Wednesday, 10 January 2007

After the xmas break the morning traffic has returned to its normal sluggish self. I tried to avoid it by travelling early but the journey still took well over an hour.

Off to the rice fields!

This morning's news reported proposals to prohibit businesses from discriminating on the grounds of sexual orientation and Radio Five interviewed a representative of the Christian Law Society, or something similar. I was transfixed as she exuded a heady mix of naked loathing, haughty self-righteousness, and dissembling double standards. She even described religious bigots as "people of conscience". What utter stupidity; she reminded me of nothing so much as a Nazi defending the Third Reich’s freedom to discriminate against Jews. I am not a revolutionary communist by any means, but I do think a period of time working in the rice fields might do her some good. The guy from Stonewall could not believe his luck.

At work

At the office, I had preliminary review meetings with Laura (Community Transport) and Sue (Office Services). Laura radiates goodness and works with an attractive understated efficiency. Funding for our Community Transport scheme is soon running out but I am hopeful that we can find the wherewithal to keep the scheme afloat while we carry out a thorough review of options. Sue has had six months filling a variety of roles and I have come to depend on (and perhaps occasionally abuse) her flexibility and goodwill.

After this, I had a lengthy meeting with Vanessa to go through some of our project accounts. We made rapid progress on this, and then updated each other on various meetings we’d each been involved in.

The latter part of the afternoon was the usual “sprint for the line” catching up on correspondence and making some headway against the many many little jobs that are still on my “to do” list. I received an encouraging mail from WBC acknowledging receipt of my report on accommodation and inviting me to further discussions. This needs a reply, obviously.

Having heard of their Volunteering England Quality Accreditation mark, Leader of the Council Rabi Martins has sent congratulations to our Volunteer Centre team and invited them to refreshments at the Mayor’s Parlour. It is of course very old fashioned and frightfully English. But like the honours system it is a cheap, efficient and practical way to recognise people’s contribution to their community and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.

I learn that ShopMobility has had its WBC grant restored. Hurrah! I must send them my best wishes.

There are five groups who WBC has challenged in 2007-08 to work more closely together: the Indian Association, the Muslim Project, the African Carribean Association, the Multi-Cultural Community Centre, and the West Watford Community Centre. After several recent discussions with individual groups, I have now invited them all to a meeting at WCVS in a fortnight. At least we might give them an opportunity to work together addressing the complex set of issues they are faced with.

Absent decorator, good neighbours

Back home, our decorator has been absent nearly all day and our house still looks awful. Fortunately, our neighbours Linda and Allan took pity on us and invited us over for a meal and a game of cards. What lovely people.