This was my last day in the office before heading off for the annual NAVCA Chief Officers’ Residential Event at Buxton.
I spent most of the morning talking with Hema Devlukia about our BME Advocacy Service. At 2:00 pm I went to the local Police Station for a meeting of the “Strategic Board” of the local Sunflower Centre. Having spent two years gradually getting to grips with the voluntary sector, newly proposed county-wide DV structures seem to completely exclude voluntary representation. Some mistake surely?
I will of course be accompanied to Buxton by Jackie – I wouldn’t want to be apart from her for a whole night, never mind two. I notice that the Institute of Fundraising has a National Convention and that the NCVO has an Annual Gathering. Yet we in the CVSs have to make do with a mere "event" that barely merits a capital e. Ho hum.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
After yesterday’s beautiful sunshine, today there were April showers and Jackie and I drove over to Shaw’s Corner. How magnificent Hertfordshire’s woodlands looked glistening with spring rain and with the silky bluebell veneer floating six inches off the ground – a stunning sight.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Enjoying the warm sunshine, Jackie and I drove to Cambridge to visit the Galloway and Porter warehouse book sale as promoted by Andrew Cogan at COVER. Laden with twenty-eight new books, we stopped off on the return journey for lunch at The Cabinet in Reed. We remembered visiting the pub together back in the 1970s when the "regulars" included many farm labourers. Structurally it has barely changed, but it is now more of a restaurant than a pub. We ate in the garden and it was so relaxing. The weather was perfect and we abandoned plans to visit the Round the Block quilting exhibition in Watford and decided instead to spend the afternoon in the garden.
Friday, 25 April 2008
Pam Handley arrived prompt as ever for our monthly supervision meeting. We covered lots of ground ahead of next month’s trustees meeting.
My big task for the day was to review the year-end procedure for our accounts, check everything through one last time, and forward a copy of our accounts file to our auditors. Thanks to Maria’s sterling work through the year, this proved relatively easy and I managed to send off the file and leave for home about 6:00 pm.
This left me the weekend to revisit our Job Evaluation scheme, and then next week to address our NAVCA quality assurance application. With perfect timing, Andrea Allez of NAVCA mailed me at 5:38 to remind me that our NAVCA quality assurance submission is still outstanding.
My big task for the day was to review the year-end procedure for our accounts, check everything through one last time, and forward a copy of our accounts file to our auditors. Thanks to Maria’s sterling work through the year, this proved relatively easy and I managed to send off the file and leave for home about 6:00 pm.
This left me the weekend to revisit our Job Evaluation scheme, and then next week to address our NAVCA quality assurance application. With perfect timing, Andrea Allez of NAVCA mailed me at 5:38 to remind me that our NAVCA quality assurance submission is still outstanding.
Thursday, 24 April 2008
This morning I met with the delightful Sarah Pinnock of Watford Borough Council. We had a vast amount to catch up on including the future funding of certain groups, the future of Watford’s Community Centres, the Community Development Network, WCVS’s accommodation, Watford Compact, Community buildings, Grassroots Grants, our ICT project and quality assurance strategies. It was a fairly intense two hours, but thoroughly worthwhile.
I later had a meeting with Louise Jones of Connexions on our Aim Higher contract.
But most of the day, and into the evening, I spent catching up on e-mails. Does this technology really offer a more efficient way of working? It strikes me that communication is sometimes a bit too easy and that people will sometimes communicate things that are best kept to themselves. Even after screening my e-mail, I still had nearly 100 e-mails that needed a response from me. By 10:00 pm I had reduced this to about 20 outstanding e-mails.
I later had a meeting with Louise Jones of Connexions on our Aim Higher contract.
But most of the day, and into the evening, I spent catching up on e-mails. Does this technology really offer a more efficient way of working? It strikes me that communication is sometimes a bit too easy and that people will sometimes communicate things that are best kept to themselves. Even after screening my e-mail, I still had nearly 100 e-mails that needed a response from me. By 10:00 pm I had reduced this to about 20 outstanding e-mails.
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
I have celebrated St George’s Day with a rare day completely free of meetings.
Released to my own devices, I wrote up a note of last night’s Arts meeting, checked the minutes of yesterday’s HIC meeting, arranged a visit to Watford Asian Community Care, sorted out some IT plans, began planning the forthcoming Herts Compact meeting, issued invitations to the launch of the Community Development Network, advised a group on quality assurance models, and began framing a discussion note on investing LAA reward monies. I also made serious headway on catching up with correspondence.
Released to my own devices, I wrote up a note of last night’s Arts meeting, checked the minutes of yesterday’s HIC meeting, arranged a visit to Watford Asian Community Care, sorted out some IT plans, began planning the forthcoming Herts Compact meeting, issued invitations to the launch of the Community Development Network, advised a group on quality assurance models, and began framing a discussion note on investing LAA reward monies. I also made serious headway on catching up with correspondence.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
I left Welwyn Garden City at 6:30 am for a breakfast meeting of the Watford Chamber of Commerce and the launch of Watford for you - the campaign to promote Watford as a successful community. This all looks good and hearty congratulations are due to Jenny Tomley of John Lewis for pulling it all together.
At sixes and sevens
By 9:00 am I was back on the road heading to Stevenage to chair a meeting of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. The main discussion was on the Hertfordshire Local Area Agreement. The question was, should the Consortium champion National Indicator 6 ("increased participation in volunteering”) or National Indicator 7 ("creating an environment for a thriving third sector”)?
It was a long (and at times rather intense) debate. Several contributors felt that there is an ongoing programme to promote volunteering in Hertfordshire and the baseline survey results for volunteering are well understood and so we ought to focus on National Indicator 6. Others felt that the Consortium was first and foremost concerned with creating the right environment for a thriving third sector, and so we ought to champion National Indicator 7 as a point of principle.
Eventually, National Indicator 7 won the day and majority support. But the final decision will be taken by the LAA itself. We all know that Ann Jansz will argue the voluntary sector’s corner – and we all recognise that this may require several marks in the sand, a bit of give and take and perhaps some trading of horses. Good luck Ann.
I also confirmed at the meeting that I was standing down as Chair and that the June meeting of the Consortium will be my last as Chair. I have “done my bit” and it is time for someone new to have a crack at things.
By lunchtime, I was on my way back to Watford, where I spent the afternoon catching up on correspondence, organising meetings, and talking with various staff about their work priorities.
In the evening, we hosted a meeting to try and launch a Community Arts Forum for Watford. It was a quiet affair with only five of us present. I had expected more. But there was commitment to a further meeting and I am confident that things will pick up: there is so much to do!
At sixes and sevens
By 9:00 am I was back on the road heading to Stevenage to chair a meeting of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. The main discussion was on the Hertfordshire Local Area Agreement. The question was, should the Consortium champion National Indicator 6 ("increased participation in volunteering”) or National Indicator 7 ("creating an environment for a thriving third sector”)?
It was a long (and at times rather intense) debate. Several contributors felt that there is an ongoing programme to promote volunteering in Hertfordshire and the baseline survey results for volunteering are well understood and so we ought to focus on National Indicator 6. Others felt that the Consortium was first and foremost concerned with creating the right environment for a thriving third sector, and so we ought to champion National Indicator 7 as a point of principle.
Eventually, National Indicator 7 won the day and majority support. But the final decision will be taken by the LAA itself. We all know that Ann Jansz will argue the voluntary sector’s corner – and we all recognise that this may require several marks in the sand, a bit of give and take and perhaps some trading of horses. Good luck Ann.
I also confirmed at the meeting that I was standing down as Chair and that the June meeting of the Consortium will be my last as Chair. I have “done my bit” and it is time for someone new to have a crack at things.
By lunchtime, I was on my way back to Watford, where I spent the afternoon catching up on correspondence, organising meetings, and talking with various staff about their work priorities.
In the evening, we hosted a meeting to try and launch a Community Arts Forum for Watford. It was a quiet affair with only five of us present. I had expected more. But there was commitment to a further meeting and I am confident that things will pick up: there is so much to do!
Monday, 21 April 2008
I started my week in at 9:00 in Watford meeting with Mayor Dorothy Thornhill. We spent an hour or so talking through the many points at which the Council adn the CVS now share the same agenda. I suppose mostly we focused on Watford CVS’s draft Community Development strategy, but there were many “matters arising” too.
I then drove to Hatfield to meet with David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation to talk about Grassroots Grants, the LAA and the ICT needs of Hertfordshire’s voluntary sector.
Then I collected Jacquie in Letchworth and we drove to Cambridge for our ReaLM course.
I then drove to Hatfield to meet with David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation to talk about Grassroots Grants, the LAA and the ICT needs of Hertfordshire’s voluntary sector.
Then I collected Jacquie in Letchworth and we drove to Cambridge for our ReaLM course.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Jackie and I spent the day in Ampthill with my sister Caroline, and in the evening we watched Foyle’s War together.
Friday, 18 April 2008
From 9:00 to 5:00 I was in constant meetings with WCVS staff and WCVS members over priorities, accommodation, implementation of our new CRM system, and Connexions issues.
Jackie was out tonight at a friend's retirement bash, so I worked late so I could pick her up in St. Albans on my way home, finally leaving the office about 10:00.
This week has been exhausting. I look forward to a much quieter time next week.
Jackie was out tonight at a friend's retirement bash, so I worked late so I could pick her up in St. Albans on my way home, finally leaving the office about 10:00.
This week has been exhausting. I look forward to a much quieter time next week.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
I spent today in Hatfield at a training event with Terry Perkins of Public Law Project at NAVCA. I don’t think I ever enjoyed such a valuable day’s training – it was all absolutely critical learning and there was barely a moment of wasted time. This training should be compulsory for all charity CEOs – and for all senior public sector employees.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
This morning I met with our treasurer John Casstles to talk about financial controls. About mid-afternoon, I journeyed down to Whitechapel for a trustees meeting at the Disability Law Service: an excellent charity for which I wish I had more time: for the third day running I arrived home at well after 9:00 pm.
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
In the morning I met with Maria (our Office Co-ordinator) to talk through some control issues and some outstanding year-end actions on the accounts. At lunchtime I drove over to Rickmansworth for a meeting of the Watford and Three Rivers Health Partnership Board. Then I returned to Watford for a meeting of the Watford One World forum which is gradually beginning to build up a head of steam and demonstrate its usefulness. There was a good attendance from some of the best and nicest people in Watford.
After the meeting, I worked late on correspondence.
After the meeting, I worked late on correspondence.
Monday, 14 April 2008
This, the first of several long working days, began with one of our networking lunches. David Fitzpatrick, CEO at Hertfordshire Community Foundation, travelled over from Hatfield to talk to us about Grassroots grants and plans for the new Watford Community Fund. David of course spoke very well, and I was pleased that the audience included both our Chair Pam Handley and Watford’s Mayor Dorothy Thornhill.
Before, during and after the meeting I talked to as many different people as possible about future plans and so on. After a difficult start, the revamped and reformed networking lunches are really beginning to produce some interesting outcomes: different people attend each time and there are always good discussions. And at last we have found a good reliable caterer!
From the lunch, I headed straight off to Cambridge Regional College for the start of my eight week ReaLM course from the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Cranfield Institute. Why does it take so many different groups to deliver a short course?
I was back in the strange parallel world of training where trivial questions expand to fill the time available to address them. I was disappointed (and rather insulted) that one exercise on this course tested that we were able to distinguish “opinion” from “fact”. Happily, our tutor realised her faux pas and hurried quickly along. When I finally arrived home after 9:00, I told Jackie it was “hardly a steep learning curve”. She told me I had been just as arrogant at school; I am sure she’s right.
Before, during and after the meeting I talked to as many different people as possible about future plans and so on. After a difficult start, the revamped and reformed networking lunches are really beginning to produce some interesting outcomes: different people attend each time and there are always good discussions. And at last we have found a good reliable caterer!
From the lunch, I headed straight off to Cambridge Regional College for the start of my eight week ReaLM course from the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Cranfield Institute. Why does it take so many different groups to deliver a short course?
I was back in the strange parallel world of training where trivial questions expand to fill the time available to address them. I was disappointed (and rather insulted) that one exercise on this course tested that we were able to distinguish “opinion” from “fact”. Happily, our tutor realised her faux pas and hurried quickly along. When I finally arrived home after 9:00, I told Jackie it was “hardly a steep learning curve”. She told me I had been just as arrogant at school; I am sure she’s right.
Sunday, 13 April 2008
A local business is relocating to London and at their invitation I rose at 7:00 to view their surplus furniture and stock and see if any of it could be of use to a local charity. At 9:30 I finally got a call cancelling the arrangement. My sunday morning wasn’t completely wasted: it provided an excellent instance of how the voluntary sector is treated with casual contempt by the commercial sector.
Saturday, 12 April 2008
The wrong sort of pallet
Today, Jackie and I tried to turn an old wooden pallet into a chicken coop. The idea was suggested to us by pekinbantams.com and presented as a cheap, environmentally-friendly alternative to spending £70 or more on a professionally built coop. There were pages of guidance which began with the simple instruction: “De-nail every board and joist and save all the nails”.
After more than two hours of strenuous labour, Jackie and I had a large pile of matchwood and about fifty bent nails. The nail heads are buried well below the surface of the wood and the wood itself breaks and shatters with the smallest pressure. Pallets aren’t designed to come apart.
Jackie and I regrouped and decided to abandon the pallets to their fate at the local re-cycling centre. Instead we scavanged around our own garden and found a few scraps of wood from which we successfully constructed the beginnings of a chicken coop.
Depressing News
There is depressing news from Africa. In Zimbabwe, inflation is rampant, unemployment nearly universal, a large part of the population has fled abroad and the tyrant Mugabe is stealing the election by stealth and perhaps soon by violence: there is a major crisis. But after a conference with Mugabe, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeke has announced that there is no crisis and that everything is tickety-boo. Corruption, cowardice and delusion are clearly as prevalent in South Africa as they are in Zimbabwe. When will Africa finally be free?
Today, Jackie and I tried to turn an old wooden pallet into a chicken coop. The idea was suggested to us by pekinbantams.com and presented as a cheap, environmentally-friendly alternative to spending £70 or more on a professionally built coop. There were pages of guidance which began with the simple instruction: “De-nail every board and joist and save all the nails”.
After more than two hours of strenuous labour, Jackie and I had a large pile of matchwood and about fifty bent nails. The nail heads are buried well below the surface of the wood and the wood itself breaks and shatters with the smallest pressure. Pallets aren’t designed to come apart.
Jackie and I regrouped and decided to abandon the pallets to their fate at the local re-cycling centre. Instead we scavanged around our own garden and found a few scraps of wood from which we successfully constructed the beginnings of a chicken coop.
Depressing News
There is depressing news from Africa. In Zimbabwe, inflation is rampant, unemployment nearly universal, a large part of the population has fled abroad and the tyrant Mugabe is stealing the election by stealth and perhaps soon by violence: there is a major crisis. But after a conference with Mugabe, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeke has announced that there is no crisis and that everything is tickety-boo. Corruption, cowardice and delusion are clearly as prevalent in South Africa as they are in Zimbabwe. When will Africa finally be free?
Friday, 11 April 2008
I drove to Great Chesterton for a meeting of the Trustees Together group. This group has a focus on supporting trustees throughout the Eastern region and we had discussions on the successor to the Governance Hub, the regional plans, TrusteElearning, trustee conferences, recruitment, retention, training, networks and resources.
But the meeting ranged far wider too and we had good discussions on the LSC, Train to Gain, Quality Assurance, mergers, and development “toolkits”.
Resource pressures on the Charity Commission mean that it must focus its attention on large national charities “where the money is”. The Charity Commission is less and less able to properly regulate local charities and public confidence in charities has fallen to an all-time low. In these circumstances, what can a CVS do to safeguard the good name of its local charities and community groups? How can a CVS act as a consistent objective referee for tenders and funding applications from local groups? How can a CVS offer reassurance to local funders? How can a CVS ensure that it does not adopt a regulatory role?
It is a question which we all now struggle to answer.
But the meeting ranged far wider too and we had good discussions on the LSC, Train to Gain, Quality Assurance, mergers, and development “toolkits”.
Resource pressures on the Charity Commission mean that it must focus its attention on large national charities “where the money is”. The Charity Commission is less and less able to properly regulate local charities and public confidence in charities has fallen to an all-time low. In these circumstances, what can a CVS do to safeguard the good name of its local charities and community groups? How can a CVS act as a consistent objective referee for tenders and funding applications from local groups? How can a CVS offer reassurance to local funders? How can a CVS ensure that it does not adopt a regulatory role?
It is a question which we all now struggle to answer.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Hertfordshire is home to nine CVSs and is often identified as a potential candidate for mergers - sometimes called “rationalisation” or “modernisation”. Today have heard of another potential merger of CVSs in Norfolk. I am not against mergers in all cases and I do not know the circumstances in Norfolk. But I worry about this trend.
Many people say that mergers deliver economies of scale that release resources for support work. But this is an article of faith rather than a proven fact.
To my mind, where mergers are well-resourced they create over-large organisations that culturally and geographically are ever more distant from the community-based organisations that CVSs are supposed to support.
Where the mergers are poorly resourced, they create the illusion that support services exist when in fact they do not and the voluntary sector ends up colluding with local government that says: “here’s £25, go and run an infrastructure service for 1.5 million people”.
In today’s Third Sector magazine, Nick Seddon also writes questioning the current drive for mergers in the voluntary sector. I will await developments in Norfolk with interest.
Many people say that mergers deliver economies of scale that release resources for support work. But this is an article of faith rather than a proven fact.
To my mind, where mergers are well-resourced they create over-large organisations that culturally and geographically are ever more distant from the community-based organisations that CVSs are supposed to support.
Where the mergers are poorly resourced, they create the illusion that support services exist when in fact they do not and the voluntary sector ends up colluding with local government that says: “here’s £25, go and run an infrastructure service for 1.5 million people”.
In today’s Third Sector magazine, Nick Seddon also writes questioning the current drive for mergers in the voluntary sector. I will await developments in Norfolk with interest.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Jackie and I were awakened at 6:00 am this morning by two demented terriers (Yorkshire? Highland?) yapping and yapping away in our back garden having broken through several fences from neighbours a few doors down. I chased them away, but worried what they would do if they caught hold of Ken our decrepit cat. Ken is bullied by blackbirds and magpies, he is afraid of spiders and is quite wary of moths: he would stand no chance whatsoever against two ferocious terriers.
Most of the day I spent in Letchworth, resplendent in my new woollen waistcoat. I was there to attend a meeting of infrastructure bodies discussing how best to co-ordinate services across the East of England region.
The context for this meeting was that COVER (the regional infrastructure body) decided they could no longer accept funding from Capacitybuilders for co-ordinating the ChangeUp programme. COVER saw too many strings tied to not enough money. The vacuum left by this decision has in part been filled by MENTER (the Minority Ethnic Network for the East of England Region) who agreed that for one year they would co-ordinate the other five regional networks (on ICT, the elderly, children, advice and guidance and social care) to produce a regional plan.
The Norfolk infrastructure consortium decided not to make a funding submission to Capacitybuilders for 2008-09, and the Cambridge Consortium has had its application referred for a year.
Most of the day I spent in Letchworth, resplendent in my new woollen waistcoat. I was there to attend a meeting of infrastructure bodies discussing how best to co-ordinate services across the East of England region.
The context for this meeting was that COVER (the regional infrastructure body) decided they could no longer accept funding from Capacitybuilders for co-ordinating the ChangeUp programme. COVER saw too many strings tied to not enough money. The vacuum left by this decision has in part been filled by MENTER (the Minority Ethnic Network for the East of England Region) who agreed that for one year they would co-ordinate the other five regional networks (on ICT, the elderly, children, advice and guidance and social care) to produce a regional plan.
The Norfolk infrastructure consortium decided not to make a funding submission to Capacitybuilders for 2008-09, and the Cambridge Consortium has had its application referred for a year.
Meanwhile, the CEO at Capacitybuilders has decided to "stand down" - possibly as a result of missing several deadlines and driving a coach and horses through Compact.
With me so far?
Somewhere within all this, in the absence of COVER, those groups still standing have to produce a regional “metaplan” that incorporates all the six county plans plus the regional plan now being produced by MENTER. It was eventually agreed that this “metaplan” should be co-ordinated by representatives of the county Consortia and the regional networks with North Herts CVS acting as banker.
I have three main concerns.
First, why has it taken so long for the county consortia and the regional networks to start working together? I find it astonishing that four years into ChangeUp I still have no knowledge whatsoever about four of the six regional networks (I know only about MENTER and about the ICT network under Paul Ruskin).
Secondly, why are some consortia still content to let Capacitybuilders dictate the agenda and take the lead? Some give the impression that they want to take the money, do the absolute minimum to satisfy Capacitybuilders and no more. Surely we should learn from our neighbours, exchange skills and share tools? Surely we should be planning to raise standards and co-ordinate services better? Some want a personal invitation and a chauffer-driven cadillac to bring them to the table.
Finally, who on earth is responsible for coining the term “Metaplan”? It is my sworn mission to destroy this ugly hideous word and expunge it forever from our language.
Back at home, I did some emergency fencing to make our garden safe for Aged Ken and then spent the evening drafting job descriptions for a part-time Community Accountant and a possible part-time Receptionist.
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Local Strategic Partnerships are the structures charged with overseeing the strategic development of local communities.
At today’s meeting of the One Watford LSP, we discussed the emerging Housing Strategy for Watford. We also heard about the imminent launch of a new campaign to promote Watford – largely funded by local businesses and overseen by Jenny Tomley of the John Lewis Partnership. We talked about Compact, we discussed the County-wide LAA, we touched on the Community Development strategy and we discussed One Watford’s future membership and working practices.
All this undertaken openly and professionally: the simple fare of good local partnership work.
I shudder when I hear reports of “goings on” within some Local Strategic Partnerships and I thank goodness that the One Watford LSP is so sensible and so positive. But having said that, the arrival of LAA1 reward monies introduces a new element into the equation. I hope that my confidence in the LSP is not misplaced.
It took me the entire morning to work through the backlog of e-mails. After the LSP, I worked on our One World forum, on the Networking lunches, and our draft Community Development strategy.
I arrived home about 10:00 pm to find that my dinner was ready and Jackie had finished knitting my new blue waistcoat. How lucky am I? I do hope Jackie knows how lovely she is and how much I adore her.
At today’s meeting of the One Watford LSP, we discussed the emerging Housing Strategy for Watford. We also heard about the imminent launch of a new campaign to promote Watford – largely funded by local businesses and overseen by Jenny Tomley of the John Lewis Partnership. We talked about Compact, we discussed the County-wide LAA, we touched on the Community Development strategy and we discussed One Watford’s future membership and working practices.
All this undertaken openly and professionally: the simple fare of good local partnership work.
I shudder when I hear reports of “goings on” within some Local Strategic Partnerships and I thank goodness that the One Watford LSP is so sensible and so positive. But having said that, the arrival of LAA1 reward monies introduces a new element into the equation. I hope that my confidence in the LSP is not misplaced.
It took me the entire morning to work through the backlog of e-mails. After the LSP, I worked on our One World forum, on the Networking lunches, and our draft Community Development strategy.
I arrived home about 10:00 pm to find that my dinner was ready and Jackie had finished knitting my new blue waistcoat. How lucky am I? I do hope Jackie knows how lovely she is and how much I adore her.
Monday, 7 April 2008
The day of Hertfordshire's annual conference on partnership between the statutory and voluntary sectors. As usual this was held at the Fielder Centre in Hatfield. The turnout from local voluntary sector organisations was poor, perhaps because of the late circulation of publicity information. But the actual event was fine with good presentations and good workshops. I was particularly interested in the workshop on participatory budgeting and its implications for the Community Development strategy I have just drafted.
More interesting still, we learned more on the potential for using NI7 within LAA2. The more I view things, the weaker NI6 looks as a measure of voluntary sector activity. NI7 is clearly the indicator we should aim for, but it could be so much better with a bit of tweaking. Hopefully Ann Jansz will be able to convince her LAA colleagues. Good luck Ann!
Recent reading
The Great Arc is John Keay's account of how a vast survey of India helped determine the shape of the earth. George Everest does not emerge as a particularly likeable man - his predecessor William Lambton seems far more attractive and interesting.
I then read Plain Speaking, Merle Miller's "oral biography" of Harry S Truman. I knew Truman mostly for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan, founding the CIA and sending American troops into Korea. But he is a far more interesting character than this suggests. He consistently opposed big business, sought compromise with the Soviet bloc, initiated the Marshall Plan, stood up to McCarthy and the Ku Klux Klan and championed Civil Rights. Fascinating stuff.
I have now started Bertrand Russell's Inquiry into Meaning and Truth. After this I will read something a bit gentler.
More interesting still, we learned more on the potential for using NI7 within LAA2. The more I view things, the weaker NI6 looks as a measure of voluntary sector activity. NI7 is clearly the indicator we should aim for, but it could be so much better with a bit of tweaking. Hopefully Ann Jansz will be able to convince her LAA colleagues. Good luck Ann!
Recent reading
The Great Arc is John Keay's account of how a vast survey of India helped determine the shape of the earth. George Everest does not emerge as a particularly likeable man - his predecessor William Lambton seems far more attractive and interesting.
I then read Plain Speaking, Merle Miller's "oral biography" of Harry S Truman. I knew Truman mostly for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan, founding the CIA and sending American troops into Korea. But he is a far more interesting character than this suggests. He consistently opposed big business, sought compromise with the Soviet bloc, initiated the Marshall Plan, stood up to McCarthy and the Ku Klux Klan and championed Civil Rights. Fascinating stuff.
I have now started Bertrand Russell's Inquiry into Meaning and Truth. After this I will read something a bit gentler.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
More snow. Brrrr.
While on our way to Hertford, Jackie and I saw a beautiful pair of Buzzards around the woods at the back of Cole Green.
Congratulations to the Saracens who made it through to the Quarter Finals of the Heineken Cup, getting revenge over Ospreys for the recent defeat. Well done Sarries!
While on our way to Hertford, Jackie and I saw a beautiful pair of Buzzards around the woods at the back of Cole Green.
Congratulations to the Saracens who made it through to the Quarter Finals of the Heineken Cup, getting revenge over Ospreys for the recent defeat. Well done Sarries!
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Jackie and I enjoyed a brilliant first anniversary. The undoubted highlight was an evening trip to the Watford Palace Theatre for a superb production of As You Like It. This is what theatres are built for and why actors act. I do hope that this is a commercial success for the theatre; it will be so sad if such a brilliant production proved not to be financially viable.
The Palace Theatre’s mission is to provide A Home For New Writing. The problem with Shakespeare is that he does set the bar rather high for mere mortal writers. But I shall try to visit the Palace Theatre more regularly - starting with Kafka’s Dick later in the spring.
The Palace Theatre’s mission is to provide A Home For New Writing. The problem with Shakespeare is that he does set the bar rather high for mere mortal writers. But I shall try to visit the Palace Theatre more regularly - starting with Kafka’s Dick later in the spring.
Friday, 4 April 2008
A day's leave
Jackie had to work in the morning, so I went to Letchworth to visit my Mum and get some shopping.
I had promised Jackie that I would make some pasties for dinner tonight. I have no idea why I made such a rash promise, but once made I was determined to be true to my word. Everything went better than it might have done. I learned that Cornish Pasties are really pretty easy to make, that short-crust pastry is not infinitely elastic, and that Date Pasties are not nearly as interesting as they sound. I also learned that it is important not to overcook the Pasties. Fortunately, my chocolate mousse was an unreserved success so I was forgiven.
Jackie had to work in the morning, so I went to Letchworth to visit my Mum and get some shopping.
I had promised Jackie that I would make some pasties for dinner tonight. I have no idea why I made such a rash promise, but once made I was determined to be true to my word. Everything went better than it might have done. I learned that Cornish Pasties are really pretty easy to make, that short-crust pastry is not infinitely elastic, and that Date Pasties are not nearly as interesting as they sound. I also learned that it is important not to overcook the Pasties. Fortunately, my chocolate mousse was an unreserved success so I was forgiven.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
I arrived early at the office and collated all the comments I had received from staff and trustees on our draft Community Development Strategy. There were many valuable comments so I spent some time revising the draft strategy before issuing it to all our members and partners for comment. The covering e-mail actually requested "your views and comments and views" so I don't think there's any doubt what we want from people.
This was my last day in the office this week and it was my last chance to see Sha-Lee (Information Worker) for a month. So having sent the annual mailing to the printers, I spent most of the day with Sha-Lee going over our CRM installation plans - and I also spent time talking to Angelo (our IT chap) about changing over to our new servers and our new internet connection.
This was my last day in the office this week and it was my last chance to see Sha-Lee (Information Worker) for a month. So having sent the annual mailing to the printers, I spent most of the day with Sha-Lee going over our CRM installation plans - and I also spent time talking to Angelo (our IT chap) about changing over to our new servers and our new internet connection.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
One of our member organisations is negotiating an important contract and I started the day offering lengthy advice on the draft contract.
Sha-Lee (Information Worker) and I had set aside today so we could compare notes before the second installation of Microsoft CRM. But we did this assuming that by now the annual mailing would be safely in hand.
As Sha-Lee reminded me, we still had to finish some of the enclosures and get everything off to the printers. We therefore spent most of the day finishing off everything that is to be sent to our actual and potential members: membership form, the annual sector survey, leaflets on different aspects of our activities, brochures on the Compact, fundraising guidance, our training calendar, dates for networking meetings and so on.
Sha-Lee (Information Worker) and I had set aside today so we could compare notes before the second installation of Microsoft CRM. But we did this assuming that by now the annual mailing would be safely in hand.
As Sha-Lee reminded me, we still had to finish some of the enclosures and get everything off to the printers. We therefore spent most of the day finishing off everything that is to be sent to our actual and potential members: membership form, the annual sector survey, leaflets on different aspects of our activities, brochures on the Compact, fundraising guidance, our training calendar, dates for networking meetings and so on.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
In the evening, Jackie and I went with neighbours to the local Barn Theatre for a performance of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park. It was a very compact production and remained completely true to the original text set in New York around 1960. The cast of seven did very well and, although Neil Simon isn’t one of my favourite writers, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
By agreement, we had driven half way to the theatre and walked the rest of the way. As we started the return walk Jackie turned her ankle on the pavement so after settling Jackie on a conveniently situated bench, I hurried off to fetch the car. Twenty minutes later, I was back with Jackie to collect the car keys. How we laughed.
By agreement, we had driven half way to the theatre and walked the rest of the way. As we started the return walk Jackie turned her ankle on the pavement so after settling Jackie on a conveniently situated bench, I hurried off to fetch the car. Twenty minutes later, I was back with Jackie to collect the car keys. How we laughed.
Monday, 31 March 2008
I spent part of today revisiting our Job Evaluation exercise as I need to progress this within WCVS. Later I had a call from a member organisation on Job Evaluations, so that worked out nicely too.
I also did a preliminary run through of the Microsoft SharePoint sites that Angelo (our IT chap) has prepared for our members. So much is now possible with IT and the voluntary sector is so far behind!
I did a bit more organising for our forthcoming meeting of the Community Arts Network and then met with Ian, Len and Peggy from the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum. We talked through options for the coming networking lunch on “Celebrating the Contribution of Older People”.
I also did a preliminary run through of the Microsoft SharePoint sites that Angelo (our IT chap) has prepared for our members. So much is now possible with IT and the voluntary sector is so far behind!
I did a bit more organising for our forthcoming meeting of the Community Arts Network and then met with Ian, Len and Peggy from the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum. We talked through options for the coming networking lunch on “Celebrating the Contribution of Older People”.
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