Sarah Thelwall

strategist, entrepreneur, sailor, lido & distance swimmer, flaneuse and general maker of mischief, to follow MyCake see @mycakefinance

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

Intensely frustrating afternoon sitting on an @LumoTrain with awful WiFi. Hopeless. Couldn’t be sure what emails had sent, what documents had synced. On @LNER the signal between Stevenage and Newcastle is pretty solid. Not this.

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

@BetterPoints I have been using your app in Surrey for a few weeks. I walk daily and use public transport. I am clocking up about 25 tickets a week. No wins. Pls manage my expectations… how often might I expect to win on this basis. Am demoralised. May quit soon.

[Arts Council England @ace_national]

The latest Private Investment in Culture Survey finds that private investment – although growing – is outweighed by rising costs.

It shows that, in the mixed funding model of the creative sector, public funding is key.

Read more 👇
https://t.co/68Has3TnYj

[MyCake @MyCakeFinance]

The last year or two have seen the launch of several new data dashboards in the sector but do you trust them, and what are the pitfalls? Read MyCake’s latest feature article in Arts Professional. https://t.co/09z0q84CAF

[Marina Purkiss @MarinaPurkiss]

Me,

My friends,

We’ve all got multiple stories of abuse, harassment and worse at the hands of men

…but never a trans woman.

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

Government acted quickly enough over British Steel, why not the water industry?

It’s time for driven, focused, ambitious leadership. It’s time to get real.

[Caroline Lucas @CarolineLucas]

Hugely important warning: allowing cheaper US food imports that don’t meet the same environmental & animal protection standards as British farmers would sound a death knell for UK farms & rural communities. It must not be part of any future trade deal https://t.co/KSNoLNegRP

[Ben Walmsley @BenWalmsley]

Working-class creatives don’t stand a chance in UK today, leading artists warn https://t.co/uKTbbHR06O

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

This is an excellent piece of theatre. Every word counts. See it if you https://t.co/PSlVcNedHl

[Cause4 @OfficialCause4]

❓Do you know how much you spend on salaries as a % of your turnover?
❓How much is too much when it comes to staff salary spend?

As part of our Heritage Compass Legacy work with @MyCakeFinance we’re going to look at changing patterns in staffing costs. [1/7]

[Ben Walmsley @BenWalmsley]

UK copyright law consultation ‘fixed’ in favour of AI firms, peer says https://t.co/TsMs1xSl1z

[Cause4 @OfficialCause4]

As part of our Heritage Compass Legacy work with @MyCakeFinance, we’ve been looking at how the earned income mix played a role in the financial resilience of Heritage organisations. Now we’ll examine the most common income streams vs most valuable. [1/6]

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

This week I am mostly with @amadigital teaching on the advanced leadership retreat. Lots of fun with Cath, Lucy @BeaUdeh and Auriel. Hurrah

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

Best learning/new thing today? These #affromation cards. Thanks @BeaUdeh @amadigital

[HUMAN WA$TE @Dplanet]

Elon Musk’s recent support for Tommy Robinson (AKA Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) is a serious misunderstanding of who he is. Here's a breakdown of why Robinson's current imprisonment is warranted:

History of racial hatred and violence:
Robinson, co-founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL), has a history of violent behaviour, including stirring up racial tensions and promoting Islamophobia. His leadership in the EDL was marked by violent protests and aggressive campaigns targeting Muslims, further fueling division in the UK. Robinson’s actions contributed to an increase in far-right extremism and hate crimes, both through direct involvement and by amplifying toxic rhetoric online.

Tommy's criminal record:

Violence & Assault:
• 2005: Convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault with intent to resist arrest after attacking an off-duty police officer in July 2004 during an argument with his girlfriend. Sentenced to 12 months and 3 months, served concurrently.

• 2011: Convicted of assault for headbutting a man in Blackburn. Received a 12-week jail term, suspended for 12 months.

Public Order Offences:
• 2010: Convicted of using threatening, abusive, or insulting behavior after leading a group into a 100-person brawl in Luton. Sentenced to 12-month community rehabilitation, 150 hours of unpaid work, and a 3-year football banning order.

Use of False Passport:
• 2012: Arrested for attempting to enter the United States illegally using a false passport in the name of Andrew McMaster. He had been banned from entering the US due to his criminal record. Pleaded guilty to using a false passport and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, released on electronic tag in February 2013.

Mortgage Fraud:
2012: Charged with conspiracy to commit fraud in relation to a fraudulent mortgage application. Robinson was the "instigator" and involved in £160,000 worth of fraud. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in January 2014.

Imprisonment for Contempt of Court:
• 2017: Convicted of contempt of court for filming inside Canterbury Crown Court and making prejudicial statements about defendants during jury deliberations, risking the integrity of the trial.

• 2018: Jailed for breaching reporting restrictions during the Huddersfield grooming gang trial by live-streaming and publishing information that prejudiced the case. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison, with a previously suspended 3-month sentence activated.

Financial Woes: In June 2022 Robinson admitted gambling away £100,000 before declaring bankruptcy. He also said he owed an estimated £160,000 to HM Revenue and Customs. It is understood that he owes in the region of £2,000,000 to his creditors, and is the subject of a HMRC investigation over unpaid taxes.

Tommy Robinson's False Allegations and Legal Consequences:

In October 2018, Tommy Robinson falsely accused a Syrian refugee boy of having attacked two schoolgirls after the boy was assaulted in a bullying incident. The 15-year-old refugee had been attacked and subjected to racist abuse, while Robinson misrepresented the situation online, spreading false claims that the boy was the bully. These false allegations were amplified in videos on Facebook and Instagram, violating court orders preventing the naming of the victim. Robinson's actions led to severe harassment and threats against the refugee and his family, forcing them to relocate due to the abuse. Despite later admitting his mistakes and deleting the videos, Robinson's supporters continued to target the boy.

In 2021, Robinson was found guilty of libelling the refugee and ordered to pay £100,000 in damages, along with an additional £500,000 in legal costs. In 2019, Facebook banned Robinson for violating its community standards by promoting hate speech. Robinson's financial situation worsened, and an independent insolvency expert was appointed in 2022 to investigate his assets.

Silenced Film:
Robinson produced a film titled Silenced, financed by InfoWars, a website known for conspiracy theories and fake news. The film, which continued to push Robinson's defamatory claims about the refugee, was released in stages, with a new version finalised in collaboration with MICE Media in 2023. This version was launched at an event organized by groups linked to racism and anti-Muslim sentiments. The film was widely criticised for its defamatory content, with experts warning it could lead to legal consequences.

On January 1, 2025, Elon Musk retweeted the full movie, endorsing it with the quote "Worth watching."

2024 Arrest and Imprisonment:
In July 2024, Robinson was arrested at the Channel Tunnel under the Terrorism Act 2000 following his 'Unite the Kingdom' protest in Trafalgar Square. He was later released on bail but faced contempt of court charges for screening Silenced despite a High Court order. Robinson was arrested again in October 2024 after handing himself in to police, where he admitted contempt of court for repeating false allegations about the refugee. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay £80,350.82 in legal costs. Robinson's actions were described by the judge as showing no remorse and believing he was above the law.

Robinson was initially held at HM Prison Belmarsh before being moved to solitary confinement at HM Prison Woodhill for his safety. He also faced charges in November 2024 for failing to provide his mobile phone PIN to police, with a trial set for March 2025.

Elon Musk’s endorsement of Tommy Robinson and his libellous documentary 'Silenced' is deeply misguided. Robinson has a long history of spreading false, defamatory accusations that have caused significant harm to individuals and communities. By amplifying this dangerous content, Musk is endorsing the perpetuation of hate and misinformation. Robinson’s repeated legal violations, including his contempt of court and defamation convictions, demonstrate that he is not a victim of injustice, but rather someone who has recklessly flouted the law to further his harmful agenda. Supporting Robinson only fuels the cycle of hate and division, undermining justice and accountability.

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

@UPS The local team will call you back within an hour …

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

This is the 3rd day that @UPS have said my @lenovo_UKI laptop is going to be delivered. They suggested I sign up for UPS My Choice to track the delivery van … but. Is that I talk to the technical team it turns out you can’t get a new profile working on delivery day! Useless

[Sarah Thelwall @indianabrambles]

‘We could rearrange delivery for a new date’ … ‘once the status changes to failed to deliver you can call us’ … NO @UPS that is not ok