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This summer, Dan McQuillan expressed a need for a NetSquared community in Europe. Four months later, web innovators and social changemakers got together at the Newman Arms pub in London to brainstorm the structure, goals and programming for a NetSquared group in the UK.

According to David Wilcox and Nick Booth's coverage of the night, William Hoyle, Steve Bridger, Steve Moore, Michael Ambjorn, Paul Miller, Simon Berry and Nathalie McDermott were part of the mix.

Sounds like a big focus of the evening was about how the growth and adoption of the social web can not only help nonprofits and NGOs with their work, but change their culture and structure as well.

David Wilcox writes:

"The focus of discussion was not just about how nonprofits could use Web 2.0: in fact Dan - who has recently left an international charity - went so far as to say "the Third Sector is broken" ... I think. I'm sure he'll correct me if that's an overstatement. While some people felt social media could help in fixing, others of us were more interested in the new set of values and ways of doing things bubbling up around social media, unbounded by historic notions of public, private and nonprofit sectors."

Nick Booth adds:

"[D]isruptive technology, people and ideas are driving change faster than the older politer people, structures and ideas can resist change. Netsquared (whether UK, European or the original US version) should exist to shake up cosy assumptions ('fussy mediocrity') about social change and who has the power/authority to lead or drive it."

William Hoyle of the Charity Technology Trust shares his reflections on the meetup in the video posted above. If you have trouble playing it, here is the link to the original file on Blip.tv

You can get involved with the N2 in the UK community by joining their Facebook group, NetSquared Newman Arms.