Friday, 28 March 2008

I was much refreshed by a full night’s sleep and within a short time of arriving at work I had dispatched a response to the PCT and HCC on their integrated transport proposal. Clearly more discussions are needed and involving more VCS organisations, but the prospects for a County-wide voluntary transport service look good.

I also sent off letters to the ten LSP Chairs in Hertfordshire, with the text carefully negotiated and agreed with HCC.

Pam Handley arrived prompt as ever for my monthly supervision meeting. She came with some excellent points on the draft Community Development Strategy and (as ever) some good support / ideas on other areas too. I'm not unduly modest or reticent, but things would be so much harder without these regular meetings with my Chair of Trustees: without them I wouldn't do anywhere near such a good job.

I also worked on a draft letter to Chris Pond of Capacitybuilders. Oh Dear. Capacitybuilders oversees the development of vountary sector support and began its life a year ago with a big fanfare and then an unnecessary and unseemly head-to-head battle with existing bodies such as NCVO and NAVCA. Capacitybuilders then took each infrastructure consortium (Hertfordshire’s included) through a year-long process to prove that each consortium was “fit for purpose”.

But there are serious questions about whether Capacitybuilders itself is fit for purpose: its star has waned considerably, it has missed its own deadlines, funding is drying up and support agencies are disengaging rather too readily. I do hope the funding survives at least because without it things would be even harder.

But Capacitybuilders isn't in as big a mess as that presided over by BA at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 - what a catastrophic display of arrogance, mismanagement and downright dishonesty. And of course no-one has yet resigned: does no-one have any sense of honour?

Before leaving the office I spoke with Ian Richardson, Chair of Herts CVS and congratulated him on his successful office relocation to Ware.

On the way home I dropped off for a chat with my Vice Chair Althea MacLean OBE and her husband Mac.

Back at home, I found the new Status Quo album waiting for me along with friends bearing "cloudy scumpy" - the evening took years off me.