What Happened This Month | April 2026
Published: 19 May 2026
A belated look back on what happened in April, which saw some big changes in the SCAF team, and some reflections on what will happen in SCAF 2026-27 work programme.
After two years with the ARCs and with SCAF, we said goodbye to Millie Mather, who has joined Quantcore as its communication manager. From May onward, Kate Holmes will be responsible for SCAF communications - you can meet Kate here.
SCAF’s governance group met, and the discussion focused on how broad and diverse our membership has grown, raising practical questions about how SCAF presents itself, how members navigate what is on offer, and whether the website, design and online presence still match the scale and shape of the network. That same logic applies to planning for the annual event and for our final pump- priming round. Rather than defaulting to a familiar format, the discussion focused on where the event should take place, what it should do, and how to design something that adds value for members. For pump-priming, there is scope to shift tack towards asking what would be genuinely transformative for both the Alliance and its members, and the member survey is part of that process.
April’s events very much showcased what previous rounds of pump-priming can enable. Martin Llewellyn’s Clydebank Green Prescription Garden workshop brought the fourth pump-priming round into a practical community setting, creating space for informal discussion around food, place and health. Rachel Norman’s first Quantum & Food seminar on quantum sensing opened up a technical area, helping members see where new collaborations might emerge. In both cases, the value lay not only in the content of the session itself, but also in how it helped test where SCAF can usefully connect people, ideas and future projects.
The fifth Academy of Citizens meeting added another dimension, with the alliance not only about formal events and funded calls but also about creating structures through which members can think together over time.
With SCAF planning its next steps in year 3 and beyond, it will focus on being more selective about the kinds of activities it supports. The emphasis is increasingly on being deliberate about what gets funded, what gets convened, what gets redesigned, and what will make the most difference to members. Complete our member survey here.
First published: 19 May 2026