Saturday, 9 February 2008

Our Big Day Out

What a glorious winter morning: blue and bright and shimmering. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t thinking: Who on earth will want to spend all day at a conference on a day like this? This was not an idle question as today was the day of the Hertfordshire Charity Trustee Conference at Hatfield's Comet Hotel.

I arrived at 8:00 am to set up projectors and PA systems. Already there were Vanessa (WCVS Development and Training Officer), Maria (WCVS Office Co-ordinator) and Mary Green (CEO at Three Rivers CVS).

Around 9:15 am, people started arriving in a steady stream and I thought: Only half will stay for the afternoon session. I think I was Eeyore in a previous life. I had a few minor worries setting up the IT and PA systems, but nothing to cause any real panic.

Pam Handley chaired the conference with her usual aplomb. Linda Laurance gave a comprehensive introduction to governance issues, Michael Carpenter picked up the pace focusing on the Charity Trustee Network, and Tesse Akpeki produced a rousing end to the first plenary session.

There was a really nice buzz about the place. I can't say what exactly: I just knew that everything was going to be fine.

All the morning workshops went well and I enjoyed a good lunch with with Althea McLean, Arthur MacLean and Tesse Akpeki - all extraordinarily lovely people.

Alan Clarkin started the afternoon with a shining introduction to the Charity Commission. Usually, this is the graveyard slot but Alan’s presentation was extremely entertaining and informative.

After the final workshop session, the conference closed with an Experts Panel. If anything, there were more people present for this final 3:00 am session than there were at the opening 10:00 pm session. That's what a good day it was.

To ensure a Hertfordshire presence, Jacquie Hime was to join the Experts Panel from the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium but she reasonably pointed out that she had already led three workshops and had done enough. So I got to sit as an “Expert” alongside Alan Clarkin, Linda Clarkin and Michael Carpenter, chaired by Andrew Burt of HCC. Great fun!

The conference ended on a general cushion of goodwill and it was all very pleasant. We got so much positive feedback and I do hope we get to do the same again next year.

I would love to lay claim to the conference as another Watford CVS triumph. But the conference was a triumph for partnership working. Vanessa had the original idea for the conference, arising from discussions with North Herts CVS and with Suffolk Association for Voluntary Organisations. Funding was secured through Herts County Council and through Capacitybuilders. Recruitment to the event was organised via all Herts CVSs and through the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. Three River CVS helped out on the day. Speakers came from statutory, private and public sectors adn they delivered workshops as well as plenary sessions. There were also workshops from HIC and from SAVO. Everyone mucked in. I think the "out-of-county" speakers were pleased by the turnout and the good atmosphere, and they smiled, and the participants got a lift from this, and it all worked very well.

But through this false Watford modesty, I do hope everyone knows that in truth the credit for the planning and hard work really does belong to Vanessa Levy and Maria Waszkis.