A final day in the office before Christmas and the last pre-Christmas postal delivery brings confirmation of our Basis grant. O Joy.
But perhaps the best news of the day is that Jacquie and Steph at North Herts CVS dispatched our HIC Development Plan etc. This is the culmination of several months work - for myself and others as well as Jacquie and Steph. But they have both been magnificent. Wonderful work.
Apart from helping out on some final drafting, I spent the day packing up files and work that I need to have at home. My plan is to draft some documents at home over Christmas. We'll see.
Hapy Christmas everyone.
Thursday, 20 December 2007
I’ve had a very bitty day tidying up loose ends before Christmas – IT orders, IT funding, photocopier contracts, job adverts, parking permits, community transport funding, funding applications, community development strategies, etc etc.
Jackie and I spent a peaceful evening together - me reading and her sewing. Lovely.
Jackie and I spent a peaceful evening together - me reading and her sewing. Lovely.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
The office was very quiet this morning – so many people on leave for Eid or Xmas.
After sorting out a few IT difficulties, I spent the morning contributing to a draft letter to East of England Minister Barbara Follet (complaining about the region’s consistent underfunding by Government agencies) and drafting a letter of my own to Capacitybuilders on a similar theme. After this, I walked down to the YMCA to meet with Phil Willerton on Job Evaluation schemes and on quite a few other matters too. All wonderfully helpful.
Back at the office I spent the afternoon (and early evening) on recruitment documentation for our new BME Advocacy post, and on the HIC Development Plans. Jacquie and Steph of North Herts CVS have really borne the brunt of this and I am hugely impressed by their work.
After sorting out a few IT difficulties, I spent the morning contributing to a draft letter to East of England Minister Barbara Follet (complaining about the region’s consistent underfunding by Government agencies) and drafting a letter of my own to Capacitybuilders on a similar theme. After this, I walked down to the YMCA to meet with Phil Willerton on Job Evaluation schemes and on quite a few other matters too. All wonderfully helpful.
Back at the office I spent the afternoon (and early evening) on recruitment documentation for our new BME Advocacy post, and on the HIC Development Plans. Jacquie and Steph of North Herts CVS have really borne the brunt of this and I am hugely impressed by their work.
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Last night, I made a list of jobs that needed doing – a few letters (proddings and thank-yous), a few orders to be placed, a few system changes finalised, a few meetings planned. Armed with my little list of jobs, I arrived at work about 6:30 am. Apart from a few minor distractions, I worked through until 12:30 pm, and managed to tick off every job on the list. How very satisfying.
Meanwhile, everyone else here had been preparing for the annual Thank You lunch for our trustees and volunteers. There was a good turn-out and everyone enjoyed a very good spread, a few words of thanks from our Chair Pam Handley – and a few words of thanks from me to the irreplaceable Pam Handley. I also introduced my Big Surprise – a Christmas Cake made and nurtured with my own fair hands (warily supervised by Jackie) as a Thank You to all the wonderful trustees, volunteers and staff at Watford CVS. Everyone was very kind about it – perhaps more out of shock than anything.
After a few more hours of work - some tidying up, others like me bashing away at keyboards – we staff met up for our Christmas dinner at Jongleurs Comedy Club on Watford High Street. Our table was right up by the stage so we spent most of the evening on the edge of becoming part of the entertainment.
The Compere for the evening was a pretty amiable chap. Comic #1 was clearly inexperienced and made some unbelievably crass “jokes” about Islamic terrorists. Comic #2 was a bit more confident – but made jokes about fantasy “gypsies” abusing their dogs. Have we somehow rewound to the horrors of the 1970s? Has Bernard Manning risen again? Is it now acceptable to create and mock evil racial caricatures? Comic #3 was far better and genuinely talented and funny - even if he did pick on my lovely colleague Sha-Lee. But I'm sure he at least was sufficiently wise and kind-hearted to know that there are two types of comedy: the funny and the bad.
Jongleurs run a well-oiled comedy club machine: the food was surprisingly edible, and very efficiently distributed to the 400 diners. But occasional good natured hecklers were targeted with venom rather than tolerated with humour. And there were regular pre-recorded announcements reminding people not to talk when the comedians were performing. And there were posters on the walls: We all like to hear a good gag but not from you – if you insist on talking, we’ll insist you leave. I found these rather chilling.
I returned to the office about midnight to learn that Spurs had contrived to win again this evening - that's now three wins on the trot after a record breaking run of 493 consecutive defeats. I must get home now and sleep.
Meanwhile, everyone else here had been preparing for the annual Thank You lunch for our trustees and volunteers. There was a good turn-out and everyone enjoyed a very good spread, a few words of thanks from our Chair Pam Handley – and a few words of thanks from me to the irreplaceable Pam Handley. I also introduced my Big Surprise – a Christmas Cake made and nurtured with my own fair hands (warily supervised by Jackie) as a Thank You to all the wonderful trustees, volunteers and staff at Watford CVS. Everyone was very kind about it – perhaps more out of shock than anything.
After a few more hours of work - some tidying up, others like me bashing away at keyboards – we staff met up for our Christmas dinner at Jongleurs Comedy Club on Watford High Street. Our table was right up by the stage so we spent most of the evening on the edge of becoming part of the entertainment.
The Compere for the evening was a pretty amiable chap. Comic #1 was clearly inexperienced and made some unbelievably crass “jokes” about Islamic terrorists. Comic #2 was a bit more confident – but made jokes about fantasy “gypsies” abusing their dogs. Have we somehow rewound to the horrors of the 1970s? Has Bernard Manning risen again? Is it now acceptable to create and mock evil racial caricatures? Comic #3 was far better and genuinely talented and funny - even if he did pick on my lovely colleague Sha-Lee. But I'm sure he at least was sufficiently wise and kind-hearted to know that there are two types of comedy: the funny and the bad.
Jongleurs run a well-oiled comedy club machine: the food was surprisingly edible, and very efficiently distributed to the 400 diners. But occasional good natured hecklers were targeted with venom rather than tolerated with humour. And there were regular pre-recorded announcements reminding people not to talk when the comedians were performing. And there were posters on the walls: We all like to hear a good gag but not from you – if you insist on talking, we’ll insist you leave. I found these rather chilling.
I returned to the office about midnight to learn that Spurs had contrived to win again this evening - that's now three wins on the trot after a record breaking run of 493 consecutive defeats. I must get home now and sleep.
Monday, 17 December 2007
I experienced one of those curiously muted pre-Christmas work days. I drafted job descriptions and prepared job adverts, checked minutes, talked to member organisations, made appointments and discussed funding bids. But whatever I did, I couldn't shake the feeling that really I was just preparing to put up the shutters for Christmas. It has been a long year.
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Jackie and I walked in Sharrardspark Wood in search of holly for a Christmas decoration: where are the holly berries this year?
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Jackie and I visited Watford to finish our Christmas shopping.
In the evening, Bobby and I cooked a full lamb roast dinner for ourselves, Jackie and Bryan. Neither of us would claim that the meal was a triumph but it was quite tasty and we did avoid disaster - perhaps apart from the roast parsnips. Then we all had a family night together eating and talking and drinking. Very enjoyable.
In the evening, Bobby and I cooked a full lamb roast dinner for ourselves, Jackie and Bryan. Neither of us would claim that the meal was a triumph but it was quite tasty and we did avoid disaster - perhaps apart from the roast parsnips. Then we all had a family night together eating and talking and drinking. Very enjoyable.
Friday, 14 December 2007
A full day at Watford for once. I set up annual review meetings with each of the WCVS staff, met with the Connexions PAs, had some discussions about volunteering and IT and training, and focused a bit better on HIC’s Development Planning.
Jackie was at the Hitchin Priory for her Office Xmas Dinner. She had rejected the Xmas dinner in favour of Dry Salted Cod on a bed of something or other with a white wine sauce. But she was served a Christmas dinner complete with roast potatoes and brussel sprouts; the only difference was that the Turkey had been removed and a portion of cod substituted. Yuck.
I’d have expected better from the Hitchin Priory which dates from the fourteenth century and was held by the Radcliffe family from the dissolution until the twentieth century.
I know this because I spent the evening finishing An Open Elite? England 1540 – 1880 by Lawrence and Jeanne Stone. This is based on some very good research and explores the proposition that England's relatively peaceful transition to modernity was possible because England had a relatively open ruling class. The authors make some interesting points and the research is extremely impressive, being based on detailed analyses of country estates in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Northumberland. But they seem to miss a trick in assuming that the "ruling elite" comprises only the owners of large landed estates.
Jackie was at the Hitchin Priory for her Office Xmas Dinner. She had rejected the Xmas dinner in favour of Dry Salted Cod on a bed of something or other with a white wine sauce. But she was served a Christmas dinner complete with roast potatoes and brussel sprouts; the only difference was that the Turkey had been removed and a portion of cod substituted. Yuck.
I’d have expected better from the Hitchin Priory which dates from the fourteenth century and was held by the Radcliffe family from the dissolution until the twentieth century.
I know this because I spent the evening finishing An Open Elite? England 1540 – 1880 by Lawrence and Jeanne Stone. This is based on some very good research and explores the proposition that England's relatively peaceful transition to modernity was possible because England had a relatively open ruling class. The authors make some interesting points and the research is extremely impressive, being based on detailed analyses of country estates in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Northumberland. But they seem to miss a trick in assuming that the "ruling elite" comprises only the owners of large landed estates.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
This morning, I enjoyed a beautiful drive to work through early morning mist and frost. I was back in the office for the first time in a week so inevitably my morning was wholly devoted to reading through scores of e-mails.
In the afternoon, I drove off to Hatfield for a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. Everyone wanted to congratulate Andrew Burt of HCC who has won a national award as Compact Champion, but Andrew was elsewhere having some teeth extracted. He has my congratulations and my sympathy.
Pre-Christmas attendance was low, but of excellent quality: Frances Coupe and Susan Street from HCC, Martin Sipsma of LSC, Peter Wright from the PCTs, Mary Green from Three Rivers CVS, Jacquie Hime from North Herts CVS, Kate Belinis from CDA for Herts and Phil Willerton from Watford YMCA. At the end, there was unanimous agreement on a clear way forward for taking the Compact into its second decade. In short, this involves a clear focus on Principles, Partnership and Promotion.
From Hatfield, I returned to Watford to attend pre-Christmas drinks at the Town Hall at the invitation of the Mayor. A very pleasant interlude. Then back to the office for a few hours more work. At 8:00 in the evening we were quite a hive of activity: Helen was working on volunteering initiatives, Maria was hosting a meeting of Watford’s emerging Polish Association, and the Credit Union were meeting in the main boardroom.
In the afternoon, I drove off to Hatfield for a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. Everyone wanted to congratulate Andrew Burt of HCC who has won a national award as Compact Champion, but Andrew was elsewhere having some teeth extracted. He has my congratulations and my sympathy.
Pre-Christmas attendance was low, but of excellent quality: Frances Coupe and Susan Street from HCC, Martin Sipsma of LSC, Peter Wright from the PCTs, Mary Green from Three Rivers CVS, Jacquie Hime from North Herts CVS, Kate Belinis from CDA for Herts and Phil Willerton from Watford YMCA. At the end, there was unanimous agreement on a clear way forward for taking the Compact into its second decade. In short, this involves a clear focus on Principles, Partnership and Promotion.
From Hatfield, I returned to Watford to attend pre-Christmas drinks at the Town Hall at the invitation of the Mayor. A very pleasant interlude. Then back to the office for a few hours more work. At 8:00 in the evening we were quite a hive of activity: Helen was working on volunteering initiatives, Maria was hosting a meeting of Watford’s emerging Polish Association, and the Credit Union were meeting in the main boardroom.
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Youth volunteering
The youth volunteering scheme Millennium Volunteers has been operating in Herts since 2000 and has been managed by Watford YMCA. Although there have been parts of the county where MV has struggled, it has generally been regarded as a Hertfordshire success.
MV is now winding up and when bidders were invited for the successor V programme, it was widely expected that the Herts MV would simply transform itself into V. So it came as something of a surprise when Watford YMCA’s bid to V was turned down. A new bidding round is opening for delivering a youth volunteering scheme with six members of staff and £250,000 pa. The deadline for initial "expressions of interest" is this Friday.
I had intended to spend today at home working on the HIC development plan. I did make some progress on this. But I also spent a long long time on the telephone talking to lots of different people about the future of youth volunteering in Herts.
In retrospect it was inevitable that I would get involved: Watford YMCA are members of Watford CVS, I am chair of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, Watford CVS operates a Volunteer Centre, and our Volunteer Centre co-ordinator (Helen Price) is Youth Volunteering lead for the Volunteering Herts consortium. Perhaps I should have involved myself much earlier.
Watford YMCA will of course put in another expression of interest and seek to revise their bid. Today it became clear that the Volunteering Herts consortium of Volunteer Centres would put in an expression of interest against Watford YMCA.
For a time, I felt that Watford CVS should also put in an expression of interest. My logic was simple: Watford YMCA and the Volunteer Centres will have to work together to deliver the V programme; if neither is willing to accept the other as lead, then a third party is needed to bring them together. I thought that Watford CVS might play this role of “honest broker”.
Another potential “honest broker” in this process is North Herts CVS. They have the experience of being fund holder and Responsible Body for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, and they can also more easily act on behalf of the Consortium. Accordingly, at some point in the day, Watford CVS withdrew its interest.
Putting in three expressions of interest is no great problem as it keeps options open. But if in January Hertfordshire puts in three competing bids, we will give every appearance of being a county in crisis. After the success of the MV programme this would be very unfortunate. It is still very clear to me that Hertfordshire needs to get behind a single strong bid for the V programme. Perhaps this will be possible in the New Year.
Throughout the day, Helen was overseeing a Christmas event at Watford’s premier shopping centre The Harlequin. This event involved organising teams of volunteers to do Christmas gift wrapping to promote volunteering and solicit donations for local charities. Helen was also the Volunteering Herts lead on Youth Volunteering. And she also had a 5:15 call booked with Andrew Simmonds, the head of Hertfordshire Connexions and chair of the Hertfordshire Youth Volunteeirng Consortium. Helen had a pretty torrid day and I was very impressed by how she coped with all the pressures and all the different hats.
The youth volunteering scheme Millennium Volunteers has been operating in Herts since 2000 and has been managed by Watford YMCA. Although there have been parts of the county where MV has struggled, it has generally been regarded as a Hertfordshire success.
MV is now winding up and when bidders were invited for the successor V programme, it was widely expected that the Herts MV would simply transform itself into V. So it came as something of a surprise when Watford YMCA’s bid to V was turned down. A new bidding round is opening for delivering a youth volunteering scheme with six members of staff and £250,000 pa. The deadline for initial "expressions of interest" is this Friday.
I had intended to spend today at home working on the HIC development plan. I did make some progress on this. But I also spent a long long time on the telephone talking to lots of different people about the future of youth volunteering in Herts.
In retrospect it was inevitable that I would get involved: Watford YMCA are members of Watford CVS, I am chair of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, Watford CVS operates a Volunteer Centre, and our Volunteer Centre co-ordinator (Helen Price) is Youth Volunteering lead for the Volunteering Herts consortium. Perhaps I should have involved myself much earlier.
Watford YMCA will of course put in another expression of interest and seek to revise their bid. Today it became clear that the Volunteering Herts consortium of Volunteer Centres would put in an expression of interest against Watford YMCA.
For a time, I felt that Watford CVS should also put in an expression of interest. My logic was simple: Watford YMCA and the Volunteer Centres will have to work together to deliver the V programme; if neither is willing to accept the other as lead, then a third party is needed to bring them together. I thought that Watford CVS might play this role of “honest broker”.
Another potential “honest broker” in this process is North Herts CVS. They have the experience of being fund holder and Responsible Body for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, and they can also more easily act on behalf of the Consortium. Accordingly, at some point in the day, Watford CVS withdrew its interest.
Putting in three expressions of interest is no great problem as it keeps options open. But if in January Hertfordshire puts in three competing bids, we will give every appearance of being a county in crisis. After the success of the MV programme this would be very unfortunate. It is still very clear to me that Hertfordshire needs to get behind a single strong bid for the V programme. Perhaps this will be possible in the New Year.
Throughout the day, Helen was overseeing a Christmas event at Watford’s premier shopping centre The Harlequin. This event involved organising teams of volunteers to do Christmas gift wrapping to promote volunteering and solicit donations for local charities. Helen was also the Volunteering Herts lead on Youth Volunteering. And she also had a 5:15 call booked with Andrew Simmonds, the head of Hertfordshire Connexions and chair of the Hertfordshire Youth Volunteeirng Consortium. Helen had a pretty torrid day and I was very impressed by how she coped with all the pressures and all the different hats.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
A full HIC meeting but with a strangely low attendance - perhaps everyone was Christmas shopping? Or more likely busy with their day jobs. I confess my own mind wandered once or twice making my job as chair rather difficult. But things are still very good natured and we got through the agenda.
After, I stayed on for some new equalities training on FRED: Fairness, Respect, Equality and Diversity. I think I have previously noted that throughout the EU it is now illegal to develop or propogate any management or training system without incorporating a contrived acronym (the more letters the better). I suppose "Fred" is at least subverting the format a little.
The session was led by Marcella Wright (of the University of Hertfordshire) and it was really jolly good. Despite the CANAPE (Contrived Acronym Not Actually Producing …. Bugger, this is harder than it looks).
Back home, I had some telephone calls to make to understand what is happening with Hertfordshire’s application to V, the youth volunteering initiative. The simple facts are that the Hertfordshire consortium’s bid was rejected and new bids have been invited. National organisations from outside the County are rumoured to be preparing bids. Within the County, the different vested interests need to establish a full working partnership that will press all the necessary buttons and so win the contract. More discussions are scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see.
Ah ha: CANADA - Contrived Acronym Not Actually Denoting Anything. Surely sufficient to win me an MBA from any reputable Business School.
After, I stayed on for some new equalities training on FRED: Fairness, Respect, Equality and Diversity. I think I have previously noted that throughout the EU it is now illegal to develop or propogate any management or training system without incorporating a contrived acronym (the more letters the better). I suppose "Fred" is at least subverting the format a little.
The session was led by Marcella Wright (of the University of Hertfordshire) and it was really jolly good. Despite the CANAPE (Contrived Acronym Not Actually Producing …. Bugger, this is harder than it looks).
Back home, I had some telephone calls to make to understand what is happening with Hertfordshire’s application to V, the youth volunteering initiative. The simple facts are that the Hertfordshire consortium’s bid was rejected and new bids have been invited. National organisations from outside the County are rumoured to be preparing bids. Within the County, the different vested interests need to establish a full working partnership that will press all the necessary buttons and so win the contract. More discussions are scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see.
Ah ha: CANADA - Contrived Acronym Not Actually Denoting Anything. Surely sufficient to win me an MBA from any reputable Business School.
Monday, 10 December 2007
I drove to the HCC’s Development Centre at Wheathampstead to meet with John Hyland and Shahla Taheri-White to discuss a contract for WCVS to delivery a BME Advocacy service. The service will support the families of children who have a complaint against a school where the complaint has a racial or faith dimension. As ever, it is a little more complicated than that, but not much. This morning’s discussions were very positive and constructive and contracts should be signed very soon. HCC are keen for the service to be up and running no later than April 2008; the only major potential difficulty I see is recruiting for the post.
From Wheathampstead, I drove to Letchworth to spend time with Jacquie and Steph preparing for tomorrow’s HIC meeting. And of course we spent more hours on the HIC Consortium Development Plan. I’m bored with this now.
Also, I met briefly with Paul Ruskin who seems to pop up everywhere at the moment. There was talk of a bid for IT under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
From Wheathampstead, I drove to Letchworth to spend time with Jacquie and Steph preparing for tomorrow’s HIC meeting. And of course we spent more hours on the HIC Consortium Development Plan. I’m bored with this now.
Also, I met briefly with Paul Ruskin who seems to pop up everywhere at the moment. There was talk of a bid for IT under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
Friday, 7 December 2007
I left Jackie at 8:00, collected Jacquie at 8:30 and we arrived at the COVER offices shortly after 9:00.
Immediately on arriving, I had an intense ten minute discussion on ICT with Paul Ruskin. He is the region’s ICT Champion: technically skilled, good strategic overview, an intense ball of energy who makes things happen. But he plays golf apparently without shame; I worry about him sometimes.
Then we parted to attend different meetings. Along with representatives of all the other regional infrastructure consortia, Jacquie and I went into a briefing with Richard Weller of Capacitybuilders. Hertfordshire’s Infrastructure Consortium is generally regarded as a success. In large part this is because we have had sufficient funding to pay for a full-time Development Worker and 10 hours a week of management time bought in from Jacquie at North Herts CVS. Our core funding has now been cut to £32,000 pa. I know Consortia have to move toward sustainability etc, but why are other (frankly less inclusive and less successful) consortia receiving significantly higher funding?
The answer is that the formula is worked out depending entirely on the local government structure and each consortia receives: £25k for each County Council, £22k for each Unitary Authority, and (in two-tier local government areas) £1k for each District Council apart from the first three.
They might just as well have based allocations on the number of vowels in the consortium name, or the number of professional footballers produced in the inter-war period, or the mean annual rainfall across each consortium. Do they really have such little idea?
Then at 11:00 we met with the delightful Jonathan Moore (of SAVO) and Jenny Althorpe (South Beds CVS) to discuss support for trustees. This was useful as we agreed on three needs: to focus on empowerment rather than regulation; to offer more support for trustees in smaller charities; to offer more support for trustee boards rather than for trustees individually. These may seem like small points, but they prompted a very productive discussion, pleasing me greatly. There was talk of a COVER project bid under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
After a brief cup of tea with Jacquie I was home before 5:00 pm and I was home at a sensible time. But by the time I had finished three telephone conversations (on IT, training, and volunteering) it was well past 6:00.
And Bryan was off to start a new job - a great end to a good day.
Immediately on arriving, I had an intense ten minute discussion on ICT with Paul Ruskin. He is the region’s ICT Champion: technically skilled, good strategic overview, an intense ball of energy who makes things happen. But he plays golf apparently without shame; I worry about him sometimes.
Then we parted to attend different meetings. Along with representatives of all the other regional infrastructure consortia, Jacquie and I went into a briefing with Richard Weller of Capacitybuilders. Hertfordshire’s Infrastructure Consortium is generally regarded as a success. In large part this is because we have had sufficient funding to pay for a full-time Development Worker and 10 hours a week of management time bought in from Jacquie at North Herts CVS. Our core funding has now been cut to £32,000 pa. I know Consortia have to move toward sustainability etc, but why are other (frankly less inclusive and less successful) consortia receiving significantly higher funding?
The answer is that the formula is worked out depending entirely on the local government structure and each consortia receives: £25k for each County Council, £22k for each Unitary Authority, and (in two-tier local government areas) £1k for each District Council apart from the first three.
They might just as well have based allocations on the number of vowels in the consortium name, or the number of professional footballers produced in the inter-war period, or the mean annual rainfall across each consortium. Do they really have such little idea?
Then at 11:00 we met with the delightful Jonathan Moore (of SAVO) and Jenny Althorpe (South Beds CVS) to discuss support for trustees. This was useful as we agreed on three needs: to focus on empowerment rather than regulation; to offer more support for trustees in smaller charities; to offer more support for trustee boards rather than for trustees individually. These may seem like small points, but they prompted a very productive discussion, pleasing me greatly. There was talk of a COVER project bid under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
After a brief cup of tea with Jacquie I was home before 5:00 pm and I was home at a sensible time. But by the time I had finished three telephone conversations (on IT, training, and volunteering) it was well past 6:00.
And Bryan was off to start a new job - a great end to a good day.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Joined up government
After an early start and a few hours in the office, I headed off to the YMCA for a meeting of the Watford Learning Partnership (WLP).
The Hertfordshire Adult Learning Partnership (HALP) and the Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning Service (HAFLS) have jointly prepared a plan for the future of adult learning. This plan focuses heavily on local learning partnerships like WPL. I can’t see any connection between this plan and that of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC is funding the VCS to set up county-wide training consortia that LSC supposes will then oversee all VCS workforce development training and all training delivered by VCS organisations to the public. The LSC think this Consortium will become constituted and will then be a major training provider. I don’t know why anyone would want to create such a monolith and nor can I imagine how such an organisation would be financially viable. And meanwhile it might destablise existing training providers like CVSs.
This looks like a government agency coming up with a “good idea” and then treating the VCS like some sort of experimental laboratory. But maybe it will work: I have been wrong before and doubtless I will again.
But meanwhile, the least I expect is that government agencies co-ordinate their policies.
Also present at the WLP meeting were Lyn Telford and David Brown of HALP, Phil Willerton of YMCA, Alison Stainsby of Watford Borough Council, and Marion of the Watford Community Housing Trust. Other regular attenders (LSC, West Herts College, Herts Trade Union Centre) sent their apologies.
After WLP I had a brief Staff Meeting at WCVS to discuss how best we can support volunteering and how we can improve some of our core services. There seems to be unanimity on all the key issues which makes things easier.
And then I attended a meeting of the WCVS’s Staffing and Remuneration Sub-Committee. This sub-group of trustees was meeting to review salary scales, expense payments, employment practices, one or two specific issues etc. These are difficult areas for charities. Of course everyone wants to be nice to their employees (like me) but the realities are that funding is short and life is tough. No-one works in the voluntary sector to get rich: there are other reasons for working here.
And on the technical / procedural issues I simply anticipated a few sympathetic looks. But I had underestimated my wonderful trustees. Phil Willerton in particular came prepared with possible solutions to several of the thornier technical and procedural problems including the possibility of a workable job evaluation scheme. What a star. Althea and John and Vivienne were also helpful and the meeting was completed within an hour and with far more progress than I had dared hope for.
After that, it was just one long slog through HIC business planning and making sure that I had done all I need to before leaving the office as I have a series of “out of the office” days.
I arrived home about 10:00 and Jackie and I enjoyed a sherry and a good read together before bed - what a lovely scene of domestic bliss.
After an early start and a few hours in the office, I headed off to the YMCA for a meeting of the Watford Learning Partnership (WLP).
The Hertfordshire Adult Learning Partnership (HALP) and the Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning Service (HAFLS) have jointly prepared a plan for the future of adult learning. This plan focuses heavily on local learning partnerships like WPL. I can’t see any connection between this plan and that of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC is funding the VCS to set up county-wide training consortia that LSC supposes will then oversee all VCS workforce development training and all training delivered by VCS organisations to the public. The LSC think this Consortium will become constituted and will then be a major training provider. I don’t know why anyone would want to create such a monolith and nor can I imagine how such an organisation would be financially viable. And meanwhile it might destablise existing training providers like CVSs.
This looks like a government agency coming up with a “good idea” and then treating the VCS like some sort of experimental laboratory. But maybe it will work: I have been wrong before and doubtless I will again.
But meanwhile, the least I expect is that government agencies co-ordinate their policies.
Also present at the WLP meeting were Lyn Telford and David Brown of HALP, Phil Willerton of YMCA, Alison Stainsby of Watford Borough Council, and Marion of the Watford Community Housing Trust. Other regular attenders (LSC, West Herts College, Herts Trade Union Centre) sent their apologies.
After WLP I had a brief Staff Meeting at WCVS to discuss how best we can support volunteering and how we can improve some of our core services. There seems to be unanimity on all the key issues which makes things easier.
And then I attended a meeting of the WCVS’s Staffing and Remuneration Sub-Committee. This sub-group of trustees was meeting to review salary scales, expense payments, employment practices, one or two specific issues etc. These are difficult areas for charities. Of course everyone wants to be nice to their employees (like me) but the realities are that funding is short and life is tough. No-one works in the voluntary sector to get rich: there are other reasons for working here.
And on the technical / procedural issues I simply anticipated a few sympathetic looks. But I had underestimated my wonderful trustees. Phil Willerton in particular came prepared with possible solutions to several of the thornier technical and procedural problems including the possibility of a workable job evaluation scheme. What a star. Althea and John and Vivienne were also helpful and the meeting was completed within an hour and with far more progress than I had dared hope for.
After that, it was just one long slog through HIC business planning and making sure that I had done all I need to before leaving the office as I have a series of “out of the office” days.
I arrived home about 10:00 and Jackie and I enjoyed a sherry and a good read together before bed - what a lovely scene of domestic bliss.
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
I had a busy morning on paperwork and on a very useful meeting with Lyn Telford of the Watford Learning Partnership.
At lunchtime I travelled to Borehamwood to “facilitate” a joint meeting of Hertsmere CVS and Hertsmere Community Partnership, who are considering a merger. On my understanding of the briefing I’d received, I tried to facilitate the meeting through an exercise to consider a shared vision and mission. But this is rather an abstract exercise and people were too focused on tangibles and practicalities. Once I'd grasped this, the meeting was much more productive.
At lunchtime I travelled to Borehamwood to “facilitate” a joint meeting of Hertsmere CVS and Hertsmere Community Partnership, who are considering a merger. On my understanding of the briefing I’d received, I tried to facilitate the meeting through an exercise to consider a shared vision and mission. But this is rather an abstract exercise and people were too focused on tangibles and practicalities. Once I'd grasped this, the meeting was much more productive.
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
This morning, I read through several new policy pronouncements, and through paperwork about the possible merger of Hertsmere CVS with Hertsmere Community Partnership. In the afternoon, I drafted one-page summaries of each of the projects prepared for the Herts Infrastructure Consortium. Somewhere in the middle of this, I spent two hours talking on the telephone to different colleagues: how can some people use telephones recreationally?
Monday, 3 December 2007
Community Networking
We had a very successful networking lunch at the North Watford Mosque - or at least a very successful networking event. I will explain.
The event began at 10:45 with a tour of the Mosque hosted by the Mosque Committee. At 11:30 we began the meeting proper, and an audience of about 70 heard Qari Mohamed Salim (Watford Central Mosque), Khalil Mogul (Muslim Community Project), Riaz Hussain (Muslim Awareness Forum) and Zamir Shah (Anjuman-e-Ja’fariyya); all were excellent and received a warm reception. The speeches ended at 12:15 and we had allowed 15 minutes for questions. There were lots of questions on extremism, the role of women, youth work, mental health, education, racist attacks, further dialogue and so on. There were so many questions that I allowed another fifteen minutes. And then another fifteen minutes.
By this time it was apparent that things had gone wrong: our caterers had let us down badly. Those Muslims belonging to North Watford Mosque were leaving to attend lunchtime prayers. The event did not conclude with a relaxed sit-down meal for 75 people. I did my best to jolly things along, but there was no hiding the fact that people were hungry and disappointed and the meeting ended on a note of disappointment and confusion.
Some stayed behind for tea or coffee, and finally (45 minutes late) the food arrived with profuse apologies from our caterers. But my appetite had disappeared along with two-thirds of the participants.
Nevertheless, I think that the event was a remarkable success and will hopefully set down some markers and relationships for the future.
Lessons? This is the second networking lunch where we have got the catering wrong. We have been trying to do things cheaply using inexperienced caterers. From now on we will need to step up a gear and move the whole thing on to a more professional footing. Fortunately, our next lunch is at the YMCA who thankfully have their own on-site caterers. It’s on 21 January with the theme: “Improving Watford’s Mental Health”.
Later in the afternoon, I was stumped by the terrible news of Jim Lillington's death. He was a lovely man and a tireless activist: a real star for the voluntary sector, for Shopmobility and for the Disability Forum. Thanks Jim.
We had a very successful networking lunch at the North Watford Mosque - or at least a very successful networking event. I will explain.
The event began at 10:45 with a tour of the Mosque hosted by the Mosque Committee. At 11:30 we began the meeting proper, and an audience of about 70 heard Qari Mohamed Salim (Watford Central Mosque), Khalil Mogul (Muslim Community Project), Riaz Hussain (Muslim Awareness Forum) and Zamir Shah (Anjuman-e-Ja’fariyya); all were excellent and received a warm reception. The speeches ended at 12:15 and we had allowed 15 minutes for questions. There were lots of questions on extremism, the role of women, youth work, mental health, education, racist attacks, further dialogue and so on. There were so many questions that I allowed another fifteen minutes. And then another fifteen minutes.
By this time it was apparent that things had gone wrong: our caterers had let us down badly. Those Muslims belonging to North Watford Mosque were leaving to attend lunchtime prayers. The event did not conclude with a relaxed sit-down meal for 75 people. I did my best to jolly things along, but there was no hiding the fact that people were hungry and disappointed and the meeting ended on a note of disappointment and confusion.
Some stayed behind for tea or coffee, and finally (45 minutes late) the food arrived with profuse apologies from our caterers. But my appetite had disappeared along with two-thirds of the participants.
Nevertheless, I think that the event was a remarkable success and will hopefully set down some markers and relationships for the future.
Lessons? This is the second networking lunch where we have got the catering wrong. We have been trying to do things cheaply using inexperienced caterers. From now on we will need to step up a gear and move the whole thing on to a more professional footing. Fortunately, our next lunch is at the YMCA who thankfully have their own on-site caterers. It’s on 21 January with the theme: “Improving Watford’s Mental Health”.
Later in the afternoon, I was stumped by the terrible news of Jim Lillington's death. He was a lovely man and a tireless activist: a real star for the voluntary sector, for Shopmobility and for the Disability Forum. Thanks Jim.
Sunday, 2 December 2007
I spent a lovely day with Jackie and our grand-daughter Bethany.
Tottenham's dismal season continued with a 2-3 defeat by Birmingham City; I think I am right in saying that Spurs have now lost 493 consecutive matches.
Tottenham's dismal season continued with a 2-3 defeat by Birmingham City; I think I am right in saying that Spurs have now lost 493 consecutive matches.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Jackie and I further contemplated the possible keeping of chickens: we still prevaricate. A quiet day at home was followed by a rather raucous evening with friends.
Friday, 30 November 2007
An incident of some sort meant that the Police had to close part of Beechen Grove this morning so it took me half an hour to travel the last mile into work. Then my day proper started with a half-day workshop for members of the Local Strategic Partnership One Watford.
This workshop was the Aspire 2 Perform model encouraging LSPs to be: Accountable, Strategic, Performance-managed, Inclusive, Responsive and Effective. The model actually looked at Engagement, Governance, Expectations, Planning, Meetings, and Communications. But obviously EGEPMC isn't as memorable as ASPIRE. One day people will again learn to develop management models without the use of contrived acronyms.
The event itself was very worthwhile and productive: it highlighted some important issues and gave LSP members an opportunity to talk together outside the usual arena of LSP meetings.
After this, I spent some time briefing myself for some forthcoming meetings: Compact, networking lunches, HIC, IT development, and so on. At Vanessa’s behest, I also wrote to staff suggesting we moved on from last year’s Secret Santa and instead each contribute some money though Oxfam to buy a donkey or some goats (not for Watford but for one of the communities where Oxfam work).
Back home, Jackie and I resisted the temptation to attend a 1970s Night and instead spent an evening at home over a curry and a bottle of wine watching music on television: I particularly liked Kate Nash and The Who (although it seems that guitar legend Pete Townshend has been sacked and replaced by Phil Willerton of Watford YMCA).
This workshop was the Aspire 2 Perform model encouraging LSPs to be: Accountable, Strategic, Performance-managed, Inclusive, Responsive and Effective. The model actually looked at Engagement, Governance, Expectations, Planning, Meetings, and Communications. But obviously EGEPMC isn't as memorable as ASPIRE. One day people will again learn to develop management models without the use of contrived acronyms.
The event itself was very worthwhile and productive: it highlighted some important issues and gave LSP members an opportunity to talk together outside the usual arena of LSP meetings.
After this, I spent some time briefing myself for some forthcoming meetings: Compact, networking lunches, HIC, IT development, and so on. At Vanessa’s behest, I also wrote to staff suggesting we moved on from last year’s Secret Santa and instead each contribute some money though Oxfam to buy a donkey or some goats (not for Watford but for one of the communities where Oxfam work).
Back home, Jackie and I resisted the temptation to attend a 1970s Night and instead spent an evening at home over a curry and a bottle of wine watching music on television: I particularly liked Kate Nash and The Who (although it seems that guitar legend Pete Townshend has been sacked and replaced by Phil Willerton of Watford YMCA).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
