Wednesday, 4 March 2009

I was pleased to join the Watford delegation for this morning’s annual partnership conference for Hertfordshire Forward. It was a useful and informative event. HCC provided eight of the speakers, four came from second tier authorities, one from the Audit Commission and one from consultants working for HCC. There wasn’t a single speaker from the voluntary sector or from the private sector. Nor was there a speaker from the PCT, or the University, or the Police. All rather ironic for an event themed on partnership; one is tempted to ask if the organizers ... but that is unkind of me.

One learning point from the event was that it again underlined how reality can be distorted. Time after time, surveys show that the biggest concerns in Hertfordshire are things like: violent gangs, drug abuse, burnt out cars, prostitution, drug dealing ... In precisely which bit of Hertfordshire do these people live? Or do they derive their concerns just from the press and media?

In the afternoon I met briefly with Anne Boyd and Vanessa Levy on our Basis 2 project, and then visited the Holywell Centre for another look at options.