Now only two days left before Saturday's Hertfordshire Charity Trustees Conference. Vanessa and Maria are working flat out on this. I try to help but fear sometimes that I just get in the way.
My day was disrupted by the arrival of new shelving resulting in half a day of upheaval. But now it's over, it's a much better work environment. I am pleased to say that the shelves were bartered with another charity for some redundant filing cabinets: I wonder how much of an alternative economy could be developed in this way.
At the moment, I am working on about a dozen different projects. Each project needs to be nudged forward in an order that makes sense and which respects the various relationships between them. These projects are: next year's budget, achieving the NAVCA Quality Assurance standard, our BASIS funding, staff annual reviews, appointing our BME advocacy worker, finishing the PQASSO mentor course, drafting a Community Development strategy, drafting a VCS Accommodation strategy, implementing Microsoft Contact Relationship Manager, and delivering our IT project. No-one could ever say this job is boring.
Disestablishmentarianism
Rowan Williams has made a plea for Britain to offer different legal jurisdictions to different religious groups. He focused on the aspirations of some parts of the Muslim community but this is purely cynical: he is exploiting the Muslim community to pursue his own agenda. He wants to exercise secular power: a return to the days of church courts and the inquisition. Rowan Williams himself is dishonest, deluded and either profoundly stupid or thoroughly evil. Perhaps he has a psychological need to feel persecuted? I do hope no vulnerable groups take his ramblings too seriously. The CoE has clearly outlived its purpose and the sooner it is disestablished the better. I’ll go and lie down now.
On the home front, Aged Ken (our decrepit white cat of indeterminate age) has developed an obsessive fascination with Jackie's needlework (she does a lot of patchwork, sewing, knitting, crocheting). As soon as she starts, Ken gets as close as he can (usually about a foot away) and just stares at the needles entranced and mesmerised. What can he be thinking?
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Two good opportunities to promote Hertfordshire and Watford. First, Jonathan Clark visited from the Big Lottery Fund where he is responsible for getting to know what goes on in Hertfordshire. We had a good talk about priorities and needs in Watford and Hertfordshire, and we talked through WCVS’s soon-to-start BASIS project. Secondly, Steph Gallagher of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium advised that Jon Fox of Capacitybuilders is soon coming to meet the HIC Steering Group and discuss our funding concerns.
And I met with Angelo to discuss further the large WBC-funded IT project on which we are now starting work. There is also a serious possibility of attracting some corporate sponsorship interest in this. But the key is always going to be attracting sufficient local VCS engagement.
Most of the day I spend tying up loose ends around the forthcoming BME Advocacy interviews: agreeing venues, timetables, questions, exercises.
There was rather an alarming incident at the end of the day. Yesterday I carefully set aside some files to check their contents and archive / dump. Today I discovered that an overenthusiastic volunteer had emptied all of the files and started shredding their contents. Those papers that are left are now all hopelessly mixed together. Laugh or cry?
In the evening, I had hoped to attend the How Green Is My Watford event, but things at WCVS needed urgent attention and I had to stay to start work on the papers for this month’s Executive Committee meeting.
For the second time this week I eventually left work after 10:00 pm.
And I met with Angelo to discuss further the large WBC-funded IT project on which we are now starting work. There is also a serious possibility of attracting some corporate sponsorship interest in this. But the key is always going to be attracting sufficient local VCS engagement.
Most of the day I spend tying up loose ends around the forthcoming BME Advocacy interviews: agreeing venues, timetables, questions, exercises.
There was rather an alarming incident at the end of the day. Yesterday I carefully set aside some files to check their contents and archive / dump. Today I discovered that an overenthusiastic volunteer had emptied all of the files and started shredding their contents. Those papers that are left are now all hopelessly mixed together. Laugh or cry?
In the evening, I had hoped to attend the How Green Is My Watford event, but things at WCVS needed urgent attention and I had to stay to start work on the papers for this month’s Executive Committee meeting.
For the second time this week I eventually left work after 10:00 pm.
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
I arrived early and started shifting around filing cabinets as part of a small move taking place on Thursday. I carefully emptied one cabinet and stacked up the papers to ask someone to check through to see if they were needed. This later turned out to be a bit problematic.
I spent some time today searching for a “diversity calendar”. One would have thought that an annual calendar of religious and cultural events (Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukah, St Swithin’s Day, etc) would be easily available on the internet, perhaps published free by the Government or the Equality and Human Rights Commission. I delighted to find one site selling a Diversity Calendar for £450. Eventually I found the dates of religious festivals on the good old BBC, but the calendar itself courtesy of the Central Scotland Police!
Later, I began the annual cycle of staff reviews and later still I met with Jay Gaglani for a very helpful discussion about the future of the Watford One World Forum. So much need, so much potential, so little time.
Vanessa, Maria and I met to talk through plans for the weekend’s Hertfordshire-wide Charity Trustee Conference. We have put in so much work for this and I do hope it all goes well!
I spent some time today searching for a “diversity calendar”. One would have thought that an annual calendar of religious and cultural events (Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukah, St Swithin’s Day, etc) would be easily available on the internet, perhaps published free by the Government or the Equality and Human Rights Commission. I delighted to find one site selling a Diversity Calendar for £450. Eventually I found the dates of religious festivals on the good old BBC, but the calendar itself courtesy of the Central Scotland Police!
Later, I began the annual cycle of staff reviews and later still I met with Jay Gaglani for a very helpful discussion about the future of the Watford One World Forum. So much need, so much potential, so little time.
Vanessa, Maria and I met to talk through plans for the weekend’s Hertfordshire-wide Charity Trustee Conference. We have put in so much work for this and I do hope it all goes well!
Monday, 4 February 2008
Promptly at 10:00 I arrived in Wheathampstead for a meeting. One of the people I was to meet had forgotten and was otherwise engaged on something more important - now what could that possibly be? The other person I was to meet was nowhere to be found, until I called the WCVS office in Watford to discover he was there waiting for me. The words Brewery and Piss-Up come to mind.
Eventually everything went well and Shahnaz Mirza and I agreed a shortlist for the BME Advocacy post.
The afternoon was spent fielding several queries from member groups (on quality assurance, accommodation, setting up new charities, employment policies), catching up with e-mail, and catching up with colleagues around the County.
In the evening, I attended Promoting and Delivering Greater Safety for Watford, a consultation event organised by the Safer Watford Partnership. This is a great partnership that does good work and that has performed very well. Their event was attended by about 100 people but was not a triumph.
Push-button technology was available to canvas answers (“Select your answer … now”), but the questions were a bit superficial. Mayor Dorothy Thornhill was there, and as ever she grasped the situation and got it absolutely right, as did other WBC speakers. But the other speeches were mostly very dull - and several were positively soporific. Some 16-18 year-olds had been persuaded to attend: they deserve medals and I don’t think they will be so easily persuaded again.
Eventually everything went well and Shahnaz Mirza and I agreed a shortlist for the BME Advocacy post.
The afternoon was spent fielding several queries from member groups (on quality assurance, accommodation, setting up new charities, employment policies), catching up with e-mail, and catching up with colleagues around the County.
In the evening, I attended Promoting and Delivering Greater Safety for Watford, a consultation event organised by the Safer Watford Partnership. This is a great partnership that does good work and that has performed very well. Their event was attended by about 100 people but was not a triumph.
Push-button technology was available to canvas answers (“Select your answer … now”), but the questions were a bit superficial. Mayor Dorothy Thornhill was there, and as ever she grasped the situation and got it absolutely right, as did other WBC speakers. But the other speeches were mostly very dull - and several were positively soporific. Some 16-18 year-olds had been persuaded to attend: they deserve medals and I don’t think they will be so easily persuaded again.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Children and grandchildren visited in the morning. In the afternoon I looked at draft WCVS strategies for accommodation, quality assurance, and community development and in the evening I shortlisted for the BME Advocacy post.
Everyone has their weakness: I finished reading the 40th Anniversary edition of Status Quo.
Everyone has their weakness: I finished reading the 40th Anniversary edition of Status Quo.
Saturday, 2 February 2008
Jackie and I took a trip to Watford: I needed to pop into the office to collect some papers, and Jackie wanted to tour charity shops looking at china and fabric. I also happened to acquire some new books. And we bumped into several friends along the way.
Back home, I suffered my usual mixed loyalties as England took on Wales at Twickenham - both teams tried hard to lose but eventually England prevailed to lose 19-26.
Back home, I suffered my usual mixed loyalties as England took on Wales at Twickenham - both teams tried hard to lose but eventually England prevailed to lose 19-26.
Friday, 1 February 2008
The second day of our second PQASSO course is done. Vanessa and I now have to complete just one more day of training before receiving our licences as "PQASSO Mentors".
Vanessa and I met some great people on the course: I will particularly remember John from Yorkshire (who introduced us to the Birmingham CVS QA system Quality First), Graham from London who had many ideas about inter-faith work, and Hywel from South Wales who was just very nice.
Back home I watched Michael Wood's new series on teh history of India. What is it about India that makes supposedly educated white people talk such tosh? I think we should be told.
Vanessa and I met some great people on the course: I will particularly remember John from Yorkshire (who introduced us to the Birmingham CVS QA system Quality First), Graham from London who had many ideas about inter-faith work, and Hywel from South Wales who was just very nice.
Back home I watched Michael Wood's new series on teh history of India. What is it about India that makes supposedly educated white people talk such tosh? I think we should be told.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Vanessa and I met up at the NCVO in London for our second PQASSO course with the Charities Evaluation Services. Vanessa and I need to start supporting CVS members to put in place appropriate frameworks for QA and we expect that PQASSO will be appropriate to many groups. But PQASSO is undergoing some major changes: version three is about to be launched, and soon groups will have an opportunity to externally accredit their PQASSO standards.
I find there is something otherworldly about training courses: entering a strange environment, meeting strange people, undertaking strange tasks, and time slows right down almost to ... a ... full ... stop. The first morning is always the worst as my body adjusts to the new parallel universe. I don’t suppose my late night at the office yesterday helped much, either.
Most interesting and enjoyable was meeting other people and learning from their knowledge and experience.
PQASSO’s authors (Charities Evaluation Services) have much to answer for. They deserve huge plaudits for raising the profile of QA within the voluntary sector. But never forget that they also played a key part in establishing the rule that all management systems etc must be accompanied by a post-modernist acronym.
On the homeward commute, I completed Michael Bywater’s Lost Worlds: What have we lost and where did it go? I never settled to my own satisfaction whether this is a book of rare insight and genius about the nature of loss, or a vulgar middle-class attempt to cash in on the current mania for nostalgia and lists.
With some sadness I note the death of Jeremy Beadle. Throughout his career he worked hard raising funds for charity. At one time he became a hate figure for the "cool" media set - it was plain and simple bullying. Very unattractive to witness. Now James Blunt attracts the same sort of attention. And it's still bullying.
I find there is something otherworldly about training courses: entering a strange environment, meeting strange people, undertaking strange tasks, and time slows right down almost to ... a ... full ... stop. The first morning is always the worst as my body adjusts to the new parallel universe. I don’t suppose my late night at the office yesterday helped much, either.
Most interesting and enjoyable was meeting other people and learning from their knowledge and experience.
PQASSO’s authors (Charities Evaluation Services) have much to answer for. They deserve huge plaudits for raising the profile of QA within the voluntary sector. But never forget that they also played a key part in establishing the rule that all management systems etc must be accompanied by a post-modernist acronym.
On the homeward commute, I completed Michael Bywater’s Lost Worlds: What have we lost and where did it go? I never settled to my own satisfaction whether this is a book of rare insight and genius about the nature of loss, or a vulgar middle-class attempt to cash in on the current mania for nostalgia and lists.
With some sadness I note the death of Jeremy Beadle. Throughout his career he worked hard raising funds for charity. At one time he became a hate figure for the "cool" media set - it was plain and simple bullying. Very unattractive to witness. Now James Blunt attracts the same sort of attention. And it's still bullying.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Today is my one clear day this week. I reckoned that if I shut my office door and focused 100% on essential work, I could leave around 10:00 pm having made significant in-roads into my list of outstanding tasks.
But, as someone said (PG Wodehouse?) fate waits around every corner with a sock of wet sand.
Maria couldn’t work because there was a conflict between Quick Books and her new Windows Vista PC. This took an hour or two to resolve – as with all such things it’s simple when you know how.
Farzana’s laptop then crashed completely. An hour later I concluded it was the motherboard. Two hours later I had sourced and ordered a new motherboard. And the volunteer’s PCs needed V-base installed and printers installed.
And other things drifted in to obliterate the remainder of the day. It was 6:00 pm before I could finally settle down and focus on ticking off some tasks of my own.
By 1:00 in the morning I had ticked off several important jobs: our latest response to the Big Lottery, orchestrating shortlisting for our BME Advocacy post, drafting Herts CVS minutes, making nominations for the 2008 Audentior Awards.
Now I need to sleep. Tomorrow and Friday should be shorter days.
But, as someone said (PG Wodehouse?) fate waits around every corner with a sock of wet sand.
Maria couldn’t work because there was a conflict between Quick Books and her new Windows Vista PC. This took an hour or two to resolve – as with all such things it’s simple when you know how.
Farzana’s laptop then crashed completely. An hour later I concluded it was the motherboard. Two hours later I had sourced and ordered a new motherboard. And the volunteer’s PCs needed V-base installed and printers installed.
And other things drifted in to obliterate the remainder of the day. It was 6:00 pm before I could finally settle down and focus on ticking off some tasks of my own.
By 1:00 in the morning I had ticked off several important jobs: our latest response to the Big Lottery, orchestrating shortlisting for our BME Advocacy post, drafting Herts CVS minutes, making nominations for the 2008 Audentior Awards.
Now I need to sleep. Tomorrow and Friday should be shorter days.
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
The Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium met today in Stevenage. Jacquie Hime was unable to attend, but Steph Gallagher overcame colds etc to help hold things together.
The meeting considered options for renaming the Consortium. Some felt that "HIC" should be retained. I wasn’t amongst them. If the ambitions of the ChangeUp programme are going to be met, it is essential that support agencies gain a higher profile among front-line charities and community groups. I don’t see how we can successfully raise our profile with a name that contains three words and eleven syllables, describes what we are rather than what we do, and exudes as much charm and finesse as an East German border guard.
The meeting concluded with a presentation from Laura Cronshaw of St Albans CVS on the complex issue of representation. Much food for thought - particularly with a consultation on voluntary sector representation currently underway.
I finally arrived at the office about 2:00 pm and I was pleased to see Angelo here talking with Maria about databases and websites. I caught up with colleagues, talked with Angelo on budgets, with Vanessa and Maria on our 9 February trustee conference, organised several meetings with local groups, read 200 e-mails, sent 25 e-mails, made a dozen telephone calls, checked the minutes of the morning’s meeting (Steph is very quick off the mark), and installed two printers.
I arrived home about 10:00 pm. A taste of the weeks ahead, I fear.
Over my supper, Jacquie and I watched a thoroughly depressing documentary on the genocide in Darfur.
The meeting considered options for renaming the Consortium. Some felt that "HIC" should be retained. I wasn’t amongst them. If the ambitions of the ChangeUp programme are going to be met, it is essential that support agencies gain a higher profile among front-line charities and community groups. I don’t see how we can successfully raise our profile with a name that contains three words and eleven syllables, describes what we are rather than what we do, and exudes as much charm and finesse as an East German border guard.
The meeting concluded with a presentation from Laura Cronshaw of St Albans CVS on the complex issue of representation. Much food for thought - particularly with a consultation on voluntary sector representation currently underway.
I finally arrived at the office about 2:00 pm and I was pleased to see Angelo here talking with Maria about databases and websites. I caught up with colleagues, talked with Angelo on budgets, with Vanessa and Maria on our 9 February trustee conference, organised several meetings with local groups, read 200 e-mails, sent 25 e-mails, made a dozen telephone calls, checked the minutes of the morning’s meeting (Steph is very quick off the mark), and installed two printers.
I arrived home about 10:00 pm. A taste of the weeks ahead, I fear.
Over my supper, Jacquie and I watched a thoroughly depressing documentary on the genocide in Darfur.
Monday, 28 January 2008
The last day of our mini holiday. Using Hertfordshire Rambles by Liz Moynihan we drove to beautiful Aldbury on the edge of Hertfordshire and walked up to the Bridgewater Monument. A wonderful final day and a wonderful end to our break.
Did we get the garden sorted? No, but this wasn’t entirely our fault. I read a great deal, relaxed a great deal, and recharged the batteries pretty well.
In the evening, I spent some time sorting out my work programme: it’s going to be a busy few months.
Did we get the garden sorted? No, but this wasn’t entirely our fault. I read a great deal, relaxed a great deal, and recharged the batteries pretty well.
In the evening, I spent some time sorting out my work programme: it’s going to be a busy few months.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Spurs and Watford both ejected from the FA Cup in one weekend? Ho hum.
Jackie and I devoted the day to sorting out our attic and this involved many trips to donate goods to charity shops and recycling centres. In the evening, I finished Simon Walker’s very well researched book The Witches of Hertfordshire.
Jackie and I devoted the day to sorting out our attic and this involved many trips to donate goods to charity shops and recycling centres. In the evening, I finished Simon Walker’s very well researched book The Witches of Hertfordshire.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
I read Port Out Starboard Home by Michael Quinion. It was subtitled: The fascinating stories we tell about the words we use. It was indeed fascinating, but I couldn’t help thinking that a more apt subtitle might have been: Why I am so much cleverer than people like you.
Friday, 25 January 2008
I visited my dear old Mum to look at more family papers, and we spent a pleasant few hours talking about her family history. During the drive home I heard a Radio 2 feature about a volunteer hospital DJ from Chesterfield (Ivan Brackenbury) who has used volunteering to launch an entirely new career for himself: it’s great to hear such a positive story about volunteering.
In the evening, Jackie and I had hoped to walk up Campus West to hear a lecture on Global Warming frm one of the scientists advising the Inter-Governmental Conference on Climate Change. Rather late in the day, we discovered that tickets had sold out - on a Friday night!? do people have nothing better to do?!. Instead, always willing to adapt to life’s challenges, we stayed home and watched South Park.
In the evening, Jackie and I had hoped to walk up Campus West to hear a lecture on Global Warming frm one of the scientists advising the Inter-Governmental Conference on Climate Change. Rather late in the day, we discovered that tickets had sold out - on a Friday night!? do people have nothing better to do?!. Instead, always willing to adapt to life’s challenges, we stayed home and watched South Park.
Thursday, 24 January 2008
I had hoped to spend a few days this week gardening. This aspiration was frustrated by a local environmental disaster involving a neighbours drains. I wont go into details. Instead, I talked to Angelo about some issues regarding web servers and read Welwyn Garden City Past by the ubiquitous (in Welwyn) Tony Rook and The Rose in Britain by N P Harvey. So relaxing.
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Jackie and I spent most of the day in the library and at secondhand bookshops. In the evening I read the New Scientist compilation Does Anything Eat Wasps?
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
Today was my first day of leave. So what did I do? I went to a Community Engagement conference at Campus West in Welwyn Garden City. This was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was good to see so many friends there - and especially good to see Emma Gadesby and Catherine Harris from WBC. The event was pulled together by Natalie Webb who has done an excellent job stimulating debate and producing helpful guidance.
The only lowlight of the day was learning the definitions provided by the Department of Communities and Local Government: Community Empowerment is the giving of confidence, skills, and power to communicate to shape and influence what public bodies do for or with them. Community engagement is the process whereby public bodies reach out to communities to create empowerment opportunities. What utter tosh! These definitions fail utterly from every conceivable perspective. It is hard to think of worse definitions. How did they get it so badly wrong on so many different levels?
In the evening (rather against my better judgement) I listened to some of the radio commentary from White Hart Lane. After nearly a decade of failing to beat “the other north London team”, Tottenham finally triumphed 5-1. Nice.
The only lowlight of the day was learning the definitions provided by the Department of Communities and Local Government: Community Empowerment is the giving of confidence, skills, and power to communicate to shape and influence what public bodies do for or with them. Community engagement is the process whereby public bodies reach out to communities to create empowerment opportunities. What utter tosh! These definitions fail utterly from every conceivable perspective. It is hard to think of worse definitions. How did they get it so badly wrong on so many different levels?
In the evening (rather against my better judgement) I listened to some of the radio commentary from White Hart Lane. After nearly a decade of failing to beat “the other north London team”, Tottenham finally triumphed 5-1. Nice.
Monday, 21 January 2008
Our networking lunch! We all went down to the YMCA and had a very successful discussion on the theme of “Improving Watford’s Mental Health” with speakers from the Guideposts Trust, MIND, Carers in Herts, Viewpoint, and the new Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust. And for once the food and venue were all excellent. Phew!
After the lunch, I had a long meeting with Angelo about the next phase of our IT project - buying new servers, implementing a CRM database, and revamping our website.
Finally about 6:00 pm I started work on getting some correspondence out of the way before my week’s leave. I wrote to Barbara Follett (Stevenage MP and Minister for the East of England) about VCS funding for Hertfordshire, began sorting out interviews for the BME Advocacy post for which we are currently recruiting, sorted out stuff on Connexions and the District Children’s Trust Partnership, amended a bid for funding for our volunteer centre, submitted a bid for funding for our networking lunches, and wrote to HCC about recruitment advice for delivery of public services through VCS organisations. I left the office about 10:00 pm looking forward to a relaxing week away from it all.
After the lunch, I had a long meeting with Angelo about the next phase of our IT project - buying new servers, implementing a CRM database, and revamping our website.
Finally about 6:00 pm I started work on getting some correspondence out of the way before my week’s leave. I wrote to Barbara Follett (Stevenage MP and Minister for the East of England) about VCS funding for Hertfordshire, began sorting out interviews for the BME Advocacy post for which we are currently recruiting, sorted out stuff on Connexions and the District Children’s Trust Partnership, amended a bid for funding for our volunteer centre, submitted a bid for funding for our networking lunches, and wrote to HCC about recruitment advice for delivery of public services through VCS organisations. I left the office about 10:00 pm looking forward to a relaxing week away from it all.
Saturday, 19 January 2008
We had a meal out with my sister to celebrate her birthday: Happy Birthday Caroline!
Friday, 18 January 2008
I began the day with a very helpful telephone discussion with Mohamed Fawzi of Connexions, then I had a supervision meeting with Pam Handley (my Chair of Trustees). My illness prevented me from preparing for the meeting as I wished, but it was still very useful in identifying key tasks for the February trustees’ meeting. After this, I met with Zamir Shah to talk about the future of the Watford One World Forum, for which Zamir (and I) have high expectations.
At lunchtime, our IT chap Angelo arrived and together we started installing a new wireless network, four new PCs and four new printers. These things are never entirely straightforward of course, and we were stuck at the office until about 9:00 pm. But at the end, more or less everything seemed to be in place. It will be so so nice to have a fast reliable network and not to spend so much time firefighting. And knowing that other people will have the same speed and reliability too!
At lunchtime, our IT chap Angelo arrived and together we started installing a new wireless network, four new PCs and four new printers. These things are never entirely straightforward of course, and we were stuck at the office until about 9:00 pm. But at the end, more or less everything seemed to be in place. It will be so so nice to have a fast reliable network and not to spend so much time firefighting. And knowing that other people will have the same speed and reliability too!
Thursday, 17 January 2008
This morning, I drove to COVER in Great Chesterton to meet with Paul Ruskin to talk over the ICT strategy for Hertfordshire. When I arrived I learnt that Paul Ruskin has succumbed to a second virus, but has asked his colleague Paul Jefford to come in his place. Paul J and I seemed to get on well and he seemed to grasp each of the points I made about the draft strategy. Hopefully we are now in the final straight on this!
At Great Chesteron I also spoke with those losing their jobs because of the shake up at ChangeUp / Capacitybuilders. It’s not A Good Day for the region’s voluntary sector. So much expertise has been developed within COVER, and now it’s just going to be lost. The whole ChangeUp scheme has suffered from the recurrent problems of every government programme I can ever remember: initially, a large (or sometimes vast) sum of money is released and everyone frantically starts spending with little overall idea of what they are doing or why; then someone identifies that there are problems; then just as the VCS is getting itself together and beginning to develop solid plan, the money is substantially reduced causing major upheaval; next unrealistic targets are imposed on the programme; and finally funding is withdrawn completely a year or two later.
The exact chronology changes sometimes, but the key features will be recognised by anyone who’s been in the voluntary sector for a few years. When will the government learn? When will the voluntary sector learn?
In the afternoon I travelled to St Albans for a meeting of the Herts CVS group. This was well attended and made some solid progress.
At Great Chesteron I also spoke with those losing their jobs because of the shake up at ChangeUp / Capacitybuilders. It’s not A Good Day for the region’s voluntary sector. So much expertise has been developed within COVER, and now it’s just going to be lost. The whole ChangeUp scheme has suffered from the recurrent problems of every government programme I can ever remember: initially, a large (or sometimes vast) sum of money is released and everyone frantically starts spending with little overall idea of what they are doing or why; then someone identifies that there are problems; then just as the VCS is getting itself together and beginning to develop solid plan, the money is substantially reduced causing major upheaval; next unrealistic targets are imposed on the programme; and finally funding is withdrawn completely a year or two later.
The exact chronology changes sometimes, but the key features will be recognised by anyone who’s been in the voluntary sector for a few years. When will the government learn? When will the voluntary sector learn?
In the afternoon I travelled to St Albans for a meeting of the Herts CVS group. This was well attended and made some solid progress.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
This morning I returned to work still not feeling quite 100%. Inevitably I spent the greater part of the day simply catching up on correspondence. Most pleasing was a mail from Jacquie reporting that Richard Weller of Capacitybuilders was broadly very impressed with our work on the HIC Strategic Plan and Business Plan. Hurrah!
I also wrote to HCC’s Emergency Planners suggesting that they “pencil in” CVSs to join the management teams for any Humanitarian Aid Centres they establish in the wake of any civil emergency. This seems an eminently sensible suggestion - avoiding much potential confusion and making sure that the entire VCS is engaged.
I also surveyed the damage that my week’s absence has done to my carefully planned work programme. I’ve already regretted that over Christmas I failed to complete strategies for Accommodation or Community Development - how this is coming back to haunt me!
I also wrote to HCC’s Emergency Planners suggesting that they “pencil in” CVSs to join the management teams for any Humanitarian Aid Centres they establish in the wake of any civil emergency. This seems an eminently sensible suggestion - avoiding much potential confusion and making sure that the entire VCS is engaged.
I also surveyed the damage that my week’s absence has done to my carefully planned work programme. I’ve already regretted that over Christmas I failed to complete strategies for Accommodation or Community Development - how this is coming back to haunt me!
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
A final day at home, devoted to recovering my strength and drafting a community development strategy for Watford.
Monday, 14 January 2008
Finally, I can breathe without pain and my eyes can focus enough to read.
Snuggled up on the sofa, I rewarded myself with New Towns and Garden Cities - a collection of essays issued in 1989 to commemorate the centenary of HCC.
I had forgotten how much the Garden City movement was in fact an early (and very successful) example of a social enterprise.
I was also struck by how closely Ebenezer Howard’s plan for his Social City resemble the topography of the ancient civilization on the Plain of Kor in H Rider Haggard’s She. I worried that I might be hallucinating. But just fifteen pages later, I read that H Rider Haggard was a prominent agriculturalist (which I vaguely knew) who had worked closely with the Letchworth Garden City Corporation!
How very pleasing. I wonder how many other literary connections there are to the Garden City movement: Kipps of course, and Laurence Olivier, and much of GBS, and Ruskin, and the Webbs, and EM Forster, and ...
Snuggled up on the sofa, I rewarded myself with New Towns and Garden Cities - a collection of essays issued in 1989 to commemorate the centenary of HCC.
I had forgotten how much the Garden City movement was in fact an early (and very successful) example of a social enterprise.
I was also struck by how closely Ebenezer Howard’s plan for his Social City resemble the topography of the ancient civilization on the Plain of Kor in H Rider Haggard’s She. I worried that I might be hallucinating. But just fifteen pages later, I read that H Rider Haggard was a prominent agriculturalist (which I vaguely knew) who had worked closely with the Letchworth Garden City Corporation!
How very pleasing. I wonder how many other literary connections there are to the Garden City movement: Kipps of course, and Laurence Olivier, and much of GBS, and Ruskin, and the Webbs, and EM Forster, and ...
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
I suffered a disturbed night’s sleep for the third night running. Previously I’ve woken up and felt 100%. This morning I felt a bit off the pace but still headed to Watford with confidence. My 10:00 meeting was cancelled and at 11:00 I was at the Town Hall meeting with our mayor Dorothy Thornhill to talk about community centres, voluntary sector accommodation, the annual audentior awards, IT, and Watford Women’s Centre. Immediately after, I met with a consultant carrying out a feasibility study for Mind, and then I left for a meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Forum held at the military base JSU Northwood just south of Watford.
The base's Commanding Officer gave us a brief overview of the base describing it as “Britain’s Pentagon” in that the site carries out many communication and co-ordination functions for British, European and NATO forces throughout the world. The American Pentagon is artchitecturally bold and confident. To blend in with the surrounding area, JSU Northwood has been cunningly disguised as a semi-derelict 1960s Secondary Modern school. There is also a deliberate policy of accummulating as many abbreviations as possible in order to deflect interest - among those I noted were DCINC, CJTFHQ, COMUKAMPHQ, JTFC and JMOTS. Among all this, it was nice to note that they still have a voluntary brass band.
During the meeting proper, we had a presentation on Humanitarian Assistance Cenres that will now be set up as a “one stop shop” in the wake of any major civil emergency. This was interesting stuff but no-one yet seems to have seriously thought through the potential voluntary sector contribution. I suggested that the local CVSs should be a first point of contact with the local voluntary sector, and I think this was understood by some but not all. Most have only the slightest idea of the nature of the voluntery sector.
More work is needed I think. I was not up to the discussion this afternoon. During the course of the meeting, my temperature had risen several degrees and my throat had almost closed with swelling. I left the meeting as early as I decently could and headed straight home for bed. I never did discover what JSU stood for.
The base's Commanding Officer gave us a brief overview of the base describing it as “Britain’s Pentagon” in that the site carries out many communication and co-ordination functions for British, European and NATO forces throughout the world. The American Pentagon is artchitecturally bold and confident. To blend in with the surrounding area, JSU Northwood has been cunningly disguised as a semi-derelict 1960s Secondary Modern school. There is also a deliberate policy of accummulating as many abbreviations as possible in order to deflect interest - among those I noted were DCINC, CJTFHQ, COMUKAMPHQ, JTFC and JMOTS. Among all this, it was nice to note that they still have a voluntary brass band.
During the meeting proper, we had a presentation on Humanitarian Assistance Cenres that will now be set up as a “one stop shop” in the wake of any major civil emergency. This was interesting stuff but no-one yet seems to have seriously thought through the potential voluntary sector contribution. I suggested that the local CVSs should be a first point of contact with the local voluntary sector, and I think this was understood by some but not all. Most have only the slightest idea of the nature of the voluntery sector.
More work is needed I think. I was not up to the discussion this afternoon. During the course of the meeting, my temperature had risen several degrees and my throat had almost closed with swelling. I left the meeting as early as I decently could and headed straight home for bed. I never did discover what JSU stood for.
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
I drove to Letchworth to meet with Roger Sands (Watford YMCA), Heather Allen (Dacorum Volunteer Centre), Jacquie Hime (North Herts CVS) and Andrew Simmons (Connexions) to discuss the need for a single bid from Hertfordshire for the new Youth volunteering programme. The discussions were frank and constructive and Roger and Heather will meet again this Friday to begin drafting a joint bid - the deadline for submission is next Friday. I wish them well.
After this, I worked at home starting to draft a Community Development Strategy.
After this, I worked at home starting to draft a Community Development Strategy.
Monday, 7 January 2008
I fielded several enquiries about our advert for a BME Advocacy worker, and wrote to Capacitybuilders about the low level of funding for Hertfordshire. Late on I had a call from a lady doing some Mental Health research in South West Herts who wants to meet up on Wednesday.
I finished (re-)reading She by H Rider Haggard. There are too few Victorian novels in which the male romantic lead marries an African woman, and in which the English hero calls an African elder “Father” and in return gains the sobriquet of “Baboon”. Excellent stuff. Then I moved on to W E Tate’s The English Village Community and the Enclosure Movements (another excellent read offering fascinating detail of the open field agriculture) and finally to Gary Waite’s Heresy, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe.
I finished (re-)reading She by H Rider Haggard. There are too few Victorian novels in which the male romantic lead marries an African woman, and in which the English hero calls an African elder “Father” and in return gains the sobriquet of “Baboon”. Excellent stuff. Then I moved on to W E Tate’s The English Village Community and the Enclosure Movements (another excellent read offering fascinating detail of the open field agriculture) and finally to Gary Waite’s Heresy, Magic and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe.
Sunday, 6 January 2008
I spent the morning in the garden, the afternoon reading, and the evening watching a new episode of Foyle's War. Pretty much a perfect day.
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Jackie and I spent a quiet day catching up and watching television documentaries on the wildlife of the Amazon rainforest, the jungle in Borneo, the Moche of Peru, and Islam.
Friday, 4 January 2008
More filing and more sorting out recalcitrant PCs. I also met with Marv Renshaw (who is working hard on various local community arts initiatives) to talk about establishing a community arts forum, and with our Connexions PAs to catch up on several matters.
At this time of year, I can never keep track of who I have already greeted with a cheery "Happy New Year". Some people complain that I have greeted them in this way "three times" and others allege that I have "snubbed" them. It really is most confusing.
One or two members of CVS staff have fallen prey to the horrid winter stomach virus. Fortunately, Jackie has now recovered.
At this time of year, I can never keep track of who I have already greeted with a cheery "Happy New Year". Some people complain that I have greeted them in this way "three times" and others allege that I have "snubbed" them. It really is most confusing.
One or two members of CVS staff have fallen prey to the horrid winter stomach virus. Fortunately, Jackie has now recovered.
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Today I finalised documentation to advertise our new BME Advocacy post, I met with Anne to talk about further fundraising, I talked to WBC on car parking for volunteers, I wrote to our regional IT champion about IT strategy, I wrote to the Sunflower centre about their website, and I started filing - my filing pile had grown to unmanageable dimensions, and something had to be done.
I also wrote out promoting WBC’s annual Audentior Awards – the annual community awards for Watford and an excellent way of recognising and rewarding good neighbours.
I also wrote out promoting WBC’s annual Audentior Awards – the annual community awards for Watford and an excellent way of recognising and rewarding good neighbours.
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Over Christmas, I did some reading for work and I completed a lot of work on Job Evaluation. But I didn’t draft the Accommodation or Community Development Strategies. This will return to haunt me. But meanwhile, today I enjoyed a nice gentle re-introduction to the world of work, catching up on e-mails and organising future work plans.
Back home, Jackie was unwell with something unpleasant so I went shopping and made the tea - all on my own and unsupervised!
Back home, Jackie was unwell with something unpleasant so I went shopping and made the tea - all on my own and unsupervised!
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Jackie and I drove into London for a walk around Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House. Back home, I saw a Blue Tit at our bird table - far prettier than Starlings or Blackbirds.
Monday, 31 December 2007
After yesterday's preparations, I completed a draft Job Evaluation exercise for WCVS.
Jackie and I saw in the New Year with our grand-daughter Bethany.
Jackie and I saw in the New Year with our grand-daughter Bethany.
Sunday, 30 December 2007
I enjoyed a quiet day examining different Job Evaluation schemes - a gentle and useful re-introduction to work. And in the evening I watched a new episode of Midsummer Murder.
Saturday, 29 December 2007
Jackie and I spent a quiet day recovering from the turmoil of Christmas. I finished reading Lords of Humankind by V. G. Kiernan, an exploration (rather superficial, I thought) of how the "white" races regarded themselves (and were regarded by others) in the imperial age.
The footnotes and references are the most eccentric I can remember - common knowledge is often annotated in absurd patronising detail, some footnotes reference private discussions the author has had with his friends, many contentious statements are left entirely unsupported, and in one footnote the author simply says he has found no evidence to support a statement he’s made in the main text!
I guess this might have been V. G. Kiernan’s PhD thesis; I wonder if he passed?
The footnotes and references are the most eccentric I can remember - common knowledge is often annotated in absurd patronising detail, some footnotes reference private discussions the author has had with his friends, many contentious statements are left entirely unsupported, and in one footnote the author simply says he has found no evidence to support a statement he’s made in the main text!
I guess this might have been V. G. Kiernan’s PhD thesis; I wonder if he passed?
Friday, 28 December 2007
Jackie and I spent the day baby-sitting Bethany.
Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman of the (American) National Institute of Neurological Disorders have found that giving to charity effects the brain’s pleasure regions in much the same way as sex or good food: “Something in our brain is shaped by evolution which allows us to feel joy when we do good things”.
In the evening, Jackie and I visited the in-laws to stimulate our pleasure regions with good food.
Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman of the (American) National Institute of Neurological Disorders have found that giving to charity effects the brain’s pleasure regions in much the same way as sex or good food: “Something in our brain is shaped by evolution which allows us to feel joy when we do good things”.
In the evening, Jackie and I visited the in-laws to stimulate our pleasure regions with good food.
Thursday, 27 December 2007
We finally got to see grand-daughter Bethany and her parents Rhiannon and Stu. We played games. Great fun rather marred by news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination in Pakistan.
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Christmas day at home with boys and the in-laws enjoying an excellent meal from Jackie.
Sunday, 23 December 2007
More Christmas preparations. Our bird table is at last being visited – by starlings at least.
Saturday, 22 December 2007
Christmas is almost here and I spent the day buying last minute gifts etc.
So Tony Blair is a Catholic? Happily, Catholic teachings haven’t much affected his voing record on gay rights, genetic research, abortion or anything else.
At 1-1 with five minutes remaining, Tottenham were awarded a penalty and still contrived to lose the north London derby. Again.
So Tony Blair is a Catholic? Happily, Catholic teachings haven’t much affected his voing record on gay rights, genetic research, abortion or anything else.
At 1-1 with five minutes remaining, Tottenham were awarded a penalty and still contrived to lose the north London derby. Again.
Friday, 21 December 2007
A final day in the office before Christmas and the last pre-Christmas postal delivery brings confirmation of our Basis grant. O Joy.
But perhaps the best news of the day is that Jacquie and Steph at North Herts CVS dispatched our HIC Development Plan etc. This is the culmination of several months work - for myself and others as well as Jacquie and Steph. But they have both been magnificent. Wonderful work.
Apart from helping out on some final drafting, I spent the day packing up files and work that I need to have at home. My plan is to draft some documents at home over Christmas. We'll see.
Hapy Christmas everyone.
But perhaps the best news of the day is that Jacquie and Steph at North Herts CVS dispatched our HIC Development Plan etc. This is the culmination of several months work - for myself and others as well as Jacquie and Steph. But they have both been magnificent. Wonderful work.
Apart from helping out on some final drafting, I spent the day packing up files and work that I need to have at home. My plan is to draft some documents at home over Christmas. We'll see.
Hapy Christmas everyone.
Thursday, 20 December 2007
I’ve had a very bitty day tidying up loose ends before Christmas – IT orders, IT funding, photocopier contracts, job adverts, parking permits, community transport funding, funding applications, community development strategies, etc etc.
Jackie and I spent a peaceful evening together - me reading and her sewing. Lovely.
Jackie and I spent a peaceful evening together - me reading and her sewing. Lovely.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
The office was very quiet this morning – so many people on leave for Eid or Xmas.
After sorting out a few IT difficulties, I spent the morning contributing to a draft letter to East of England Minister Barbara Follet (complaining about the region’s consistent underfunding by Government agencies) and drafting a letter of my own to Capacitybuilders on a similar theme. After this, I walked down to the YMCA to meet with Phil Willerton on Job Evaluation schemes and on quite a few other matters too. All wonderfully helpful.
Back at the office I spent the afternoon (and early evening) on recruitment documentation for our new BME Advocacy post, and on the HIC Development Plans. Jacquie and Steph of North Herts CVS have really borne the brunt of this and I am hugely impressed by their work.
After sorting out a few IT difficulties, I spent the morning contributing to a draft letter to East of England Minister Barbara Follet (complaining about the region’s consistent underfunding by Government agencies) and drafting a letter of my own to Capacitybuilders on a similar theme. After this, I walked down to the YMCA to meet with Phil Willerton on Job Evaluation schemes and on quite a few other matters too. All wonderfully helpful.
Back at the office I spent the afternoon (and early evening) on recruitment documentation for our new BME Advocacy post, and on the HIC Development Plans. Jacquie and Steph of North Herts CVS have really borne the brunt of this and I am hugely impressed by their work.
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Last night, I made a list of jobs that needed doing – a few letters (proddings and thank-yous), a few orders to be placed, a few system changes finalised, a few meetings planned. Armed with my little list of jobs, I arrived at work about 6:30 am. Apart from a few minor distractions, I worked through until 12:30 pm, and managed to tick off every job on the list. How very satisfying.
Meanwhile, everyone else here had been preparing for the annual Thank You lunch for our trustees and volunteers. There was a good turn-out and everyone enjoyed a very good spread, a few words of thanks from our Chair Pam Handley – and a few words of thanks from me to the irreplaceable Pam Handley. I also introduced my Big Surprise – a Christmas Cake made and nurtured with my own fair hands (warily supervised by Jackie) as a Thank You to all the wonderful trustees, volunteers and staff at Watford CVS. Everyone was very kind about it – perhaps more out of shock than anything.
After a few more hours of work - some tidying up, others like me bashing away at keyboards – we staff met up for our Christmas dinner at Jongleurs Comedy Club on Watford High Street. Our table was right up by the stage so we spent most of the evening on the edge of becoming part of the entertainment.
The Compere for the evening was a pretty amiable chap. Comic #1 was clearly inexperienced and made some unbelievably crass “jokes” about Islamic terrorists. Comic #2 was a bit more confident – but made jokes about fantasy “gypsies” abusing their dogs. Have we somehow rewound to the horrors of the 1970s? Has Bernard Manning risen again? Is it now acceptable to create and mock evil racial caricatures? Comic #3 was far better and genuinely talented and funny - even if he did pick on my lovely colleague Sha-Lee. But I'm sure he at least was sufficiently wise and kind-hearted to know that there are two types of comedy: the funny and the bad.
Jongleurs run a well-oiled comedy club machine: the food was surprisingly edible, and very efficiently distributed to the 400 diners. But occasional good natured hecklers were targeted with venom rather than tolerated with humour. And there were regular pre-recorded announcements reminding people not to talk when the comedians were performing. And there were posters on the walls: We all like to hear a good gag but not from you – if you insist on talking, we’ll insist you leave. I found these rather chilling.
I returned to the office about midnight to learn that Spurs had contrived to win again this evening - that's now three wins on the trot after a record breaking run of 493 consecutive defeats. I must get home now and sleep.
Meanwhile, everyone else here had been preparing for the annual Thank You lunch for our trustees and volunteers. There was a good turn-out and everyone enjoyed a very good spread, a few words of thanks from our Chair Pam Handley – and a few words of thanks from me to the irreplaceable Pam Handley. I also introduced my Big Surprise – a Christmas Cake made and nurtured with my own fair hands (warily supervised by Jackie) as a Thank You to all the wonderful trustees, volunteers and staff at Watford CVS. Everyone was very kind about it – perhaps more out of shock than anything.
After a few more hours of work - some tidying up, others like me bashing away at keyboards – we staff met up for our Christmas dinner at Jongleurs Comedy Club on Watford High Street. Our table was right up by the stage so we spent most of the evening on the edge of becoming part of the entertainment.
The Compere for the evening was a pretty amiable chap. Comic #1 was clearly inexperienced and made some unbelievably crass “jokes” about Islamic terrorists. Comic #2 was a bit more confident – but made jokes about fantasy “gypsies” abusing their dogs. Have we somehow rewound to the horrors of the 1970s? Has Bernard Manning risen again? Is it now acceptable to create and mock evil racial caricatures? Comic #3 was far better and genuinely talented and funny - even if he did pick on my lovely colleague Sha-Lee. But I'm sure he at least was sufficiently wise and kind-hearted to know that there are two types of comedy: the funny and the bad.
Jongleurs run a well-oiled comedy club machine: the food was surprisingly edible, and very efficiently distributed to the 400 diners. But occasional good natured hecklers were targeted with venom rather than tolerated with humour. And there were regular pre-recorded announcements reminding people not to talk when the comedians were performing. And there were posters on the walls: We all like to hear a good gag but not from you – if you insist on talking, we’ll insist you leave. I found these rather chilling.
I returned to the office about midnight to learn that Spurs had contrived to win again this evening - that's now three wins on the trot after a record breaking run of 493 consecutive defeats. I must get home now and sleep.
Monday, 17 December 2007
I experienced one of those curiously muted pre-Christmas work days. I drafted job descriptions and prepared job adverts, checked minutes, talked to member organisations, made appointments and discussed funding bids. But whatever I did, I couldn't shake the feeling that really I was just preparing to put up the shutters for Christmas. It has been a long year.
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Jackie and I walked in Sharrardspark Wood in search of holly for a Christmas decoration: where are the holly berries this year?
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Jackie and I visited Watford to finish our Christmas shopping.
In the evening, Bobby and I cooked a full lamb roast dinner for ourselves, Jackie and Bryan. Neither of us would claim that the meal was a triumph but it was quite tasty and we did avoid disaster - perhaps apart from the roast parsnips. Then we all had a family night together eating and talking and drinking. Very enjoyable.
In the evening, Bobby and I cooked a full lamb roast dinner for ourselves, Jackie and Bryan. Neither of us would claim that the meal was a triumph but it was quite tasty and we did avoid disaster - perhaps apart from the roast parsnips. Then we all had a family night together eating and talking and drinking. Very enjoyable.
Friday, 14 December 2007
A full day at Watford for once. I set up annual review meetings with each of the WCVS staff, met with the Connexions PAs, had some discussions about volunteering and IT and training, and focused a bit better on HIC’s Development Planning.
Jackie was at the Hitchin Priory for her Office Xmas Dinner. She had rejected the Xmas dinner in favour of Dry Salted Cod on a bed of something or other with a white wine sauce. But she was served a Christmas dinner complete with roast potatoes and brussel sprouts; the only difference was that the Turkey had been removed and a portion of cod substituted. Yuck.
I’d have expected better from the Hitchin Priory which dates from the fourteenth century and was held by the Radcliffe family from the dissolution until the twentieth century.
I know this because I spent the evening finishing An Open Elite? England 1540 – 1880 by Lawrence and Jeanne Stone. This is based on some very good research and explores the proposition that England's relatively peaceful transition to modernity was possible because England had a relatively open ruling class. The authors make some interesting points and the research is extremely impressive, being based on detailed analyses of country estates in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Northumberland. But they seem to miss a trick in assuming that the "ruling elite" comprises only the owners of large landed estates.
Jackie was at the Hitchin Priory for her Office Xmas Dinner. She had rejected the Xmas dinner in favour of Dry Salted Cod on a bed of something or other with a white wine sauce. But she was served a Christmas dinner complete with roast potatoes and brussel sprouts; the only difference was that the Turkey had been removed and a portion of cod substituted. Yuck.
I’d have expected better from the Hitchin Priory which dates from the fourteenth century and was held by the Radcliffe family from the dissolution until the twentieth century.
I know this because I spent the evening finishing An Open Elite? England 1540 – 1880 by Lawrence and Jeanne Stone. This is based on some very good research and explores the proposition that England's relatively peaceful transition to modernity was possible because England had a relatively open ruling class. The authors make some interesting points and the research is extremely impressive, being based on detailed analyses of country estates in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Northumberland. But they seem to miss a trick in assuming that the "ruling elite" comprises only the owners of large landed estates.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
This morning, I enjoyed a beautiful drive to work through early morning mist and frost. I was back in the office for the first time in a week so inevitably my morning was wholly devoted to reading through scores of e-mails.
In the afternoon, I drove off to Hatfield for a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. Everyone wanted to congratulate Andrew Burt of HCC who has won a national award as Compact Champion, but Andrew was elsewhere having some teeth extracted. He has my congratulations and my sympathy.
Pre-Christmas attendance was low, but of excellent quality: Frances Coupe and Susan Street from HCC, Martin Sipsma of LSC, Peter Wright from the PCTs, Mary Green from Three Rivers CVS, Jacquie Hime from North Herts CVS, Kate Belinis from CDA for Herts and Phil Willerton from Watford YMCA. At the end, there was unanimous agreement on a clear way forward for taking the Compact into its second decade. In short, this involves a clear focus on Principles, Partnership and Promotion.
From Hatfield, I returned to Watford to attend pre-Christmas drinks at the Town Hall at the invitation of the Mayor. A very pleasant interlude. Then back to the office for a few hours more work. At 8:00 in the evening we were quite a hive of activity: Helen was working on volunteering initiatives, Maria was hosting a meeting of Watford’s emerging Polish Association, and the Credit Union were meeting in the main boardroom.
In the afternoon, I drove off to Hatfield for a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. Everyone wanted to congratulate Andrew Burt of HCC who has won a national award as Compact Champion, but Andrew was elsewhere having some teeth extracted. He has my congratulations and my sympathy.
Pre-Christmas attendance was low, but of excellent quality: Frances Coupe and Susan Street from HCC, Martin Sipsma of LSC, Peter Wright from the PCTs, Mary Green from Three Rivers CVS, Jacquie Hime from North Herts CVS, Kate Belinis from CDA for Herts and Phil Willerton from Watford YMCA. At the end, there was unanimous agreement on a clear way forward for taking the Compact into its second decade. In short, this involves a clear focus on Principles, Partnership and Promotion.
From Hatfield, I returned to Watford to attend pre-Christmas drinks at the Town Hall at the invitation of the Mayor. A very pleasant interlude. Then back to the office for a few hours more work. At 8:00 in the evening we were quite a hive of activity: Helen was working on volunteering initiatives, Maria was hosting a meeting of Watford’s emerging Polish Association, and the Credit Union were meeting in the main boardroom.
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Youth volunteering
The youth volunteering scheme Millennium Volunteers has been operating in Herts since 2000 and has been managed by Watford YMCA. Although there have been parts of the county where MV has struggled, it has generally been regarded as a Hertfordshire success.
MV is now winding up and when bidders were invited for the successor V programme, it was widely expected that the Herts MV would simply transform itself into V. So it came as something of a surprise when Watford YMCA’s bid to V was turned down. A new bidding round is opening for delivering a youth volunteering scheme with six members of staff and £250,000 pa. The deadline for initial "expressions of interest" is this Friday.
I had intended to spend today at home working on the HIC development plan. I did make some progress on this. But I also spent a long long time on the telephone talking to lots of different people about the future of youth volunteering in Herts.
In retrospect it was inevitable that I would get involved: Watford YMCA are members of Watford CVS, I am chair of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, Watford CVS operates a Volunteer Centre, and our Volunteer Centre co-ordinator (Helen Price) is Youth Volunteering lead for the Volunteering Herts consortium. Perhaps I should have involved myself much earlier.
Watford YMCA will of course put in another expression of interest and seek to revise their bid. Today it became clear that the Volunteering Herts consortium of Volunteer Centres would put in an expression of interest against Watford YMCA.
For a time, I felt that Watford CVS should also put in an expression of interest. My logic was simple: Watford YMCA and the Volunteer Centres will have to work together to deliver the V programme; if neither is willing to accept the other as lead, then a third party is needed to bring them together. I thought that Watford CVS might play this role of “honest broker”.
Another potential “honest broker” in this process is North Herts CVS. They have the experience of being fund holder and Responsible Body for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, and they can also more easily act on behalf of the Consortium. Accordingly, at some point in the day, Watford CVS withdrew its interest.
Putting in three expressions of interest is no great problem as it keeps options open. But if in January Hertfordshire puts in three competing bids, we will give every appearance of being a county in crisis. After the success of the MV programme this would be very unfortunate. It is still very clear to me that Hertfordshire needs to get behind a single strong bid for the V programme. Perhaps this will be possible in the New Year.
Throughout the day, Helen was overseeing a Christmas event at Watford’s premier shopping centre The Harlequin. This event involved organising teams of volunteers to do Christmas gift wrapping to promote volunteering and solicit donations for local charities. Helen was also the Volunteering Herts lead on Youth Volunteering. And she also had a 5:15 call booked with Andrew Simmonds, the head of Hertfordshire Connexions and chair of the Hertfordshire Youth Volunteeirng Consortium. Helen had a pretty torrid day and I was very impressed by how she coped with all the pressures and all the different hats.
The youth volunteering scheme Millennium Volunteers has been operating in Herts since 2000 and has been managed by Watford YMCA. Although there have been parts of the county where MV has struggled, it has generally been regarded as a Hertfordshire success.
MV is now winding up and when bidders were invited for the successor V programme, it was widely expected that the Herts MV would simply transform itself into V. So it came as something of a surprise when Watford YMCA’s bid to V was turned down. A new bidding round is opening for delivering a youth volunteering scheme with six members of staff and £250,000 pa. The deadline for initial "expressions of interest" is this Friday.
I had intended to spend today at home working on the HIC development plan. I did make some progress on this. But I also spent a long long time on the telephone talking to lots of different people about the future of youth volunteering in Herts.
In retrospect it was inevitable that I would get involved: Watford YMCA are members of Watford CVS, I am chair of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, Watford CVS operates a Volunteer Centre, and our Volunteer Centre co-ordinator (Helen Price) is Youth Volunteering lead for the Volunteering Herts consortium. Perhaps I should have involved myself much earlier.
Watford YMCA will of course put in another expression of interest and seek to revise their bid. Today it became clear that the Volunteering Herts consortium of Volunteer Centres would put in an expression of interest against Watford YMCA.
For a time, I felt that Watford CVS should also put in an expression of interest. My logic was simple: Watford YMCA and the Volunteer Centres will have to work together to deliver the V programme; if neither is willing to accept the other as lead, then a third party is needed to bring them together. I thought that Watford CVS might play this role of “honest broker”.
Another potential “honest broker” in this process is North Herts CVS. They have the experience of being fund holder and Responsible Body for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium, and they can also more easily act on behalf of the Consortium. Accordingly, at some point in the day, Watford CVS withdrew its interest.
Putting in three expressions of interest is no great problem as it keeps options open. But if in January Hertfordshire puts in three competing bids, we will give every appearance of being a county in crisis. After the success of the MV programme this would be very unfortunate. It is still very clear to me that Hertfordshire needs to get behind a single strong bid for the V programme. Perhaps this will be possible in the New Year.
Throughout the day, Helen was overseeing a Christmas event at Watford’s premier shopping centre The Harlequin. This event involved organising teams of volunteers to do Christmas gift wrapping to promote volunteering and solicit donations for local charities. Helen was also the Volunteering Herts lead on Youth Volunteering. And she also had a 5:15 call booked with Andrew Simmonds, the head of Hertfordshire Connexions and chair of the Hertfordshire Youth Volunteeirng Consortium. Helen had a pretty torrid day and I was very impressed by how she coped with all the pressures and all the different hats.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
A full HIC meeting but with a strangely low attendance - perhaps everyone was Christmas shopping? Or more likely busy with their day jobs. I confess my own mind wandered once or twice making my job as chair rather difficult. But things are still very good natured and we got through the agenda.
After, I stayed on for some new equalities training on FRED: Fairness, Respect, Equality and Diversity. I think I have previously noted that throughout the EU it is now illegal to develop or propogate any management or training system without incorporating a contrived acronym (the more letters the better). I suppose "Fred" is at least subverting the format a little.
The session was led by Marcella Wright (of the University of Hertfordshire) and it was really jolly good. Despite the CANAPE (Contrived Acronym Not Actually Producing …. Bugger, this is harder than it looks).
Back home, I had some telephone calls to make to understand what is happening with Hertfordshire’s application to V, the youth volunteering initiative. The simple facts are that the Hertfordshire consortium’s bid was rejected and new bids have been invited. National organisations from outside the County are rumoured to be preparing bids. Within the County, the different vested interests need to establish a full working partnership that will press all the necessary buttons and so win the contract. More discussions are scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see.
Ah ha: CANADA - Contrived Acronym Not Actually Denoting Anything. Surely sufficient to win me an MBA from any reputable Business School.
After, I stayed on for some new equalities training on FRED: Fairness, Respect, Equality and Diversity. I think I have previously noted that throughout the EU it is now illegal to develop or propogate any management or training system without incorporating a contrived acronym (the more letters the better). I suppose "Fred" is at least subverting the format a little.
The session was led by Marcella Wright (of the University of Hertfordshire) and it was really jolly good. Despite the CANAPE (Contrived Acronym Not Actually Producing …. Bugger, this is harder than it looks).
Back home, I had some telephone calls to make to understand what is happening with Hertfordshire’s application to V, the youth volunteering initiative. The simple facts are that the Hertfordshire consortium’s bid was rejected and new bids have been invited. National organisations from outside the County are rumoured to be preparing bids. Within the County, the different vested interests need to establish a full working partnership that will press all the necessary buttons and so win the contract. More discussions are scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see.
Ah ha: CANADA - Contrived Acronym Not Actually Denoting Anything. Surely sufficient to win me an MBA from any reputable Business School.
Monday, 10 December 2007
I drove to the HCC’s Development Centre at Wheathampstead to meet with John Hyland and Shahla Taheri-White to discuss a contract for WCVS to delivery a BME Advocacy service. The service will support the families of children who have a complaint against a school where the complaint has a racial or faith dimension. As ever, it is a little more complicated than that, but not much. This morning’s discussions were very positive and constructive and contracts should be signed very soon. HCC are keen for the service to be up and running no later than April 2008; the only major potential difficulty I see is recruiting for the post.
From Wheathampstead, I drove to Letchworth to spend time with Jacquie and Steph preparing for tomorrow’s HIC meeting. And of course we spent more hours on the HIC Consortium Development Plan. I’m bored with this now.
Also, I met briefly with Paul Ruskin who seems to pop up everywhere at the moment. There was talk of a bid for IT under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
From Wheathampstead, I drove to Letchworth to spend time with Jacquie and Steph preparing for tomorrow’s HIC meeting. And of course we spent more hours on the HIC Consortium Development Plan. I’m bored with this now.
Also, I met briefly with Paul Ruskin who seems to pop up everywhere at the moment. There was talk of a bid for IT under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
Friday, 7 December 2007
I left Jackie at 8:00, collected Jacquie at 8:30 and we arrived at the COVER offices shortly after 9:00.
Immediately on arriving, I had an intense ten minute discussion on ICT with Paul Ruskin. He is the region’s ICT Champion: technically skilled, good strategic overview, an intense ball of energy who makes things happen. But he plays golf apparently without shame; I worry about him sometimes.
Then we parted to attend different meetings. Along with representatives of all the other regional infrastructure consortia, Jacquie and I went into a briefing with Richard Weller of Capacitybuilders. Hertfordshire’s Infrastructure Consortium is generally regarded as a success. In large part this is because we have had sufficient funding to pay for a full-time Development Worker and 10 hours a week of management time bought in from Jacquie at North Herts CVS. Our core funding has now been cut to £32,000 pa. I know Consortia have to move toward sustainability etc, but why are other (frankly less inclusive and less successful) consortia receiving significantly higher funding?
The answer is that the formula is worked out depending entirely on the local government structure and each consortia receives: £25k for each County Council, £22k for each Unitary Authority, and (in two-tier local government areas) £1k for each District Council apart from the first three.
They might just as well have based allocations on the number of vowels in the consortium name, or the number of professional footballers produced in the inter-war period, or the mean annual rainfall across each consortium. Do they really have such little idea?
Then at 11:00 we met with the delightful Jonathan Moore (of SAVO) and Jenny Althorpe (South Beds CVS) to discuss support for trustees. This was useful as we agreed on three needs: to focus on empowerment rather than regulation; to offer more support for trustees in smaller charities; to offer more support for trustee boards rather than for trustees individually. These may seem like small points, but they prompted a very productive discussion, pleasing me greatly. There was talk of a COVER project bid under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
After a brief cup of tea with Jacquie I was home before 5:00 pm and I was home at a sensible time. But by the time I had finished three telephone conversations (on IT, training, and volunteering) it was well past 6:00.
And Bryan was off to start a new job - a great end to a good day.
Immediately on arriving, I had an intense ten minute discussion on ICT with Paul Ruskin. He is the region’s ICT Champion: technically skilled, good strategic overview, an intense ball of energy who makes things happen. But he plays golf apparently without shame; I worry about him sometimes.
Then we parted to attend different meetings. Along with representatives of all the other regional infrastructure consortia, Jacquie and I went into a briefing with Richard Weller of Capacitybuilders. Hertfordshire’s Infrastructure Consortium is generally regarded as a success. In large part this is because we have had sufficient funding to pay for a full-time Development Worker and 10 hours a week of management time bought in from Jacquie at North Herts CVS. Our core funding has now been cut to £32,000 pa. I know Consortia have to move toward sustainability etc, but why are other (frankly less inclusive and less successful) consortia receiving significantly higher funding?
The answer is that the formula is worked out depending entirely on the local government structure and each consortia receives: £25k for each County Council, £22k for each Unitary Authority, and (in two-tier local government areas) £1k for each District Council apart from the first three.
They might just as well have based allocations on the number of vowels in the consortium name, or the number of professional footballers produced in the inter-war period, or the mean annual rainfall across each consortium. Do they really have such little idea?
Then at 11:00 we met with the delightful Jonathan Moore (of SAVO) and Jenny Althorpe (South Beds CVS) to discuss support for trustees. This was useful as we agreed on three needs: to focus on empowerment rather than regulation; to offer more support for trustees in smaller charities; to offer more support for trustee boards rather than for trustees individually. These may seem like small points, but they prompted a very productive discussion, pleasing me greatly. There was talk of a COVER project bid under the Capacitybuilders Improving Reach programme.
After a brief cup of tea with Jacquie I was home before 5:00 pm and I was home at a sensible time. But by the time I had finished three telephone conversations (on IT, training, and volunteering) it was well past 6:00.
And Bryan was off to start a new job - a great end to a good day.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Joined up government
After an early start and a few hours in the office, I headed off to the YMCA for a meeting of the Watford Learning Partnership (WLP).
The Hertfordshire Adult Learning Partnership (HALP) and the Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning Service (HAFLS) have jointly prepared a plan for the future of adult learning. This plan focuses heavily on local learning partnerships like WPL. I can’t see any connection between this plan and that of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC is funding the VCS to set up county-wide training consortia that LSC supposes will then oversee all VCS workforce development training and all training delivered by VCS organisations to the public. The LSC think this Consortium will become constituted and will then be a major training provider. I don’t know why anyone would want to create such a monolith and nor can I imagine how such an organisation would be financially viable. And meanwhile it might destablise existing training providers like CVSs.
This looks like a government agency coming up with a “good idea” and then treating the VCS like some sort of experimental laboratory. But maybe it will work: I have been wrong before and doubtless I will again.
But meanwhile, the least I expect is that government agencies co-ordinate their policies.
Also present at the WLP meeting were Lyn Telford and David Brown of HALP, Phil Willerton of YMCA, Alison Stainsby of Watford Borough Council, and Marion of the Watford Community Housing Trust. Other regular attenders (LSC, West Herts College, Herts Trade Union Centre) sent their apologies.
After WLP I had a brief Staff Meeting at WCVS to discuss how best we can support volunteering and how we can improve some of our core services. There seems to be unanimity on all the key issues which makes things easier.
And then I attended a meeting of the WCVS’s Staffing and Remuneration Sub-Committee. This sub-group of trustees was meeting to review salary scales, expense payments, employment practices, one or two specific issues etc. These are difficult areas for charities. Of course everyone wants to be nice to their employees (like me) but the realities are that funding is short and life is tough. No-one works in the voluntary sector to get rich: there are other reasons for working here.
And on the technical / procedural issues I simply anticipated a few sympathetic looks. But I had underestimated my wonderful trustees. Phil Willerton in particular came prepared with possible solutions to several of the thornier technical and procedural problems including the possibility of a workable job evaluation scheme. What a star. Althea and John and Vivienne were also helpful and the meeting was completed within an hour and with far more progress than I had dared hope for.
After that, it was just one long slog through HIC business planning and making sure that I had done all I need to before leaving the office as I have a series of “out of the office” days.
I arrived home about 10:00 and Jackie and I enjoyed a sherry and a good read together before bed - what a lovely scene of domestic bliss.
After an early start and a few hours in the office, I headed off to the YMCA for a meeting of the Watford Learning Partnership (WLP).
The Hertfordshire Adult Learning Partnership (HALP) and the Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning Service (HAFLS) have jointly prepared a plan for the future of adult learning. This plan focuses heavily on local learning partnerships like WPL. I can’t see any connection between this plan and that of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC is funding the VCS to set up county-wide training consortia that LSC supposes will then oversee all VCS workforce development training and all training delivered by VCS organisations to the public. The LSC think this Consortium will become constituted and will then be a major training provider. I don’t know why anyone would want to create such a monolith and nor can I imagine how such an organisation would be financially viable. And meanwhile it might destablise existing training providers like CVSs.
This looks like a government agency coming up with a “good idea” and then treating the VCS like some sort of experimental laboratory. But maybe it will work: I have been wrong before and doubtless I will again.
But meanwhile, the least I expect is that government agencies co-ordinate their policies.
Also present at the WLP meeting were Lyn Telford and David Brown of HALP, Phil Willerton of YMCA, Alison Stainsby of Watford Borough Council, and Marion of the Watford Community Housing Trust. Other regular attenders (LSC, West Herts College, Herts Trade Union Centre) sent their apologies.
After WLP I had a brief Staff Meeting at WCVS to discuss how best we can support volunteering and how we can improve some of our core services. There seems to be unanimity on all the key issues which makes things easier.
And then I attended a meeting of the WCVS’s Staffing and Remuneration Sub-Committee. This sub-group of trustees was meeting to review salary scales, expense payments, employment practices, one or two specific issues etc. These are difficult areas for charities. Of course everyone wants to be nice to their employees (like me) but the realities are that funding is short and life is tough. No-one works in the voluntary sector to get rich: there are other reasons for working here.
And on the technical / procedural issues I simply anticipated a few sympathetic looks. But I had underestimated my wonderful trustees. Phil Willerton in particular came prepared with possible solutions to several of the thornier technical and procedural problems including the possibility of a workable job evaluation scheme. What a star. Althea and John and Vivienne were also helpful and the meeting was completed within an hour and with far more progress than I had dared hope for.
After that, it was just one long slog through HIC business planning and making sure that I had done all I need to before leaving the office as I have a series of “out of the office” days.
I arrived home about 10:00 and Jackie and I enjoyed a sherry and a good read together before bed - what a lovely scene of domestic bliss.
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
I had a busy morning on paperwork and on a very useful meeting with Lyn Telford of the Watford Learning Partnership.
At lunchtime I travelled to Borehamwood to “facilitate” a joint meeting of Hertsmere CVS and Hertsmere Community Partnership, who are considering a merger. On my understanding of the briefing I’d received, I tried to facilitate the meeting through an exercise to consider a shared vision and mission. But this is rather an abstract exercise and people were too focused on tangibles and practicalities. Once I'd grasped this, the meeting was much more productive.
At lunchtime I travelled to Borehamwood to “facilitate” a joint meeting of Hertsmere CVS and Hertsmere Community Partnership, who are considering a merger. On my understanding of the briefing I’d received, I tried to facilitate the meeting through an exercise to consider a shared vision and mission. But this is rather an abstract exercise and people were too focused on tangibles and practicalities. Once I'd grasped this, the meeting was much more productive.
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
This morning, I read through several new policy pronouncements, and through paperwork about the possible merger of Hertsmere CVS with Hertsmere Community Partnership. In the afternoon, I drafted one-page summaries of each of the projects prepared for the Herts Infrastructure Consortium. Somewhere in the middle of this, I spent two hours talking on the telephone to different colleagues: how can some people use telephones recreationally?
Monday, 3 December 2007
Community Networking
We had a very successful networking lunch at the North Watford Mosque - or at least a very successful networking event. I will explain.
The event began at 10:45 with a tour of the Mosque hosted by the Mosque Committee. At 11:30 we began the meeting proper, and an audience of about 70 heard Qari Mohamed Salim (Watford Central Mosque), Khalil Mogul (Muslim Community Project), Riaz Hussain (Muslim Awareness Forum) and Zamir Shah (Anjuman-e-Ja’fariyya); all were excellent and received a warm reception. The speeches ended at 12:15 and we had allowed 15 minutes for questions. There were lots of questions on extremism, the role of women, youth work, mental health, education, racist attacks, further dialogue and so on. There were so many questions that I allowed another fifteen minutes. And then another fifteen minutes.
By this time it was apparent that things had gone wrong: our caterers had let us down badly. Those Muslims belonging to North Watford Mosque were leaving to attend lunchtime prayers. The event did not conclude with a relaxed sit-down meal for 75 people. I did my best to jolly things along, but there was no hiding the fact that people were hungry and disappointed and the meeting ended on a note of disappointment and confusion.
Some stayed behind for tea or coffee, and finally (45 minutes late) the food arrived with profuse apologies from our caterers. But my appetite had disappeared along with two-thirds of the participants.
Nevertheless, I think that the event was a remarkable success and will hopefully set down some markers and relationships for the future.
Lessons? This is the second networking lunch where we have got the catering wrong. We have been trying to do things cheaply using inexperienced caterers. From now on we will need to step up a gear and move the whole thing on to a more professional footing. Fortunately, our next lunch is at the YMCA who thankfully have their own on-site caterers. It’s on 21 January with the theme: “Improving Watford’s Mental Health”.
Later in the afternoon, I was stumped by the terrible news of Jim Lillington's death. He was a lovely man and a tireless activist: a real star for the voluntary sector, for Shopmobility and for the Disability Forum. Thanks Jim.
We had a very successful networking lunch at the North Watford Mosque - or at least a very successful networking event. I will explain.
The event began at 10:45 with a tour of the Mosque hosted by the Mosque Committee. At 11:30 we began the meeting proper, and an audience of about 70 heard Qari Mohamed Salim (Watford Central Mosque), Khalil Mogul (Muslim Community Project), Riaz Hussain (Muslim Awareness Forum) and Zamir Shah (Anjuman-e-Ja’fariyya); all were excellent and received a warm reception. The speeches ended at 12:15 and we had allowed 15 minutes for questions. There were lots of questions on extremism, the role of women, youth work, mental health, education, racist attacks, further dialogue and so on. There were so many questions that I allowed another fifteen minutes. And then another fifteen minutes.
By this time it was apparent that things had gone wrong: our caterers had let us down badly. Those Muslims belonging to North Watford Mosque were leaving to attend lunchtime prayers. The event did not conclude with a relaxed sit-down meal for 75 people. I did my best to jolly things along, but there was no hiding the fact that people were hungry and disappointed and the meeting ended on a note of disappointment and confusion.
Some stayed behind for tea or coffee, and finally (45 minutes late) the food arrived with profuse apologies from our caterers. But my appetite had disappeared along with two-thirds of the participants.
Nevertheless, I think that the event was a remarkable success and will hopefully set down some markers and relationships for the future.
Lessons? This is the second networking lunch where we have got the catering wrong. We have been trying to do things cheaply using inexperienced caterers. From now on we will need to step up a gear and move the whole thing on to a more professional footing. Fortunately, our next lunch is at the YMCA who thankfully have their own on-site caterers. It’s on 21 January with the theme: “Improving Watford’s Mental Health”.
Later in the afternoon, I was stumped by the terrible news of Jim Lillington's death. He was a lovely man and a tireless activist: a real star for the voluntary sector, for Shopmobility and for the Disability Forum. Thanks Jim.
Sunday, 2 December 2007
I spent a lovely day with Jackie and our grand-daughter Bethany.
Tottenham's dismal season continued with a 2-3 defeat by Birmingham City; I think I am right in saying that Spurs have now lost 493 consecutive matches.
Tottenham's dismal season continued with a 2-3 defeat by Birmingham City; I think I am right in saying that Spurs have now lost 493 consecutive matches.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Jackie and I further contemplated the possible keeping of chickens: we still prevaricate. A quiet day at home was followed by a rather raucous evening with friends.
Friday, 30 November 2007
An incident of some sort meant that the Police had to close part of Beechen Grove this morning so it took me half an hour to travel the last mile into work. Then my day proper started with a half-day workshop for members of the Local Strategic Partnership One Watford.
This workshop was the Aspire 2 Perform model encouraging LSPs to be: Accountable, Strategic, Performance-managed, Inclusive, Responsive and Effective. The model actually looked at Engagement, Governance, Expectations, Planning, Meetings, and Communications. But obviously EGEPMC isn't as memorable as ASPIRE. One day people will again learn to develop management models without the use of contrived acronyms.
The event itself was very worthwhile and productive: it highlighted some important issues and gave LSP members an opportunity to talk together outside the usual arena of LSP meetings.
After this, I spent some time briefing myself for some forthcoming meetings: Compact, networking lunches, HIC, IT development, and so on. At Vanessa’s behest, I also wrote to staff suggesting we moved on from last year’s Secret Santa and instead each contribute some money though Oxfam to buy a donkey or some goats (not for Watford but for one of the communities where Oxfam work).
Back home, Jackie and I resisted the temptation to attend a 1970s Night and instead spent an evening at home over a curry and a bottle of wine watching music on television: I particularly liked Kate Nash and The Who (although it seems that guitar legend Pete Townshend has been sacked and replaced by Phil Willerton of Watford YMCA).
This workshop was the Aspire 2 Perform model encouraging LSPs to be: Accountable, Strategic, Performance-managed, Inclusive, Responsive and Effective. The model actually looked at Engagement, Governance, Expectations, Planning, Meetings, and Communications. But obviously EGEPMC isn't as memorable as ASPIRE. One day people will again learn to develop management models without the use of contrived acronyms.
The event itself was very worthwhile and productive: it highlighted some important issues and gave LSP members an opportunity to talk together outside the usual arena of LSP meetings.
After this, I spent some time briefing myself for some forthcoming meetings: Compact, networking lunches, HIC, IT development, and so on. At Vanessa’s behest, I also wrote to staff suggesting we moved on from last year’s Secret Santa and instead each contribute some money though Oxfam to buy a donkey or some goats (not for Watford but for one of the communities where Oxfam work).
Back home, Jackie and I resisted the temptation to attend a 1970s Night and instead spent an evening at home over a curry and a bottle of wine watching music on television: I particularly liked Kate Nash and The Who (although it seems that guitar legend Pete Townshend has been sacked and replaced by Phil Willerton of Watford YMCA).
Thursday, 29 November 2007
I was eager to make the most of my first chance this week to do some work in the office and so arrived at 7:00 am.
I spent some time with the organisers of Hertsmere’s Com.Unity Choir who want to explore setting up a similar open community-based choir in Watford. Such a choir could be a catalyst for some great community development work across Watford so I spent plenty of time with them offering as much encouragement and advice as I could.
Other than this pleasant interlude, I had a fairly strenuous day regaining control of my workload. It was a bit of a battle but by the end of the day (8:30 pm), I had read 150 previously unread e-mails, dealt with 100 read-but-not-yet-actioned e-mails and sent 70 of my own e-mails. I am far from being a technophobe but I abhor the tyranny of e-mail. Looking back on the day and reflecting, I can barely remember what a single e-mail was about.
Having just checked I can see that there was actually some genuine purpose and value in my day’s correspondence. I arranged to work with Watford Borough Council on their new Directory of Council and Community Services, advised four local groups on legal and employment and development matters, advised two potential donors on groups they might like to support, made some arrangements for our January networking lunch on Mental Health, and so on and so on. In fact, I flatter myself that I had rather an effective day.
I suppose my point is that it doesn’t feel like real work and it doesn’t feel like real communication.
During the day, I also wrote 700 words for the next issues of Herts CVS News. My theme was the benefits of good communication and networking. The irony of this was lost on me at the time.
I spent some time with the organisers of Hertsmere’s Com.Unity Choir who want to explore setting up a similar open community-based choir in Watford. Such a choir could be a catalyst for some great community development work across Watford so I spent plenty of time with them offering as much encouragement and advice as I could.
Other than this pleasant interlude, I had a fairly strenuous day regaining control of my workload. It was a bit of a battle but by the end of the day (8:30 pm), I had read 150 previously unread e-mails, dealt with 100 read-but-not-yet-actioned e-mails and sent 70 of my own e-mails. I am far from being a technophobe but I abhor the tyranny of e-mail. Looking back on the day and reflecting, I can barely remember what a single e-mail was about.
Having just checked I can see that there was actually some genuine purpose and value in my day’s correspondence. I arranged to work with Watford Borough Council on their new Directory of Council and Community Services, advised four local groups on legal and employment and development matters, advised two potential donors on groups they might like to support, made some arrangements for our January networking lunch on Mental Health, and so on and so on. In fact, I flatter myself that I had rather an effective day.
I suppose my point is that it doesn’t feel like real work and it doesn’t feel like real communication.
During the day, I also wrote 700 words for the next issues of Herts CVS News. My theme was the benefits of good communication and networking. The irony of this was lost on me at the time.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
I went to NCVO via St Pancras this morning to see the new(-ish) statue The Meeting Place which is stunning.
At NCVO our PQASSO group met again and we went through the materials. There were some useful discussions and it is always useful to talk with other practitioners about how they approach things. The others on the course came from a wide range of groups and all were charming and erudite. I was (almost) sorry to say good-bye at the end of the day.
In the evening, I reviewed my Watford CVS workload. Tomorrow is my first day in the office this week. I can anticipate a backlog of about 200 unread e-mails. When I left on Friday I already had 133 e-mails bearing little red “to do” flags. I also have a list of 21 tasks that I simply must complete asap (most of which I have been postponing for several weeks). Added to this, I have four meetings scheduled for tomorrow (including one in the evening) and I need to speak with several members of WCVS staff. What are my chances of making progress on all this tomorrow? Are all my meetings really necessary?
In the evening, I completed Robert Harris's book Selling Hitler on the remarkable events of the early 1980s when Stern magazine and The Sunday Times paid vast sums to publish diaries supposedly written by Adolf Hitler. Why was anyone so interested? People have a worryingly large capacity for stupidity and gullibility. The failures of corporate management sparked a series of events that ultimately produced the Code of Governance.
At NCVO our PQASSO group met again and we went through the materials. There were some useful discussions and it is always useful to talk with other practitioners about how they approach things. The others on the course came from a wide range of groups and all were charming and erudite. I was (almost) sorry to say good-bye at the end of the day.
In the evening, I reviewed my Watford CVS workload. Tomorrow is my first day in the office this week. I can anticipate a backlog of about 200 unread e-mails. When I left on Friday I already had 133 e-mails bearing little red “to do” flags. I also have a list of 21 tasks that I simply must complete asap (most of which I have been postponing for several weeks). Added to this, I have four meetings scheduled for tomorrow (including one in the evening) and I need to speak with several members of WCVS staff. What are my chances of making progress on all this tomorrow? Are all my meetings really necessary?
In the evening, I completed Robert Harris's book Selling Hitler on the remarkable events of the early 1980s when Stern magazine and The Sunday Times paid vast sums to publish diaries supposedly written by Adolf Hitler. Why was anyone so interested? People have a worryingly large capacity for stupidity and gullibility. The failures of corporate management sparked a series of events that ultimately produced the Code of Governance.
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
PQASSO
Today (and tomorrow) I am with Vanessa (our Training and Development Officer) attending a PQASSO training course at the NCVO in London.
On arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to bump into Laura Cronshaw (of St Albans CVS) attending the same course, our trainer was fine and PQASSO is a good QA system.
But truly neither myself or Vanessa wanted to be there as we both know PQASSO pretty well and have been working with it for a number of years. However, PQASSO is the property of the Charities Evaluation Service and neither Vanessa or I can be licenced by CES to support groups through the PQASSO process unless we have attended CES’s three day PQASSO Mentor programme. At a cost, or course. And guess what? We can’t attend the three day PQASSO Mentor programme unless we have already completed CES’s two day programme Implementing PQASSO. At a cost, of course.
I think this is what is known as a sustainable income stream.
Today (and tomorrow) I am with Vanessa (our Training and Development Officer) attending a PQASSO training course at the NCVO in London.
On arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to bump into Laura Cronshaw (of St Albans CVS) attending the same course, our trainer was fine and PQASSO is a good QA system.
But truly neither myself or Vanessa wanted to be there as we both know PQASSO pretty well and have been working with it for a number of years. However, PQASSO is the property of the Charities Evaluation Service and neither Vanessa or I can be licenced by CES to support groups through the PQASSO process unless we have attended CES’s three day PQASSO Mentor programme. At a cost, or course. And guess what? We can’t attend the three day PQASSO Mentor programme unless we have already completed CES’s two day programme Implementing PQASSO. At a cost, of course.
I think this is what is known as a sustainable income stream.
Monday, 26 November 2007
I spent a morning at home working on an accommodation strategy for Watford’s voluntary sector. I am having trouble separating this from the Community Development Strategy on which I have also started work: are they one strategy or two?
In the afternoon, I travelled to Hertford to meet with Andrew Burt of HCC and Jacquie Hime of N Herts CVS to discuss the future of the Herts Compact Group. Jacquie and I are joint chairs of the Working Group which has a meeting scheduled for mid-December. I have been worried for some time that nationally the whole Compact agenda is drifting aimless towards the rocks. Jacquie, Andrew and I met to try and agree a way forward in Hertfordshire.
Andrew argued that Compact should be re-aligned to the LSPs and to the new LAA2 agenda - and particularly to the new targets for local authorities: a thriving Third Sector, more volunteering, community engagement and so on. Jacquie took to the idea almost immediately. My brain works a little more slowly and had to clunk through several “what if” scenarios before I finally accepted that Andrew’s proposal was indeed the best way forward.
Having convinced us both of the wisdom of his vision for Compact, Andrew then told us that he might not be at the December Compact meeting as he is scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed that day. Lovely.
In the afternoon, I travelled to Hertford to meet with Andrew Burt of HCC and Jacquie Hime of N Herts CVS to discuss the future of the Herts Compact Group. Jacquie and I are joint chairs of the Working Group which has a meeting scheduled for mid-December. I have been worried for some time that nationally the whole Compact agenda is drifting aimless towards the rocks. Jacquie, Andrew and I met to try and agree a way forward in Hertfordshire.
Andrew argued that Compact should be re-aligned to the LSPs and to the new LAA2 agenda - and particularly to the new targets for local authorities: a thriving Third Sector, more volunteering, community engagement and so on. Jacquie took to the idea almost immediately. My brain works a little more slowly and had to clunk through several “what if” scenarios before I finally accepted that Andrew’s proposal was indeed the best way forward.
Having convinced us both of the wisdom of his vision for Compact, Andrew then told us that he might not be at the December Compact meeting as he is scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed that day. Lovely.
Sunday, 25 November 2007
A relaxing day at home. In the afternoon, Jackie and I went for a walk together. I lasted less than a mile and then shuffled off home. Jackie powered off around WGC and must have covered at least three miles. I suspect she is in secret training for the Olympics.
Meanwhile, I completed The Shadow of Elisa Lynch by Sian Rees, the story of an Irishwoman’s relationship with a Paraguayan dictator and tyrant. Interesting stuff, but like so many modern books it would have benefited from a more assertive sub-editor.
Meanwhile, I completed The Shadow of Elisa Lynch by Sian Rees, the story of an Irishwoman’s relationship with a Paraguayan dictator and tyrant. Interesting stuff, but like so many modern books it would have benefited from a more assertive sub-editor.
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Jackie and I collected our grand-daughter after breakfast and drove up to Ampthill to attend the opening of the new wing of the Agate House Cheshire Home. My sister is one of the first residents moving into the rooms now complying with the latest standards. Bethany of course wowed everyone.
On the homeward journey, we returned Bethany to one of her other grand-dads in Baldock. Grand-dad Tarlok was his usual self. His Mum barely seems to have aged since I first met her in the 1970s. And Amerjit was so grown up - he was in his mid-teens last time I saw him and now suddenly he’s forty.
On the homeward journey, we returned Bethany to one of her other grand-dads in Baldock. Grand-dad Tarlok was his usual self. His Mum barely seems to have aged since I first met her in the 1970s. And Amerjit was so grown up - he was in his mid-teens last time I saw him and now suddenly he’s forty.
Friday, 23 November 2007
Another day of catching up and correspondence. I completed another funding bid, started preparing thoughts for our next Trustees’ meeting, and met with Helen on volunteering, Maria on networking lunches, Vanessa on Training, Anne on Fundraising, and our Connexions Team.
IT and Communications
I also reviewed the IT and Communications paper I’d drafted for the HIC. Several recent studies have shown that the voluntary sector is lagging behind other sectors in the use of IT. Our findings certainly confirm this. We also found little enthusiasm for a voluntary sector agency delivering IT services, and that the sector's communication systems are simply not “fit for purpose”.
The question then is how can this state of affairs be changed? How can the value of effective ICT be demonstrated? How can HIC demonstrate its leadership? How can the ICT environment be transformed?
What I proposed was creating a communication and information centre for Hertfordshire’s voluntary sector. This centre could include contact details of all groups, offer opportunities for groups to create e-mail addresses and websites, provide access to support services, house discussion groups, and offer individuals the chance to subscribe to a range of information streams.
Revisiting the proposals today, I was pretty confident that they are the best opportunity we have of securing a "step change" in ICT.
IT and Communications
I also reviewed the IT and Communications paper I’d drafted for the HIC. Several recent studies have shown that the voluntary sector is lagging behind other sectors in the use of IT. Our findings certainly confirm this. We also found little enthusiasm for a voluntary sector agency delivering IT services, and that the sector's communication systems are simply not “fit for purpose”.
The question then is how can this state of affairs be changed? How can the value of effective ICT be demonstrated? How can HIC demonstrate its leadership? How can the ICT environment be transformed?
What I proposed was creating a communication and information centre for Hertfordshire’s voluntary sector. This centre could include contact details of all groups, offer opportunities for groups to create e-mail addresses and websites, provide access to support services, house discussion groups, and offer individuals the chance to subscribe to a range of information streams.
Revisiting the proposals today, I was pretty confident that they are the best opportunity we have of securing a "step change" in ICT.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
I spent the morning catching up with people at the office and dealing with the correspondence that has accumulated since last week.
At lunchtime, I was joined by David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation. He has been involved in some of the discussions about possible futures for Watford’s five Community Centres and he wanted to see some of the Centres for himself. We paid flying visits to the Holywell and Meriden Centres and then had a talk through options for the various sites.
By the time I left the office, I had cleared the backlog of 200+ unread e-mails. But I had 133 e-mails bearing little red flags to remind me that the mails needed a reply or some other action.
At lunchtime, I was joined by David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation. He has been involved in some of the discussions about possible futures for Watford’s five Community Centres and he wanted to see some of the Centres for himself. We paid flying visits to the Holywell and Meriden Centres and then had a talk through options for the various sites.
By the time I left the office, I had cleared the backlog of 200+ unread e-mails. But I had 133 e-mails bearing little red flags to remind me that the mails needed a reply or some other action.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
One last day away from the office
Today I spent in Letchworth reviewing all ten plans that have been prepared to support the Development Plan for voluntary sector support in Hertfordshire. These were:
Today I spent in Letchworth reviewing all ten plans that have been prepared to support the Development Plan for voluntary sector support in Hertfordshire. These were:
- my own two on Training and on IT and Communications;
- Funding Advice from the Funding Advisors’ network;
- Sustainable Funding and Raising the Profile from David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation;
- Supporting Small Groups from Ian Richardson of East Herts and Broxbourne CVS;
- Sustainability from Kate Belinis at Herts CDA;
- Equalities from Moreen Pascal late of MENTER;
- Volunteering from Julie Street of Volunteering Herts;
- and Quality Assurance and Developing the Consortium from Steph.
I was very impressed that we had all managed to complete something. I think we were all impressed. All need some work. Some of them need quite a bit of work. But all lay out a clear direction.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
I spent another day out of the office, this time at the CDX conference in Newport Pagnell - a surprisingly pleasant little town. I went to get a good solid framework for a Community Development strategy for Watford and I came away with plenty of good ideas and some very useful models and tools.
Monday, 19 November 2007
I spent a useful day at the Stakeholder Engagement conference put on in Hatfield by the Hertfordshire Community Foundation. There was a pretty good turnout of about 70, including many of the usual suspects but also some new faces - and I was pleased to see Sharifa Chaudrey of Watford’s Multi Cultural Community Centre. I enjoyed talking to quite a few people about Watford and Hertfordshire matters, including Steph (of HIC - to whom I gave the IT project proposal), David of Barnet CVS, Bina of MENTER and Kate Belinis of the Herts Community Development Association.
Sunday, 18 November, 2007
Somehow I had set the clock back two hours and the alarm went off at 6:00 am. By the time Jackie and I realised, we had already run a bath, had a cup of tea and made breakfast. How popular was I? Fortunately she loves me enough to forgive.
I spent the entire day working on the IT project proposal for HIC. I already had lots of notes and a brief outline, and much supporting information from Paul Ruskin (regional IT champion) and Angelo Gibertoni (our IT consultant). So in theory I simply had to put everything together. I didn’t even notice that it was snowing until Jackie returned from her evening walk looking like an Antarctic explorer.
It was a long day, but I finished in time for a nice cup of tea and a Telegraph crossword before bed.
Amazingly, my tooth-ache of the past six weeks seems to have very nearly disappeared. Perhaps my last (painful) visit to the Dentist served some purpose after all.
Recent reading (I know you're interested)
I read Boris Starling’s murder mystery Visibility. Not very challenging but perfectly well written and interestingly set in 1950’s smog-bound London. Then I read Stuart Maconie’s Cider with Roadies which was everything you’d expect from the title and the author.
I spent the entire day working on the IT project proposal for HIC. I already had lots of notes and a brief outline, and much supporting information from Paul Ruskin (regional IT champion) and Angelo Gibertoni (our IT consultant). So in theory I simply had to put everything together. I didn’t even notice that it was snowing until Jackie returned from her evening walk looking like an Antarctic explorer.
It was a long day, but I finished in time for a nice cup of tea and a Telegraph crossword before bed.
Amazingly, my tooth-ache of the past six weeks seems to have very nearly disappeared. Perhaps my last (painful) visit to the Dentist served some purpose after all.
Recent reading (I know you're interested)
I read Boris Starling’s murder mystery Visibility. Not very challenging but perfectly well written and interestingly set in 1950’s smog-bound London. Then I read Stuart Maconie’s Cider with Roadies which was everything you’d expect from the title and the author.
Friday, 16 November 2007
I travelled to Watford and my working day began with news that we had been successful in our tender to HCC to provide an advocacy service. Strategically, it is good for CVS’s to be leading the way on voluntary sector delivery of public services. And the advocacy scheme will fit well alongside our existing Connexions services. But this morning I had other things on my mind.
Foremost in my mind was the is the afternoon deadline for submission of two strategies to HIC: one on meeting voluntary sector training needs in Hertfordshire, and the other on delivering a step change in the sector’s engagement with IT.
I had already completed a first draft of the training proposal. It wasn’t perfect and there were a few omissions (of SKILd, TPAS and the possible new Skills Development Agency for the voluntary sector) but I was pretty pleased with it. Shortly after 3:00 I had knocked this into a final version and forwarded it to Steph - HIC’s development worker who is having to co-ordinate all this.
Steph and I then agreed that I could deliver up the IT proposal on Monday.
Back home, Jackie had been to the hospital to be fitted with a heart monitor to record her palpitations. Poor thing. We tried to sustain an interest in BBC's annual Children In Need evening.
Foremost in my mind was the is the afternoon deadline for submission of two strategies to HIC: one on meeting voluntary sector training needs in Hertfordshire, and the other on delivering a step change in the sector’s engagement with IT.
I had already completed a first draft of the training proposal. It wasn’t perfect and there were a few omissions (of SKILd, TPAS and the possible new Skills Development Agency for the voluntary sector) but I was pretty pleased with it. Shortly after 3:00 I had knocked this into a final version and forwarded it to Steph - HIC’s development worker who is having to co-ordinate all this.
Steph and I then agreed that I could deliver up the IT proposal on Monday.
Back home, Jackie had been to the hospital to be fitted with a heart monitor to record her palpitations. Poor thing. We tried to sustain an interest in BBC's annual Children In Need evening.
Saturday, 17 November 2007
To distract Jackie from her beastly heart monitor, we went on a trip and thereby we spent the better part of the day in traffic jams.
We were on a mission as Ken (our decrepit cat) has been looking worse and worse. A few weeks ago he lost his last tooth and could no longer manage his cat biscuits: he stopped eating the biscuits so we stopped giving them to him. His health deteriorated fast: his coat became dishevelled, he mews constantly, he uses the catflap like a tortoise with bad sunburn, and he has done other things it is best not to write about in a blog that might (who knows?) be read by younger people.
I thought we should take him to the vet. Jackie wanted to spoil him a little. So we bought him some new special biscuits, and some special cat milk, and some special fresh catnip. I suspect we both thought of this as mere palliative care.
But after a bowl of his special cat milk, a plate of his special 11+ cat biscuits, and a good snort of fresh catnip, Ken perked up instantly: his coat became sleek and glossy, his nose glistened and he seemed playful and happy. It’s a miracle.
I have a terrible horrible ghastly feeling that we have been slowly starving him these last few weeks.
At 3:00 pm, Jackie was finally able to remove her heart monitor. She had worn it for 24-hours without experiencing any palpitations - despite a stressful day stuck in traffic jams and despite my two separate attempts to frighten her. Immediately we returned the monitor to the hospital and sat down for a cup of (caffeine free) tea, she had three successive “waves” of palpitations only a few minutes apart.
We were on a mission as Ken (our decrepit cat) has been looking worse and worse. A few weeks ago he lost his last tooth and could no longer manage his cat biscuits: he stopped eating the biscuits so we stopped giving them to him. His health deteriorated fast: his coat became dishevelled, he mews constantly, he uses the catflap like a tortoise with bad sunburn, and he has done other things it is best not to write about in a blog that might (who knows?) be read by younger people.
I thought we should take him to the vet. Jackie wanted to spoil him a little. So we bought him some new special biscuits, and some special cat milk, and some special fresh catnip. I suspect we both thought of this as mere palliative care.
But after a bowl of his special cat milk, a plate of his special 11+ cat biscuits, and a good snort of fresh catnip, Ken perked up instantly: his coat became sleek and glossy, his nose glistened and he seemed playful and happy. It’s a miracle.
I have a terrible horrible ghastly feeling that we have been slowly starving him these last few weeks.
At 3:00 pm, Jackie was finally able to remove her heart monitor. She had worn it for 24-hours without experiencing any palpitations - despite a stressful day stuck in traffic jams and despite my two separate attempts to frighten her. Immediately we returned the monitor to the hospital and sat down for a cup of (caffeine free) tea, she had three successive “waves” of palpitations only a few minutes apart.
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Presenting apologies
Today, I was meant to be at a meeting of the Herts CVS group in Stevenage. But last night I called Ian Richardson (saintly Chair of Herts CVS group) to present my apologies. We had a good talk through the Herts CVS agenda, and about the respective roles of CVS and HIC, and I told him about my discussions with Laura of St Albans and he wished me luck with the project plans. It’s good to talk.
Tomorrow, I am meant to be at a meeting of the Disability Law Service in London. I had forewarned the Linda (the DLS CEO) that I might not be able to attend. Today I called Linda again to confirm this.
I spent a long long day at home working on the ICT strategy for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium - broken only for an hour in the afternoon to watch a bit of the Titchfield Thunderbolt and an hour in the evening to watch the final episode of the gorgeous Autumnwatch with my sublime wife Jackie.
Today, I was meant to be at a meeting of the Herts CVS group in Stevenage. But last night I called Ian Richardson (saintly Chair of Herts CVS group) to present my apologies. We had a good talk through the Herts CVS agenda, and about the respective roles of CVS and HIC, and I told him about my discussions with Laura of St Albans and he wished me luck with the project plans. It’s good to talk.
Tomorrow, I am meant to be at a meeting of the Disability Law Service in London. I had forewarned the Linda (the DLS CEO) that I might not be able to attend. Today I called Linda again to confirm this.
I spent a long long day at home working on the ICT strategy for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium - broken only for an hour in the afternoon to watch a bit of the Titchfield Thunderbolt and an hour in the evening to watch the final episode of the gorgeous Autumnwatch with my sublime wife Jackie.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Between toothache and the HIC Training Strategy, I had rather a disturbed night last night.
This morning I was back in the office attending a series of meetings. First I met with Marv Renshaw to discuss Inspiral Arts and the Scenery Store. Then I met with Mike Smith (new CEO at the New Hope Trust) who seems a thoroughly decent sort of chap. Among other things, we discussed the possibility of setting up an informal CEO network in Watford.
Later still I met with Kim Bloomfield of WBC for our half-yearly monitoring meeting, and then again with Marv Renshaw.
Within and around all this I continued to work on the HIC training strategy. Finally at about 7:00 I was able to mail a draft to a few select colleagues for comments. A bit unfair of me as it only allows 36 hours for people to respond, but then we are working to tight deadlines.
This morning I was back in the office attending a series of meetings. First I met with Marv Renshaw to discuss Inspiral Arts and the Scenery Store. Then I met with Mike Smith (new CEO at the New Hope Trust) who seems a thoroughly decent sort of chap. Among other things, we discussed the possibility of setting up an informal CEO network in Watford.
Later still I met with Kim Bloomfield of WBC for our half-yearly monitoring meeting, and then again with Marv Renshaw.
Within and around all this I continued to work on the HIC training strategy. Finally at about 7:00 I was able to mail a draft to a few select colleagues for comments. A bit unfair of me as it only allows 36 hours for people to respond, but then we are working to tight deadlines.
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
A strange and occasionally distressing day
Everything began pleasantly enough: I arrived at the office, cleared my correspondence and then had a very very helpful meeting with Laura Cronshaw. Laura is my counterpart from St Albans CVS adn she had some very good points to make about Training, ICT and the HIC / CVS relationship. Perhaps the most useful aspect of the current strategic planning exercise for HIC is that it is forcing us to think very clearly about boundaries and parameters etc. Not before time.
At lunchtime, I sped from the office for my dental appointment. After a brief discussion with my Dentist, we agreed on extraction. I am quite vain about still having all my teeth, but this one doesn’t appear to have any function as there is no corresponding tooth above it. After several weeks of nagging pain, I was finally to get my tooth sorted out. Hurrah!
After four attempts to administer pain-killing injections (surely enough to numb an elephant) and after three painful attempts to extract the tooth, my kindly dentist retreated in some distress. But not as much distress as me. I cannot describe the pain or relive the experience. Not even for you, dear reader. I understand I need to be referred elsewhere for an extraction under general anaesthetic but I am not sure whether this is because my dentist can’t give injections, because I have an immunity to local anaesthetic, or because I am a big baby.
By mid-afternoon I was back home, diverting myself by working on the HIC Training Strategy.
Everything began pleasantly enough: I arrived at the office, cleared my correspondence and then had a very very helpful meeting with Laura Cronshaw. Laura is my counterpart from St Albans CVS adn she had some very good points to make about Training, ICT and the HIC / CVS relationship. Perhaps the most useful aspect of the current strategic planning exercise for HIC is that it is forcing us to think very clearly about boundaries and parameters etc. Not before time.
At lunchtime, I sped from the office for my dental appointment. After a brief discussion with my Dentist, we agreed on extraction. I am quite vain about still having all my teeth, but this one doesn’t appear to have any function as there is no corresponding tooth above it. After several weeks of nagging pain, I was finally to get my tooth sorted out. Hurrah!
After four attempts to administer pain-killing injections (surely enough to numb an elephant) and after three painful attempts to extract the tooth, my kindly dentist retreated in some distress. But not as much distress as me. I cannot describe the pain or relive the experience. Not even for you, dear reader. I understand I need to be referred elsewhere for an extraction under general anaesthetic but I am not sure whether this is because my dentist can’t give injections, because I have an immunity to local anaesthetic, or because I am a big baby.
By mid-afternoon I was back home, diverting myself by working on the HIC Training Strategy.
Monday, 12 November 2007
I spent a long busy day at home working on HIC’s strategic planning process: it will be a frantic few days heading toward Friday’s deadline!
Sunday, 11 November 2007
A very sombre Remembrance Sunday. Last night, Jackie and I watched on television Ian Hislop’s history of war memorials and tonight we enjoyed Jeremy Paxman’s biography of Wilfred Owen. All very moving.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
All over Watford this morning, voluntary groups opened their post and thought: "Complementary? Is he a fool?" Ho hum.
After some work on HIC projects, Jackie and I took a break to go to our local community museum (the delightful Mill Green Museum in Hatfield) and then into Hatfield to do some shopping and visit the library.
Trying to be helpful
After our shopping, we found a very distressed man sitting on a low wall. He wouldn’t speak or raise his head, but I could tell he was about our age and he was coughing up blood which I know is not a good sign. After Jackie and I failed to rouse him, I called the emergency services and within about four minutes a Paramedic had arrived. She parked right next to the chap and started checking his vital signs and trying to establish communication with him.
Almost immediately an assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver asked the Paramedic to move her emergency car as she was blocking the traffic: “I’m not being insensitive but I’ve got to get somewhere”. The Paramedic said she was on an emergency call and would move her car in a few minutes. She then decided the chap needed hospital treatment and called for an Ambulance. But she still couldn’t establish communication and I suggested that perhaps her patient didn’t speak English. She was armed with a phrasebook and soon worked out that her patient was Russian.
Jackie then returned from the library to say that the library staff had told her that they knew him and that he “regularly did drink and drugs”. The Ambulance had now arrived and one of their team decided to pop into the library to ask if they knew the chap's name as this could help speed up treatment etc.
Things then happened very fast. The next thing I remember, the lady in the library was arguing with the Ambulance man saying she couldn’t tell him anything about the man because of "the Data Protection Act" - this same lady had just happily told Jackie that the man “regularly did drink and drugs”.
Meanwhile, the assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver was becoming more strident and was asking the Paramedic why she couldn’t move her car and did she want her to move the car for her?
And the patient was now face down on the pavement refusing to be moved. Another member of the Ambulance crew (having already established that the patient understood no English) stood over the man saying: “This might be ok in your own country, but not here, alright? Do you want me to call the Police to arrest you?”
Jackie and I decided it was time to leave. I am usually at my most dangerous when trying to be helpful.
Once home, I worked like fury on the IT and Training strategies. Of course we are still consulting with other HIC members and with front-line organisations, but I have enough background now at least to get the bare bones of the strategies sketched out.
After some work on HIC projects, Jackie and I took a break to go to our local community museum (the delightful Mill Green Museum in Hatfield) and then into Hatfield to do some shopping and visit the library.
Trying to be helpful
After our shopping, we found a very distressed man sitting on a low wall. He wouldn’t speak or raise his head, but I could tell he was about our age and he was coughing up blood which I know is not a good sign. After Jackie and I failed to rouse him, I called the emergency services and within about four minutes a Paramedic had arrived. She parked right next to the chap and started checking his vital signs and trying to establish communication with him.
Almost immediately an assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver asked the Paramedic to move her emergency car as she was blocking the traffic: “I’m not being insensitive but I’ve got to get somewhere”. The Paramedic said she was on an emergency call and would move her car in a few minutes. She then decided the chap needed hospital treatment and called for an Ambulance. But she still couldn’t establish communication and I suggested that perhaps her patient didn’t speak English. She was armed with a phrasebook and soon worked out that her patient was Russian.
Jackie then returned from the library to say that the library staff had told her that they knew him and that he “regularly did drink and drugs”. The Ambulance had now arrived and one of their team decided to pop into the library to ask if they knew the chap's name as this could help speed up treatment etc.
Things then happened very fast. The next thing I remember, the lady in the library was arguing with the Ambulance man saying she couldn’t tell him anything about the man because of "the Data Protection Act" - this same lady had just happily told Jackie that the man “regularly did drink and drugs”.
Meanwhile, the assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver was becoming more strident and was asking the Paramedic why she couldn’t move her car and did she want her to move the car for her?
And the patient was now face down on the pavement refusing to be moved. Another member of the Ambulance crew (having already established that the patient understood no English) stood over the man saying: “This might be ok in your own country, but not here, alright? Do you want me to call the Police to arrest you?”
Jackie and I decided it was time to leave. I am usually at my most dangerous when trying to be helpful.
Once home, I worked like fury on the IT and Training strategies. Of course we are still consulting with other HIC members and with front-line organisations, but I have enough background now at least to get the bare bones of the strategies sketched out.
Friday, 9 November 2009
I worked for an hour or two this morning on some correspondence and then headed off to a meeting on the new Integrated Youth Support Service for Hertfordshire. Pleasingly, this meeting was held at Breaks Youth Club in Hatfield, a place I last visited to play 5-a-side football when I was about 14.
The meeting was attended by about 100 youth works from across the County. The plans seem reasonably well thought out: within each of the county’s Districts and Boroughs, staff from all the disparate youth agencies will join together to create a single integrated local youth service. What could be more obviously sensible?
Apart from logistical issues, my only concerns were that young people don’t recognise local government boundaries (why should they?) and that creating a monolithic youth structure will tend to the further weakening of ties with voluntary sector projects, and the stiffling of local voluntary initiatives.
When I arrived back in Watford, Maria was just taking the 400 letters to the Post Office for onward dispatch. I had a meeting with our Connexions staff.
After the meeting, Maria reminded me that I still needed to write the letter to accompany the Community Directory’s distribution to local councillors and council officers. To do this, I naturally opened last night’s letter as a template and I was startled and shocked to read the first line of the letter: “Please find enclosed your complementary copy of Watford’s 2008 Community Directory.” Complementary? I thought. Complementary??!! Oh dear. And 400 copies of this latter have just been handed over to the Post Office? I felt so ashamed.
When I arrived home, Jackie had already completed her nightly walk. I have stopped accompanying her adn consequently I have remained large and slothful while Jackie is looking absolutely gorgeous. Later in the night, Jackie and I drove to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage where she had her heart palpitations explored. Needless to say, her heart behaved impeccably throughout the monitoring.
Later still, I finished reading Christian England Volume 1. This was an extremely interesting book, intertwining England’s military, political and theological history. It was hard work but very worthwhile. I wish I could retain all this lovely historical knowledge, but it almost immediately gets crowded out by new acronyms, government policy announcements and so on.
The meeting was attended by about 100 youth works from across the County. The plans seem reasonably well thought out: within each of the county’s Districts and Boroughs, staff from all the disparate youth agencies will join together to create a single integrated local youth service. What could be more obviously sensible?
Apart from logistical issues, my only concerns were that young people don’t recognise local government boundaries (why should they?) and that creating a monolithic youth structure will tend to the further weakening of ties with voluntary sector projects, and the stiffling of local voluntary initiatives.
When I arrived back in Watford, Maria was just taking the 400 letters to the Post Office for onward dispatch. I had a meeting with our Connexions staff.
After the meeting, Maria reminded me that I still needed to write the letter to accompany the Community Directory’s distribution to local councillors and council officers. To do this, I naturally opened last night’s letter as a template and I was startled and shocked to read the first line of the letter: “Please find enclosed your complementary copy of Watford’s 2008 Community Directory.” Complementary? I thought. Complementary??!! Oh dear. And 400 copies of this latter have just been handed over to the Post Office? I felt so ashamed.
When I arrived home, Jackie had already completed her nightly walk. I have stopped accompanying her adn consequently I have remained large and slothful while Jackie is looking absolutely gorgeous. Later in the night, Jackie and I drove to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage where she had her heart palpitations explored. Needless to say, her heart behaved impeccably throughout the monitoring.
Later still, I finished reading Christian England Volume 1. This was an extremely interesting book, intertwining England’s military, political and theological history. It was hard work but very worthwhile. I wish I could retain all this lovely historical knowledge, but it almost immediately gets crowded out by new acronyms, government policy announcements and so on.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
I had some interesting discussions this morning. First, I confirmed with Mir Ejaz and Marv Renshaw that they would attend our next trustees meeting. Then I took a call from a small local charity that needed help with a delicate legal matter involving mental health, the DDA, homelessness and tenancy. All very complex. Needless to say, the charity involved aren’t CVS members.
In the afternoon I met with Sarah Elliott, the new development worker for the new Hertfordshire VCS Training Consortium. Also present were Mary Green (my serene counterpart from Three Rivers CVS) and Vanessa Levy (our own Development and Training Officer). We had a very helpful talk about possible future scenarios for the training consortium. At present, the consortium is a compromise between the LSC’s willingness to fund the creation of a county-wide third sector consortium to deliver training to the public, and the voluntary sector’s aspiration to find funding to meet its own training needs.
After this, I worked on the IT and Training strategies for the HIC development plan. Later, as I was leaving the office, Maria reminded me that I needed to draft out a letter to accompany Watford's 2008 Community Directory being mailed tomorrow to 400 voluntary organisations. Between gritted teeth I turned my computer back on and pounded out a letter, leaving Maria to supervise the printing.
In the afternoon I met with Sarah Elliott, the new development worker for the new Hertfordshire VCS Training Consortium. Also present were Mary Green (my serene counterpart from Three Rivers CVS) and Vanessa Levy (our own Development and Training Officer). We had a very helpful talk about possible future scenarios for the training consortium. At present, the consortium is a compromise between the LSC’s willingness to fund the creation of a county-wide third sector consortium to deliver training to the public, and the voluntary sector’s aspiration to find funding to meet its own training needs.
After this, I worked on the IT and Training strategies for the HIC development plan. Later, as I was leaving the office, Maria reminded me that I needed to draft out a letter to accompany Watford's 2008 Community Directory being mailed tomorrow to 400 voluntary organisations. Between gritted teeth I turned my computer back on and pounded out a letter, leaving Maria to supervise the printing.
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Happy Birthday Dear Blog
Appropriately for my Blog’s first birthday, this evening our Executive Committee met and we were able to welcome two new trustees: the very experienced John Casstles and the very smart Lesley Billy. Both are excellent additions to the trustee team at WCVS.
As he is to take over as treasurer, I spent part of the afternoon with John discussing WCVS finances and systems. The evening meeting went well. Our chairwoman Pam maintained her record of supplying me with the perfect word that hovers just beyond my grasp. The trustees confirmed Helen as the full-time Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator. It was agreed to invite two potential new trustees to the next meeting with a view to possible co-option (Mir Ejaz of the Muslim Community Project and Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts). John Casstles was confirmed as Treasurer. The financial report was received. Dates were set for future meetings. And my draft Complaints Procedure was referred back for further work.
In the night, I was woken yet again by my nagging tooth ache. I fear another trip to the dentist is necessary. In the middle of the night, I sat up reading. Aged Ken was there, our decrepit white cat. He really does now look and seem pretty feeble; each morning I half expect to find him as stiff as a board with his four paws in the air. He probably fears the same about me.
Appropriately for my Blog’s first birthday, this evening our Executive Committee met and we were able to welcome two new trustees: the very experienced John Casstles and the very smart Lesley Billy. Both are excellent additions to the trustee team at WCVS.
As he is to take over as treasurer, I spent part of the afternoon with John discussing WCVS finances and systems. The evening meeting went well. Our chairwoman Pam maintained her record of supplying me with the perfect word that hovers just beyond my grasp. The trustees confirmed Helen as the full-time Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator. It was agreed to invite two potential new trustees to the next meeting with a view to possible co-option (Mir Ejaz of the Muslim Community Project and Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts). John Casstles was confirmed as Treasurer. The financial report was received. Dates were set for future meetings. And my draft Complaints Procedure was referred back for further work.
In the night, I was woken yet again by my nagging tooth ache. I fear another trip to the dentist is necessary. In the middle of the night, I sat up reading. Aged Ken was there, our decrepit white cat. He really does now look and seem pretty feeble; each morning I half expect to find him as stiff as a board with his four paws in the air. He probably fears the same about me.
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
After yesterday’s excellent WOW meeting, this morning started with a meeting of Watford CVS’s accommodation working group. The last few meetings have promised great things and this morning we took another important step forward.
After the meeting I had expected to attend a meeting of the Watford LSP but instead I drove to Wheathamstead. There, I attended a selection panel for a tender we had submitted to Herts County Council to provide a county-wide advocacy and support service to children who have experienced racist discrimination or racist bullying.
The process was very thorough and there were elements of the process I enjoyed. But toward the end, it seemed that more and more expectations were being placed on the contract without any additional resourcing.
Could we undertake to provide cover if the recruited worker is absent through illness? We’ll do our best. Could we guarantee it? No, we couldn’t I admitted.
Could we undertake to provide interpreters for the service? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we ensure that every parent in Hertfordshire is aware of the service – including those with no children currently at school? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we also address the problem of children who simply aren’t attending school? Isn’t this another whole big area?
These people are expected to deliver the best possible deal for HCC and its ratepayers, so I forgive them.
But it was a bit disconcerting. At one point, I thought the mood needed lightening and I made a joke about poor people being more racist than the educated middle classes. In the circumstances, this was foolish; far from lightening the mood I noticed several faces becoming distinctly thunderous.
It was a valuable learning exercise and I wait with interest to learn the outcome of the tender process. The advocacy service is of course very important and very serious. But the contract will have an almost entirely neutral impact on WCVS: it would be nice to extend our range of expertise and our funding base, but the contract is not highly profitable and it certainly has the potential to create new demands on our resources. I hope it doesn't sound flippant to say that I won't be losing any sleep over the outcome.
After the meeting I had expected to attend a meeting of the Watford LSP but instead I drove to Wheathamstead. There, I attended a selection panel for a tender we had submitted to Herts County Council to provide a county-wide advocacy and support service to children who have experienced racist discrimination or racist bullying.
The process was very thorough and there were elements of the process I enjoyed. But toward the end, it seemed that more and more expectations were being placed on the contract without any additional resourcing.
Could we undertake to provide cover if the recruited worker is absent through illness? We’ll do our best. Could we guarantee it? No, we couldn’t I admitted.
Could we undertake to provide interpreters for the service? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we ensure that every parent in Hertfordshire is aware of the service – including those with no children currently at school? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we also address the problem of children who simply aren’t attending school? Isn’t this another whole big area?
These people are expected to deliver the best possible deal for HCC and its ratepayers, so I forgive them.
But it was a bit disconcerting. At one point, I thought the mood needed lightening and I made a joke about poor people being more racist than the educated middle classes. In the circumstances, this was foolish; far from lightening the mood I noticed several faces becoming distinctly thunderous.
It was a valuable learning exercise and I wait with interest to learn the outcome of the tender process. The advocacy service is of course very important and very serious. But the contract will have an almost entirely neutral impact on WCVS: it would be nice to extend our range of expertise and our funding base, but the contract is not highly profitable and it certainly has the potential to create new demands on our resources. I hope it doesn't sound flippant to say that I won't be losing any sleep over the outcome.
Monday, 5 November 2007
This morning we finalised the publicity materials for the 9 February Hertfordshire Trustee Conference. The brochure looks pretty good (thanks to Sha-Lee) and there is an impressive list of workshops and speakers (thanks to Vanessa). I hope the speakers are all as good as they look on paper. My big anxiety is that the conference will get swamped with professional advisors (like me) rather than actual real-life trustees (like me, too). It’s a complex form of anxiety.
And I heard from the Charity Evaluation Service that I had finally been accepted onto their forthcoming PQASSO training. I also did more work on some HIC project specifications, and prepared myself for tomorrow’s selection panel for the HCC Advocacy tender we submitted. If anyone can make sense of the jargon in this paragraph, they have my deepest sympathy.
WOW!
At 3:00, we had a planning meeting of the Watford One World forum. Seventeen people attended and Vanessa brilliantly led us through the session.
We reached some key agreements. Our agreed vision is - Watford: a successful community that values togetherness and celebrates diversity. What a lovely thought.
Our mission is to influence social change and promote community cohesion with one voice, to make a positive difference for the wider community. A little awkward admittedly, but I’ve seen far worse.
The best outcome from the meeting was the goodwill and solidarity that flowed from everyone present.
After the meeting, there was a meal at a local tapas restaurant. Even the good feeling wasn’t enough to overcome my nagging toothache and I returned early to the office to clear some more paperwork, eventually leaving about 8:00.
And I heard from the Charity Evaluation Service that I had finally been accepted onto their forthcoming PQASSO training. I also did more work on some HIC project specifications, and prepared myself for tomorrow’s selection panel for the HCC Advocacy tender we submitted. If anyone can make sense of the jargon in this paragraph, they have my deepest sympathy.
WOW!
At 3:00, we had a planning meeting of the Watford One World forum. Seventeen people attended and Vanessa brilliantly led us through the session.
We reached some key agreements. Our agreed vision is - Watford: a successful community that values togetherness and celebrates diversity. What a lovely thought.
Our mission is to influence social change and promote community cohesion with one voice, to make a positive difference for the wider community. A little awkward admittedly, but I’ve seen far worse.
The best outcome from the meeting was the goodwill and solidarity that flowed from everyone present.
After the meeting, there was a meal at a local tapas restaurant. Even the good feeling wasn’t enough to overcome my nagging toothache and I returned early to the office to clear some more paperwork, eventually leaving about 8:00.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
What Jackie and I needed yesterday at B&Q was a broom and a rake. This morning we went back there and bought a new broom, but none of their rakes were to our liking so we will keep the one we have (even though a third of it is missing). We spent a productive day in the garden planting spring bulbs, raking and weeding the lawn, and turning over the compost heap. Simple pleasures.
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Yesterday’s visit to the dentist proved inconclusive and I endured another disturbed night.
Jackie and I spent the day shopping – groceries for the household, scarves for Jackie, dental supplies for me. At one point we arrived at B&Q but neither of us could remember why we were there – we walked aimlessly up and down the aisles a few times and then left feeling rather embarrassed.
In the evening, we drove to the Watford Palace Theatre for the one and only performance of 200 Years. This is a piece written by Watford’s African Caribbean Writers’ group to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. The writing was, I think, quite brilliantly pieced together by Director Gbolahan Obisesan and performed with energy and passion by a troupe of five actors. Much credit to all concerned.
Jackie and I spent the day shopping – groceries for the household, scarves for Jackie, dental supplies for me. At one point we arrived at B&Q but neither of us could remember why we were there – we walked aimlessly up and down the aisles a few times and then left feeling rather embarrassed.
In the evening, we drove to the Watford Palace Theatre for the one and only performance of 200 Years. This is a piece written by Watford’s African Caribbean Writers’ group to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. The writing was, I think, quite brilliantly pieced together by Director Gbolahan Obisesan and performed with energy and passion by a troupe of five actors. Much credit to all concerned.
Friday, 2 November 2007
One doesn’t like to complain, but for the past ten days I have been suffering with toothache. It hasn’t been very painful but it has been incessant and it has certainly been sufficiently painful to keep me awake at night. This morning, I finally got to visit the dentist.
My dental practice is staffed by a pleasingly international mixture of Danes and Sri Lankans. This morning I saw the Dane. He replaced a filling but warned me it is “on the nerve” and that if the pain persists I will need root canal treatment. He also gave me a humiliating lecture on how to brush my teeth. I use a large toothbrush with hard bristles and I brush with vigorous manly strokes. Apparently this is all wrong. I need to use a small toothbrush with soft bristles and to brush using little girly curlicues. Or all my teeth will drop out. At least he refrained from specifying that I need to use a pink toothbrush.
Back at the office, I finally circulated the final Value and Volume report into Hertfordshire's voluntary and community sector. What a weight that is off my shoulders!
In the evening, Jackie and I visited my Mum, who has recently returned from a trip to Lake Garda.
My dental practice is staffed by a pleasingly international mixture of Danes and Sri Lankans. This morning I saw the Dane. He replaced a filling but warned me it is “on the nerve” and that if the pain persists I will need root canal treatment. He also gave me a humiliating lecture on how to brush my teeth. I use a large toothbrush with hard bristles and I brush with vigorous manly strokes. Apparently this is all wrong. I need to use a small toothbrush with soft bristles and to brush using little girly curlicues. Or all my teeth will drop out. At least he refrained from specifying that I need to use a pink toothbrush.
Back at the office, I finally circulated the final Value and Volume report into Hertfordshire's voluntary and community sector. What a weight that is off my shoulders!
In the evening, Jackie and I visited my Mum, who has recently returned from a trip to Lake Garda.
Thursday, 1 November 2007
After last night’s exertions, I arrived at work about 10:00 am. I discovered that I had omitted to spellcheck at least one of the papers I finished and mailed late last night and it’s riddled with typing errors. I can’t bring myself to check the other papers.
I returned a call from Althea MacLean OBE who is one of my trustees, ex-Chair of WCVS, and one of the Jewels in the Crown of local voluntarism. She was concerned about developments at the Holywell Community Centre, where the African Caribbean Association is expecting to relocate shortly. Watford Borough Council is hoping that local community groups will take over the management of the Centre. This is a laudable aim of course but the transition is painful. The Indian Association are also involved in the Holywell Centre and also have concerns. Althea and I took a trip down to the Centre and she talked me through proposals for the allocation of rooms. Clearly there are difficulties.
While there, the African Caribbean Association’s luncheon club is meeting and Althea and I joined them for a very tasty lunch.
Later, I checked through the minutes of several recent meetings, met with WCVS staff to review our fundraising targets for the year, and with Louise Jones of Connexions to discuss progress on our Connexions contract.
I returned a call from Althea MacLean OBE who is one of my trustees, ex-Chair of WCVS, and one of the Jewels in the Crown of local voluntarism. She was concerned about developments at the Holywell Community Centre, where the African Caribbean Association is expecting to relocate shortly. Watford Borough Council is hoping that local community groups will take over the management of the Centre. This is a laudable aim of course but the transition is painful. The Indian Association are also involved in the Holywell Centre and also have concerns. Althea and I took a trip down to the Centre and she talked me through proposals for the allocation of rooms. Clearly there are difficulties.
While there, the African Caribbean Association’s luncheon club is meeting and Althea and I joined them for a very tasty lunch.
Later, I checked through the minutes of several recent meetings, met with WCVS staff to review our fundraising targets for the year, and with Louise Jones of Connexions to discuss progress on our Connexions contract.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Another long day. I arrived at the office just as the 9:00 pips were sounding which gave me a rather childish pleasure. And there was a little flurry of e-mails following up discussions begun at yesterday’s HIC meeting.
Community networking
At lunchtime, Maria and I travelled to the North Watford Mosque to discuss arrangements for the 3 December community networking lunch. This was my first visit to the Mosque and I found it extremely interesting.
This is the largest purpose-built mosque in Hertfordshire and bears some resemblance to a defensive fort or at least to a stockade. The mosque is surrounded by a tall security fence and a significant proportion of the windows have been shattered - I gave up counting when I reached thirty.
According to the National Audit Office, Watford has a good level of social cohesion, with a high percentage of people believing that people of different backgrounds get on well: the broken windows at the North Watford Mosque tell a different story. What does it say about us as a community, that one of our major faith groups has to meet and worship behind a security fence under a state of siege?
Maria and I were there to promote networking as a way of breaking down barriers and improving communications. Having been the victims of so much violence and vandalism, the Muslim community well understand the need for improved networking and communication. Far from being cowed, or apologetic, or aggressive, the Muslim community leaders we met with were eager to share and communicate with the wider community. I was reminded of Martin Luther’s supposed summary to the Diet of Worms: “Here I stand, I can do no other”.
Maria and I returned to the office by mid-afternoon, having made good progress on arrangements for 3 December. Now we must start promoting the event!
Some jobs jobbed
But meanwhile, I had some major jobs to get out of the way. Maria had prepared a final draft of our October newsletter, and I had to proof this, and then distribute it to our 550-strong mailing list.
I took a short time out to try and implement the e-bulletin format prepared for us by the inestimable Steph at HIC. The format is fine, but it is designed for shorter more regular newsletters, and at present we do not have the systems in place to support this. So meanwhile we will circulate our newsletter as a pdf document.
Three months ago when we last used this mailing list, we found that more than 80 of the 550 e-mail addresses were no longer in use. So I needed to refresh our list. And as we are still waiting for the go-ahead for new software, this had to be done manually. And I also had to add to the list around 40 changed or new e-mail addresses. It was quite late before I finally dispatched the newsletter.
Then I had to prepare and send out papers for next week’s trustees meeting. Although a lot was already prepared (agenda, financial figures, complaints policy), several other papers still had to be written. By the time I had done these, it was really quite late. My timing wasn’t helped by several software failures and crashes - oh for some new hardware! The papers were e-mailed out around midnight.
Then I had to get out papers for the Accommodation working group meeting. This took perhaps another hour.
After a fourteen hour day, I finally left the office at 1:00 in the morning. Aren’t there laws about this sort of thing? Anyway, I actually felt pretty good having ticked off so many tasks, and it was a wonderful cold and foggy Halloween night for the drive home.
Community networking
At lunchtime, Maria and I travelled to the North Watford Mosque to discuss arrangements for the 3 December community networking lunch. This was my first visit to the Mosque and I found it extremely interesting.
This is the largest purpose-built mosque in Hertfordshire and bears some resemblance to a defensive fort or at least to a stockade. The mosque is surrounded by a tall security fence and a significant proportion of the windows have been shattered - I gave up counting when I reached thirty.
According to the National Audit Office, Watford has a good level of social cohesion, with a high percentage of people believing that people of different backgrounds get on well: the broken windows at the North Watford Mosque tell a different story. What does it say about us as a community, that one of our major faith groups has to meet and worship behind a security fence under a state of siege?
Maria and I were there to promote networking as a way of breaking down barriers and improving communications. Having been the victims of so much violence and vandalism, the Muslim community well understand the need for improved networking and communication. Far from being cowed, or apologetic, or aggressive, the Muslim community leaders we met with were eager to share and communicate with the wider community. I was reminded of Martin Luther’s supposed summary to the Diet of Worms: “Here I stand, I can do no other”.
Maria and I returned to the office by mid-afternoon, having made good progress on arrangements for 3 December. Now we must start promoting the event!
Some jobs jobbed
But meanwhile, I had some major jobs to get out of the way. Maria had prepared a final draft of our October newsletter, and I had to proof this, and then distribute it to our 550-strong mailing list.
I took a short time out to try and implement the e-bulletin format prepared for us by the inestimable Steph at HIC. The format is fine, but it is designed for shorter more regular newsletters, and at present we do not have the systems in place to support this. So meanwhile we will circulate our newsletter as a pdf document.
Three months ago when we last used this mailing list, we found that more than 80 of the 550 e-mail addresses were no longer in use. So I needed to refresh our list. And as we are still waiting for the go-ahead for new software, this had to be done manually. And I also had to add to the list around 40 changed or new e-mail addresses. It was quite late before I finally dispatched the newsletter.
Then I had to prepare and send out papers for next week’s trustees meeting. Although a lot was already prepared (agenda, financial figures, complaints policy), several other papers still had to be written. By the time I had done these, it was really quite late. My timing wasn’t helped by several software failures and crashes - oh for some new hardware! The papers were e-mailed out around midnight.
Then I had to get out papers for the Accommodation working group meeting. This took perhaps another hour.
After a fourteen hour day, I finally left the office at 1:00 in the morning. Aren’t there laws about this sort of thing? Anyway, I actually felt pretty good having ticked off so many tasks, and it was a wonderful cold and foggy Halloween night for the drive home.
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