Monday, 17 November 2008

While I should really have been attending the Annual Conference of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation, I was instead hosting a first meeting of the Watford Community Fund panel. What’s this? This is a new group we have set up to oversee allocations from the Grassroots Grants programme, solicit contributions to the Endowment Challenge, and improve the co-ordination of local grant programmes.

The panel comprises two representatives each from the voluntary sector elected at our AGM (the delightful Althea McLean OBE and Rukhsana Butt); two private sector representatives (chosen by the LSP: Jo Undrell from the John Lewis Partnership and Nicola Ferriday from Myers Clark); and two statutory sector (also chosen by the LSP: Peter Wright from the PCT and Dorothy Thornhill, Mayor of Watford - or as I wrote on the agenda: Major of Watford).

It was an excellent meeting: I think this panel will be a great asset for Watford's future.

After the meeting, Mayor Dorothy stayed on to meet with myself and Lesley Palumbo (WBC’s new Head of Community Services) about our Basis programme and future co-operation and collaboration. It was another extremely fruitful discussion.

Watford: centre of the world?

Through the day, I had three calls asking is it true that Barack Obama was coming to Watford. Late in October, a well-known London-based Obama campaigner was supposed to come to Watford to talk to our One World forum. The date agreed clashed with the last televised debate between Obama and McCain and our speaker had to cancel to attend a fundraising dinner in London. She was very gracious and I said I would forgive her if she got President Obama to visit Watford. Naturally, I wrote here about this invitation.

Leap forward one month and ... Barack Obama has been elected, Britain is taking over as Chair of the G20 group and the next G20 meeting is announced to be at ... The Grove in Watford. Some people think that I might have had a hand in this. Naturally I have declined to comment.