday - with this beautifully simple call to action: Share, Repair and Get Out in the Fresh Air. The team are encouraging you to interpret this as widely as you like… 🤝 Share instead of scrolling. Share a tool, a skill, an hour, a lift, a meal, some knowledge, some art, some time. Whatever you have. 🧵 Repair something. A jumper. A bike. A friendship. A patch of soil. A broken thing. Something that deserves another chance. 🌳 Get outside together instead of getting a parcel. Even if it’s just ten minutes, a walk around the block, a patch of green or a good nosy at the sky. Here’s what the brilliant Sara Bender has to say about it all… “We have a choice. We can choose something different. This moment is calling us to be together as citizens, not alone as consumers. So this Black Friday, consider this an invitation to be human with other humans, doing something that brings you joy.” The point isn’t to do it perfectly. The point is to do something together. And then maybe do it again the next Friday (the next dream is to make Citizen Friday a weekly ritual). Here’s Sara again… “Every week we find the others, make something, mend something, share something and go outside. Essentially we practice becoming citizens not consumers.” Want to get involved? Here’s your 7 step guide… 1. Decide to take part. 2. Choose your people. You probably know them, but also try to bring in some people you don't know. And, don't forget it only takes two to citizen. 3. Choose something to do together. Citizen Friday is intentionally broad do what brings you joy. 4. Pick a place. Public spaces are good as it gives others the opportunity to get involved. 5. Add it to the #CitizenFriday map if you’re open to others joining you. 6. Celebrate #CitizenFriday on Nov 27th. 7. Share what happened. Here is a link to a form that will add your gathering to the map. https://tally.so/r/9q8XRX And, here is a link to a page with more information. https://lnkd.in/eEZ76KRK You can contact the team on the ACTionism email hello@actionism.space if you have any questions. And if you’re anywhere near Norwich, that’s where I’m going to be - pin being added to map very soon… | 17 comments on LinkedIn

LinkedInJon Alexander

The Monday Shot

We'll be sending this London Coworking Assembly newsletter weekly, which will be very London-focused. It has a 40% open rate, Even when I send it this late at night!

And I enjoy finding the stories to put in here, over the next week, I'll add sections to the Coworking Values Podcast website so it's easier to navigate everything London Coworking Assembly.

there won't be a podcast email because we have LinkedIn Show Notes and of course it arrives in podcast apps.

But the Monday shot email will be focused around Unreasonable Hospitality event and the growing community there, think of unreasonable hospitality as the Coworking Values Podcast roadshow.

You can join that email list here and get the 5-day email course, which is about the 5 mistakes that hollow out a coworking community and what to do instead.

They're all built around real stories from the Coworking Values Podcast, maybe even you! You can sign up for that at the end of this page. 👇