Government Statistical Service (GSS) Conference 2024

Eleanor Cuzner

Eleanor is based in Bournemouth and works for the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA).

Favourite random statistic

60% of lakes on earth are located in Canada.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Croatia.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite singer is Noah Kahan.

Camilla Somers

Camilla is based in Glasgow and works for Public Health Scotland.

Favourite random statistic

Apparently in the UK we drink approximately 98 million cups of coffee per day!

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Lake Como. I went last year and it was absolutely magical!

Favourite band or singer

My favourite singer is Jessie Ware and I also love Motown classics, which I play on loop.

Fabiana Macor

Fabiana is based in London and works for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Favourite holiday destination

I was born to be on the beach!

Favourite band or singer

Princess Nokia and Vanessa Zamora were in my top artists for 2023.

Megan Cook

Megan is based in Fareham and works for the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Favourite random statistic

Nearly three in ten (29%) Britons are planning to take more holidays in 2024.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Puglia in Italy.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite singer is Otis Redding.

Sarah Barnes

Sarah is based in Manchester and works for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Favourite random statistic

Australia is wider than the moon. The moon sits at 3400km in diameter, while Australia’s diameter from east to west is almost 4000km.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Venice.

Favourite band or singer

I love anything Britpop!

Azraa Batha

Azraa is based in Leeds and works for the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Favourite random statistic

A piece of brain tissue that is the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons and 1 billion synapses.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Granada in Spain.

Favourite band or singer

I don’t have a favourite band but I do love a good musical. I would say my current favourite is ‘The Greatest Showman’.

Charlotte Holden

­­Charlotte is based in Leeds and works for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Favourite random statistic

We spend approximately one third of our lives asleep. I have a PhD in Sleep Science and find sleep statistics very interesting!

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is New Zealand.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite singer is Taylor Swift.

Cara Bell

Cara is based in Belfast and works for the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

Favourite random statistic

On average adults laugh between 15 and 17 times a day and the more we laugh, the healthier we are!

Favourite holiday destination

This is a tie between Paris and Florence, where I worked for a while. I try to go to both cities annually.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite band is Fall Out Boy. I have been a fan since I was a teenager, and have travelled all over to see them perform.

Ali Ryland

Ali is based in Glasgow and works at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in the Statistics Production Division.

Favourite random statistic

Up to 440,000 cars are taken off the road every day by people walking and cycling in Scotland’s cities.

Favourite holiday destination

Anywhere in the mountains.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite band is the Peatbog Faeries.

Olivia Mellor

Olivia is based in Glasgow and works for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Favourite random statistic

24% of pet owners have been told they look similar to their pet, and 11% said they found themselves behaving in a similar way to their pet.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Vietnam.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite singers are Lorde and Taylor Swift.

Ally Turner

Alexandra, or ‘Ally’, is based in Salford and works for Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Favourite random statistic

An amazing 98% of Norway’s electricity is generated from renewable sources.

Favourite holiday destination

The most amazing place I have been to is New Zealand. The one I keep going back to is Scotland.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite band is Iron Maiden.

Gregor Anicic

Greg is based in London and works for the Department for Business and Trade in the Old Admiralty Building.

Favourite random statistic

As a single heterosexual statistician, I decided to estimate my odds of finding a girlfriend. Taking inspiration from Drake’s equation, I estimated that I have about a 0.07% chance of finding the love of my life…

Favourite holiday destination

Coruscant, from Star Wars!

Favourite band or singer

The Civil Service Choir, where I sing as a bass.

Belisa Veiga

Belisa is based in Edinburgh and works for the Office of the Chief Statistician.

Favourite random statistic

Countries with the best drinking water are:

• Iceland
• the Netherlands
• Norway
• Switzerland
• the United Kingdom

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Thailand.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite band is the Foo Fighters.

Caren Cheung

Caren is based in London and works for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Favourite random statistic

Most penguins dart around at a speed of 4 to 7mph, but the Gentoo Penguin can swim up to speeds of 22mph.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is the southern coast of France, especially Nice.

Favourite band or singer

My favourite singer is Taylor Swift.

Nisa Chowdhury

Nisa is based in London and Croydon, and works for the Home Office.

Favourite random statistic

The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue penguin, measuring about 13 inches tall and weighing around 2 pounds.

Favourite holiday destination

My favourite holiday destination is Egypt.