Monday, 23 June 2008

I once calculated that each networking lunch costs us at least £1,000. Only a small amount of this is for direct costs on the actual day of the lunch. By far the greater part of the cost is preparation, negotiation and promotion. Today’s event was sponsored by the Watford Community Housing Trust. Off the top of my head I can recall five planning meetings, several telephone conversations, and several mail-shots. And this excludes the work that Maria, Sha-Lee and Kerry have put into preparations for the day.

The format for our lunches is that we have a few speakers each talking for 10-15 minutes, topped and tailed by announcements and questions, and followed by a lunch. This format is tried and trusted and works well. Today’s excellent speakers were Susannah Brunert, Ruddy Jones and Val Maguire (Watford Community Housing Trust), Peg Ford (Watford Senior Citizens Forum), Steve Simms (Fire Brigade), Alec Beech (Royal British Legion) and Terry Godfrey (University of the Third Age). Several of the speakers brought along stands, and we also had information or displays from the PCT, the Safer Watford Partnership, West Herts Against Crime, and HCC’s Adult Care Services.

More than sixty people attended the event: a very respectable turnout although not our best figure. I was especially gratified that attendance included two members of the Local Strategic Partnership: Tina Barnard (WCHT’s CEO) and Peter Wright (of the PCT). At our last meeting we welcomed Mayor Dorothy Thornhill and Peter Wright. Too often, senior people regard networking lunches as unworthy of their attention; I think it says a lot about Watford that its LSP members get along to the community lunches.

Today’s event was overshadowed by the sad news of Len Tomlinson’s death. He has been the key figure within the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum and I have often heard him speak with passion and eloquence on the needs of older people. In some part, today’s event was originally designed to provide Len with a platform to talk on his chosen specialised subject. I learnt at the lunch that his funeral was this afternoon. I worked frantically to make it to the service, but got delayed at the office and then got caught in traffic and would have been late; and nobody wants to be late at a funeral. I’ll miss you Len.