Wednesday, 13 December 2006

I arrived this morning to discover that during my absence yesterday, the office fairies had substantially tidied and reorganised my room using furniture donated by some local shop fitters. I must buy Sue another coffee.

Early on I caught up with correspondence, and then met with Des and Farzana, our Connexions Personal Advisors. We talked through our contract targets, working methods and communications, where it became clear that they need full membership of our network. Following the meeting I set up accounts for them and joined their computers to the domain.

Watford Borough Council

After more correspondence, I had a meeting with Sarah and Kim from Watford Borough Council. We met to discuss WBC’s new one-year grant programme and we had a good talk through the procedure and possible pitfalls, bugbears, bottlenecks and complications. I think we made some good progress simplifying and streamlining, but the only real proof of the pudding is in the eating. Perhaps the biggest development for WCVS is that I agreed that we would send an “observer” to WBC’s Grants Panel. This seems an good move, securing some degree of transparency while saving WCVS from the currently difficult position of taking decisions on its members’ funding applications.

After this, we had a more wide ranging discussion updating each other on various matters. I learnt of the latest discussions with those organisations for which WBC had delayed funding decisions, and we also discussed WCVS’s accommodation needs, wider accommodation issues for Watford charities, and the review of the Watford Compact.

Donors and beneficiaries

When this meeting ended, I did some maintenance on the server and then took a call from a local businessman who was raising significant monies for locla charities and wanted advice on possible beneficiaries. He had been referred to WCVS by Watford's Mayor Dorothy Thornhill. His concerns to secure a proper strategic approach to local funding closely matched my own, and we agreed to talk again in the new year. I do hope something comes of it.

At 7:15 I left for our office Xmas meal. Nearly all staff met at a Greek restaurant in Bushey. The food was good and the company excellent.