Monday, 8 December 2008

Today there was the second of the “summit” meetings for Hertfordshire’s community transport. I knew that Laura Packwood (co-ordinator of our voluntary transport scheme) was off ill, so I went along despite feeling pretty rotten myself. Despite my fuggy head, two things came across pretty clearly. First, voluntary transport schemes should work together a lot more to co-ordinate and promote their activities – and to make it easier for our statutory partners to work with us. Secondly, many of our statutory partners have an astonishingly poor understanding of the voluntary sector (possibly gained for watching Dads’ Army) and seem to think that there are thousands of simpletons waiting around for their elders and betters to tell them what to do. Work is needed on both fronts.

After this, I met with Angelo to talk about technical possibilities at the Holywell Community Centre, and then attended a meeting to help scope WBC’s review of its work on domestic violence.

At 6:00, there was another well attended meeting to consider putting on a community arts festival in Watford next summer. This really looks to be gathering some momentum.

I returned home about 9:30 feeling awful.