I had hoped to spend today at Putteridge Bury learning about Community Resource Centres. But the meeting was cancelled meaning that I could catch up on a few office issues.
Most worryingly, our IT network is beginning to fray around the edges. The network was originally designed for around ten users, but we now have thirty, plus web services, and the pressures are beginning to show: servers are full, RAM is labouring under the strain and our internet upload speeds are way too slow. The next step will depend on our relocation; meanwhile, all we can do is nurse things along as best we can.
Through Volunteering Herts and then Volunteering England (or possibly BCTV – no-one seems sure) we have some sort of agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions to provide volunteering advice as a way for people to return to the workforce. Consequently, people are visiting us claiming staff at the local Job Centre have told them they will lose their benefits if they don’t attend our volunteering workshops. Today we asked the Job Centre to make sure their advisors understand that the process is entirely voluntary (hence the name: “volunteering”).
In the afternoon, I met with some of our volunteers to explain about the WCVS’s redundancy situation. Several volunteers seemed ready to man the barricades in defence of workers’ solidarity. It was a curious meeting.
Back home, Jackie and I enjoyed a fine evening of television devoted to the genius of Leonard Cohen.
