Friday, 23 March 2007

A gentle start to the day. I first had to check through the draft minutes of Tuesday’s HIC meeting, and then I spent two hours working with Katherine (volunteer) on my filing. Between us we really nailed it: Maria is a tough act to follow but Katherine is doing well.

Sue is leaving us next Thursday! Panic is setting in. I next met with Laura (Voluntary Transport Scheme organiser) who kindly offered to take over responsibility for overseeing the WCVS reception desk and the volunteers. One crisis averted.

After this, I rushed off to Stevenage to attend a meeting of the Hertfordshire LAA’s Volunteering Target Delivery Group. The meeting was not well attended. And the meeting seemed to have no structure to it, meandering from one topic to another seemingly aimlessly. Perhaps there was a logic to those more experienced in this field, but I confess I was lost most of the time.

But we did agree on a common strap-line for promotional efforts in the County: Valuing Volunteers in Herts. It wont win any awards, but it will do the job perfectly well.

I then travelled back from Stevenage to Watford to attend the annual Audentior Awards at the Colloseum. My invitation said “Black tie of lounge suit”. I thought: “Who wears black tie nowadays?” Lots of people, I now realise. I estimate there were about 500 people attending, and it was a very swish event. I represented the voluntary sector at the Mayor’s table, but there was a very good turn out all round and it was an excellent night for the voluntary sector.

How many other local authorities will hold such an event to celebrate and honour their voluntary sector? More evidence of what makes Watford special.