I left Welwyn Garden City at 6:30 am for a breakfast meeting of the Watford Chamber of Commerce and the launch of Watford for you - the campaign to promote Watford as a successful community. This all looks good and hearty congratulations are due to Jenny Tomley of John Lewis for pulling it all together.
At sixes and sevens
By 9:00 am I was back on the road heading to Stevenage to chair a meeting of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. The main discussion was on the Hertfordshire Local Area Agreement. The question was, should the Consortium champion National Indicator 6 ("increased participation in volunteering”) or National Indicator 7 ("creating an environment for a thriving third sector”)?
It was a long (and at times rather intense) debate. Several contributors felt that there is an ongoing programme to promote volunteering in Hertfordshire and the baseline survey results for volunteering are well understood and so we ought to focus on National Indicator 6. Others felt that the Consortium was first and foremost concerned with creating the right environment for a thriving third sector, and so we ought to champion National Indicator 7 as a point of principle.
Eventually, National Indicator 7 won the day and majority support. But the final decision will be taken by the LAA itself. We all know that Ann Jansz will argue the voluntary sector’s corner – and we all recognise that this may require several marks in the sand, a bit of give and take and perhaps some trading of horses. Good luck Ann.
I also confirmed at the meeting that I was standing down as Chair and that the June meeting of the Consortium will be my last as Chair. I have “done my bit” and it is time for someone new to have a crack at things.
By lunchtime, I was on my way back to Watford, where I spent the afternoon catching up on correspondence, organising meetings, and talking with various staff about their work priorities.
In the evening, we hosted a meeting to try and launch a Community Arts Forum for Watford. It was a quiet affair with only five of us present. I had expected more. But there was commitment to a further meeting and I am confident that things will pick up: there is so much to do!
Monday, 21 April 2008
I started my week in at 9:00 in Watford meeting with Mayor Dorothy Thornhill. We spent an hour or so talking through the many points at which the Council adn the CVS now share the same agenda. I suppose mostly we focused on Watford CVS’s draft Community Development strategy, but there were many “matters arising” too.
I then drove to Hatfield to meet with David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation to talk about Grassroots Grants, the LAA and the ICT needs of Hertfordshire’s voluntary sector.
Then I collected Jacquie in Letchworth and we drove to Cambridge for our ReaLM course.
I then drove to Hatfield to meet with David Fitzpatrick of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation to talk about Grassroots Grants, the LAA and the ICT needs of Hertfordshire’s voluntary sector.
Then I collected Jacquie in Letchworth and we drove to Cambridge for our ReaLM course.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Jackie and I spent the day in Ampthill with my sister Caroline, and in the evening we watched Foyle’s War together.
Friday, 18 April 2008
From 9:00 to 5:00 I was in constant meetings with WCVS staff and WCVS members over priorities, accommodation, implementation of our new CRM system, and Connexions issues.
Jackie was out tonight at a friend's retirement bash, so I worked late so I could pick her up in St. Albans on my way home, finally leaving the office about 10:00.
This week has been exhausting. I look forward to a much quieter time next week.
Jackie was out tonight at a friend's retirement bash, so I worked late so I could pick her up in St. Albans on my way home, finally leaving the office about 10:00.
This week has been exhausting. I look forward to a much quieter time next week.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
I spent today in Hatfield at a training event with Terry Perkins of Public Law Project at NAVCA. I don’t think I ever enjoyed such a valuable day’s training – it was all absolutely critical learning and there was barely a moment of wasted time. This training should be compulsory for all charity CEOs – and for all senior public sector employees.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
This morning I met with our treasurer John Casstles to talk about financial controls. About mid-afternoon, I journeyed down to Whitechapel for a trustees meeting at the Disability Law Service: an excellent charity for which I wish I had more time: for the third day running I arrived home at well after 9:00 pm.
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
In the morning I met with Maria (our Office Co-ordinator) to talk through some control issues and some outstanding year-end actions on the accounts. At lunchtime I drove over to Rickmansworth for a meeting of the Watford and Three Rivers Health Partnership Board. Then I returned to Watford for a meeting of the Watford One World forum which is gradually beginning to build up a head of steam and demonstrate its usefulness. There was a good attendance from some of the best and nicest people in Watford.
After the meeting, I worked late on correspondence.
After the meeting, I worked late on correspondence.
Monday, 14 April 2008
This, the first of several long working days, began with one of our networking lunches. David Fitzpatrick, CEO at Hertfordshire Community Foundation, travelled over from Hatfield to talk to us about Grassroots grants and plans for the new Watford Community Fund. David of course spoke very well, and I was pleased that the audience included both our Chair Pam Handley and Watford’s Mayor Dorothy Thornhill.
Before, during and after the meeting I talked to as many different people as possible about future plans and so on. After a difficult start, the revamped and reformed networking lunches are really beginning to produce some interesting outcomes: different people attend each time and there are always good discussions. And at last we have found a good reliable caterer!
From the lunch, I headed straight off to Cambridge Regional College for the start of my eight week ReaLM course from the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Cranfield Institute. Why does it take so many different groups to deliver a short course?
I was back in the strange parallel world of training where trivial questions expand to fill the time available to address them. I was disappointed (and rather insulted) that one exercise on this course tested that we were able to distinguish “opinion” from “fact”. Happily, our tutor realised her faux pas and hurried quickly along. When I finally arrived home after 9:00, I told Jackie it was “hardly a steep learning curve”. She told me I had been just as arrogant at school; I am sure she’s right.
Before, during and after the meeting I talked to as many different people as possible about future plans and so on. After a difficult start, the revamped and reformed networking lunches are really beginning to produce some interesting outcomes: different people attend each time and there are always good discussions. And at last we have found a good reliable caterer!
From the lunch, I headed straight off to Cambridge Regional College for the start of my eight week ReaLM course from the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Cranfield Institute. Why does it take so many different groups to deliver a short course?
I was back in the strange parallel world of training where trivial questions expand to fill the time available to address them. I was disappointed (and rather insulted) that one exercise on this course tested that we were able to distinguish “opinion” from “fact”. Happily, our tutor realised her faux pas and hurried quickly along. When I finally arrived home after 9:00, I told Jackie it was “hardly a steep learning curve”. She told me I had been just as arrogant at school; I am sure she’s right.
Sunday, 13 April 2008
A local business is relocating to London and at their invitation I rose at 7:00 to view their surplus furniture and stock and see if any of it could be of use to a local charity. At 9:30 I finally got a call cancelling the arrangement. My sunday morning wasn’t completely wasted: it provided an excellent instance of how the voluntary sector is treated with casual contempt by the commercial sector.
Saturday, 12 April 2008
The wrong sort of pallet
Today, Jackie and I tried to turn an old wooden pallet into a chicken coop. The idea was suggested to us by pekinbantams.com and presented as a cheap, environmentally-friendly alternative to spending £70 or more on a professionally built coop. There were pages of guidance which began with the simple instruction: “De-nail every board and joist and save all the nails”.
After more than two hours of strenuous labour, Jackie and I had a large pile of matchwood and about fifty bent nails. The nail heads are buried well below the surface of the wood and the wood itself breaks and shatters with the smallest pressure. Pallets aren’t designed to come apart.
Jackie and I regrouped and decided to abandon the pallets to their fate at the local re-cycling centre. Instead we scavanged around our own garden and found a few scraps of wood from which we successfully constructed the beginnings of a chicken coop.
Depressing News
There is depressing news from Africa. In Zimbabwe, inflation is rampant, unemployment nearly universal, a large part of the population has fled abroad and the tyrant Mugabe is stealing the election by stealth and perhaps soon by violence: there is a major crisis. But after a conference with Mugabe, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeke has announced that there is no crisis and that everything is tickety-boo. Corruption, cowardice and delusion are clearly as prevalent in South Africa as they are in Zimbabwe. When will Africa finally be free?
Today, Jackie and I tried to turn an old wooden pallet into a chicken coop. The idea was suggested to us by pekinbantams.com and presented as a cheap, environmentally-friendly alternative to spending £70 or more on a professionally built coop. There were pages of guidance which began with the simple instruction: “De-nail every board and joist and save all the nails”.
After more than two hours of strenuous labour, Jackie and I had a large pile of matchwood and about fifty bent nails. The nail heads are buried well below the surface of the wood and the wood itself breaks and shatters with the smallest pressure. Pallets aren’t designed to come apart.
Jackie and I regrouped and decided to abandon the pallets to their fate at the local re-cycling centre. Instead we scavanged around our own garden and found a few scraps of wood from which we successfully constructed the beginnings of a chicken coop.
Depressing News
There is depressing news from Africa. In Zimbabwe, inflation is rampant, unemployment nearly universal, a large part of the population has fled abroad and the tyrant Mugabe is stealing the election by stealth and perhaps soon by violence: there is a major crisis. But after a conference with Mugabe, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeke has announced that there is no crisis and that everything is tickety-boo. Corruption, cowardice and delusion are clearly as prevalent in South Africa as they are in Zimbabwe. When will Africa finally be free?
Friday, 11 April 2008
I drove to Great Chesterton for a meeting of the Trustees Together group. This group has a focus on supporting trustees throughout the Eastern region and we had discussions on the successor to the Governance Hub, the regional plans, TrusteElearning, trustee conferences, recruitment, retention, training, networks and resources.
But the meeting ranged far wider too and we had good discussions on the LSC, Train to Gain, Quality Assurance, mergers, and development “toolkits”.
Resource pressures on the Charity Commission mean that it must focus its attention on large national charities “where the money is”. The Charity Commission is less and less able to properly regulate local charities and public confidence in charities has fallen to an all-time low. In these circumstances, what can a CVS do to safeguard the good name of its local charities and community groups? How can a CVS act as a consistent objective referee for tenders and funding applications from local groups? How can a CVS offer reassurance to local funders? How can a CVS ensure that it does not adopt a regulatory role?
It is a question which we all now struggle to answer.
But the meeting ranged far wider too and we had good discussions on the LSC, Train to Gain, Quality Assurance, mergers, and development “toolkits”.
Resource pressures on the Charity Commission mean that it must focus its attention on large national charities “where the money is”. The Charity Commission is less and less able to properly regulate local charities and public confidence in charities has fallen to an all-time low. In these circumstances, what can a CVS do to safeguard the good name of its local charities and community groups? How can a CVS act as a consistent objective referee for tenders and funding applications from local groups? How can a CVS offer reassurance to local funders? How can a CVS ensure that it does not adopt a regulatory role?
It is a question which we all now struggle to answer.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Hertfordshire is home to nine CVSs and is often identified as a potential candidate for mergers - sometimes called “rationalisation” or “modernisation”. Today have heard of another potential merger of CVSs in Norfolk. I am not against mergers in all cases and I do not know the circumstances in Norfolk. But I worry about this trend.
Many people say that mergers deliver economies of scale that release resources for support work. But this is an article of faith rather than a proven fact.
To my mind, where mergers are well-resourced they create over-large organisations that culturally and geographically are ever more distant from the community-based organisations that CVSs are supposed to support.
Where the mergers are poorly resourced, they create the illusion that support services exist when in fact they do not and the voluntary sector ends up colluding with local government that says: “here’s £25, go and run an infrastructure service for 1.5 million people”.
In today’s Third Sector magazine, Nick Seddon also writes questioning the current drive for mergers in the voluntary sector. I will await developments in Norfolk with interest.
Many people say that mergers deliver economies of scale that release resources for support work. But this is an article of faith rather than a proven fact.
To my mind, where mergers are well-resourced they create over-large organisations that culturally and geographically are ever more distant from the community-based organisations that CVSs are supposed to support.
Where the mergers are poorly resourced, they create the illusion that support services exist when in fact they do not and the voluntary sector ends up colluding with local government that says: “here’s £25, go and run an infrastructure service for 1.5 million people”.
In today’s Third Sector magazine, Nick Seddon also writes questioning the current drive for mergers in the voluntary sector. I will await developments in Norfolk with interest.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Jackie and I were awakened at 6:00 am this morning by two demented terriers (Yorkshire? Highland?) yapping and yapping away in our back garden having broken through several fences from neighbours a few doors down. I chased them away, but worried what they would do if they caught hold of Ken our decrepit cat. Ken is bullied by blackbirds and magpies, he is afraid of spiders and is quite wary of moths: he would stand no chance whatsoever against two ferocious terriers.
Most of the day I spent in Letchworth, resplendent in my new woollen waistcoat. I was there to attend a meeting of infrastructure bodies discussing how best to co-ordinate services across the East of England region.
The context for this meeting was that COVER (the regional infrastructure body) decided they could no longer accept funding from Capacitybuilders for co-ordinating the ChangeUp programme. COVER saw too many strings tied to not enough money. The vacuum left by this decision has in part been filled by MENTER (the Minority Ethnic Network for the East of England Region) who agreed that for one year they would co-ordinate the other five regional networks (on ICT, the elderly, children, advice and guidance and social care) to produce a regional plan.
The Norfolk infrastructure consortium decided not to make a funding submission to Capacitybuilders for 2008-09, and the Cambridge Consortium has had its application referred for a year.
Most of the day I spent in Letchworth, resplendent in my new woollen waistcoat. I was there to attend a meeting of infrastructure bodies discussing how best to co-ordinate services across the East of England region.
The context for this meeting was that COVER (the regional infrastructure body) decided they could no longer accept funding from Capacitybuilders for co-ordinating the ChangeUp programme. COVER saw too many strings tied to not enough money. The vacuum left by this decision has in part been filled by MENTER (the Minority Ethnic Network for the East of England Region) who agreed that for one year they would co-ordinate the other five regional networks (on ICT, the elderly, children, advice and guidance and social care) to produce a regional plan.
The Norfolk infrastructure consortium decided not to make a funding submission to Capacitybuilders for 2008-09, and the Cambridge Consortium has had its application referred for a year.
Meanwhile, the CEO at Capacitybuilders has decided to "stand down" - possibly as a result of missing several deadlines and driving a coach and horses through Compact.
With me so far?
Somewhere within all this, in the absence of COVER, those groups still standing have to produce a regional “metaplan” that incorporates all the six county plans plus the regional plan now being produced by MENTER. It was eventually agreed that this “metaplan” should be co-ordinated by representatives of the county Consortia and the regional networks with North Herts CVS acting as banker.
I have three main concerns.
First, why has it taken so long for the county consortia and the regional networks to start working together? I find it astonishing that four years into ChangeUp I still have no knowledge whatsoever about four of the six regional networks (I know only about MENTER and about the ICT network under Paul Ruskin).
Secondly, why are some consortia still content to let Capacitybuilders dictate the agenda and take the lead? Some give the impression that they want to take the money, do the absolute minimum to satisfy Capacitybuilders and no more. Surely we should learn from our neighbours, exchange skills and share tools? Surely we should be planning to raise standards and co-ordinate services better? Some want a personal invitation and a chauffer-driven cadillac to bring them to the table.
Finally, who on earth is responsible for coining the term “Metaplan”? It is my sworn mission to destroy this ugly hideous word and expunge it forever from our language.
Back at home, I did some emergency fencing to make our garden safe for Aged Ken and then spent the evening drafting job descriptions for a part-time Community Accountant and a possible part-time Receptionist.
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Local Strategic Partnerships are the structures charged with overseeing the strategic development of local communities.
At today’s meeting of the One Watford LSP, we discussed the emerging Housing Strategy for Watford. We also heard about the imminent launch of a new campaign to promote Watford – largely funded by local businesses and overseen by Jenny Tomley of the John Lewis Partnership. We talked about Compact, we discussed the County-wide LAA, we touched on the Community Development strategy and we discussed One Watford’s future membership and working practices.
All this undertaken openly and professionally: the simple fare of good local partnership work.
I shudder when I hear reports of “goings on” within some Local Strategic Partnerships and I thank goodness that the One Watford LSP is so sensible and so positive. But having said that, the arrival of LAA1 reward monies introduces a new element into the equation. I hope that my confidence in the LSP is not misplaced.
It took me the entire morning to work through the backlog of e-mails. After the LSP, I worked on our One World forum, on the Networking lunches, and our draft Community Development strategy.
I arrived home about 10:00 pm to find that my dinner was ready and Jackie had finished knitting my new blue waistcoat. How lucky am I? I do hope Jackie knows how lovely she is and how much I adore her.
At today’s meeting of the One Watford LSP, we discussed the emerging Housing Strategy for Watford. We also heard about the imminent launch of a new campaign to promote Watford – largely funded by local businesses and overseen by Jenny Tomley of the John Lewis Partnership. We talked about Compact, we discussed the County-wide LAA, we touched on the Community Development strategy and we discussed One Watford’s future membership and working practices.
All this undertaken openly and professionally: the simple fare of good local partnership work.
I shudder when I hear reports of “goings on” within some Local Strategic Partnerships and I thank goodness that the One Watford LSP is so sensible and so positive. But having said that, the arrival of LAA1 reward monies introduces a new element into the equation. I hope that my confidence in the LSP is not misplaced.
It took me the entire morning to work through the backlog of e-mails. After the LSP, I worked on our One World forum, on the Networking lunches, and our draft Community Development strategy.
I arrived home about 10:00 pm to find that my dinner was ready and Jackie had finished knitting my new blue waistcoat. How lucky am I? I do hope Jackie knows how lovely she is and how much I adore her.
Monday, 7 April 2008
The day of Hertfordshire's annual conference on partnership between the statutory and voluntary sectors. As usual this was held at the Fielder Centre in Hatfield. The turnout from local voluntary sector organisations was poor, perhaps because of the late circulation of publicity information. But the actual event was fine with good presentations and good workshops. I was particularly interested in the workshop on participatory budgeting and its implications for the Community Development strategy I have just drafted.
More interesting still, we learned more on the potential for using NI7 within LAA2. The more I view things, the weaker NI6 looks as a measure of voluntary sector activity. NI7 is clearly the indicator we should aim for, but it could be so much better with a bit of tweaking. Hopefully Ann Jansz will be able to convince her LAA colleagues. Good luck Ann!
Recent reading
The Great Arc is John Keay's account of how a vast survey of India helped determine the shape of the earth. George Everest does not emerge as a particularly likeable man - his predecessor William Lambton seems far more attractive and interesting.
I then read Plain Speaking, Merle Miller's "oral biography" of Harry S Truman. I knew Truman mostly for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan, founding the CIA and sending American troops into Korea. But he is a far more interesting character than this suggests. He consistently opposed big business, sought compromise with the Soviet bloc, initiated the Marshall Plan, stood up to McCarthy and the Ku Klux Klan and championed Civil Rights. Fascinating stuff.
I have now started Bertrand Russell's Inquiry into Meaning and Truth. After this I will read something a bit gentler.
More interesting still, we learned more on the potential for using NI7 within LAA2. The more I view things, the weaker NI6 looks as a measure of voluntary sector activity. NI7 is clearly the indicator we should aim for, but it could be so much better with a bit of tweaking. Hopefully Ann Jansz will be able to convince her LAA colleagues. Good luck Ann!
Recent reading
The Great Arc is John Keay's account of how a vast survey of India helped determine the shape of the earth. George Everest does not emerge as a particularly likeable man - his predecessor William Lambton seems far more attractive and interesting.
I then read Plain Speaking, Merle Miller's "oral biography" of Harry S Truman. I knew Truman mostly for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan, founding the CIA and sending American troops into Korea. But he is a far more interesting character than this suggests. He consistently opposed big business, sought compromise with the Soviet bloc, initiated the Marshall Plan, stood up to McCarthy and the Ku Klux Klan and championed Civil Rights. Fascinating stuff.
I have now started Bertrand Russell's Inquiry into Meaning and Truth. After this I will read something a bit gentler.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
More snow. Brrrr.
While on our way to Hertford, Jackie and I saw a beautiful pair of Buzzards around the woods at the back of Cole Green.
Congratulations to the Saracens who made it through to the Quarter Finals of the Heineken Cup, getting revenge over Ospreys for the recent defeat. Well done Sarries!
While on our way to Hertford, Jackie and I saw a beautiful pair of Buzzards around the woods at the back of Cole Green.
Congratulations to the Saracens who made it through to the Quarter Finals of the Heineken Cup, getting revenge over Ospreys for the recent defeat. Well done Sarries!
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Jackie and I enjoyed a brilliant first anniversary. The undoubted highlight was an evening trip to the Watford Palace Theatre for a superb production of As You Like It. This is what theatres are built for and why actors act. I do hope that this is a commercial success for the theatre; it will be so sad if such a brilliant production proved not to be financially viable.
The Palace Theatre’s mission is to provide A Home For New Writing. The problem with Shakespeare is that he does set the bar rather high for mere mortal writers. But I shall try to visit the Palace Theatre more regularly - starting with Kafka’s Dick later in the spring.
The Palace Theatre’s mission is to provide A Home For New Writing. The problem with Shakespeare is that he does set the bar rather high for mere mortal writers. But I shall try to visit the Palace Theatre more regularly - starting with Kafka’s Dick later in the spring.
Friday, 4 April 2008
A day's leave
Jackie had to work in the morning, so I went to Letchworth to visit my Mum and get some shopping.
I had promised Jackie that I would make some pasties for dinner tonight. I have no idea why I made such a rash promise, but once made I was determined to be true to my word. Everything went better than it might have done. I learned that Cornish Pasties are really pretty easy to make, that short-crust pastry is not infinitely elastic, and that Date Pasties are not nearly as interesting as they sound. I also learned that it is important not to overcook the Pasties. Fortunately, my chocolate mousse was an unreserved success so I was forgiven.
Jackie had to work in the morning, so I went to Letchworth to visit my Mum and get some shopping.
I had promised Jackie that I would make some pasties for dinner tonight. I have no idea why I made such a rash promise, but once made I was determined to be true to my word. Everything went better than it might have done. I learned that Cornish Pasties are really pretty easy to make, that short-crust pastry is not infinitely elastic, and that Date Pasties are not nearly as interesting as they sound. I also learned that it is important not to overcook the Pasties. Fortunately, my chocolate mousse was an unreserved success so I was forgiven.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
I arrived early at the office and collated all the comments I had received from staff and trustees on our draft Community Development Strategy. There were many valuable comments so I spent some time revising the draft strategy before issuing it to all our members and partners for comment. The covering e-mail actually requested "your views and comments and views" so I don't think there's any doubt what we want from people.
This was my last day in the office this week and it was my last chance to see Sha-Lee (Information Worker) for a month. So having sent the annual mailing to the printers, I spent most of the day with Sha-Lee going over our CRM installation plans - and I also spent time talking to Angelo (our IT chap) about changing over to our new servers and our new internet connection.
This was my last day in the office this week and it was my last chance to see Sha-Lee (Information Worker) for a month. So having sent the annual mailing to the printers, I spent most of the day with Sha-Lee going over our CRM installation plans - and I also spent time talking to Angelo (our IT chap) about changing over to our new servers and our new internet connection.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
One of our member organisations is negotiating an important contract and I started the day offering lengthy advice on the draft contract.
Sha-Lee (Information Worker) and I had set aside today so we could compare notes before the second installation of Microsoft CRM. But we did this assuming that by now the annual mailing would be safely in hand.
As Sha-Lee reminded me, we still had to finish some of the enclosures and get everything off to the printers. We therefore spent most of the day finishing off everything that is to be sent to our actual and potential members: membership form, the annual sector survey, leaflets on different aspects of our activities, brochures on the Compact, fundraising guidance, our training calendar, dates for networking meetings and so on.
Sha-Lee (Information Worker) and I had set aside today so we could compare notes before the second installation of Microsoft CRM. But we did this assuming that by now the annual mailing would be safely in hand.
As Sha-Lee reminded me, we still had to finish some of the enclosures and get everything off to the printers. We therefore spent most of the day finishing off everything that is to be sent to our actual and potential members: membership form, the annual sector survey, leaflets on different aspects of our activities, brochures on the Compact, fundraising guidance, our training calendar, dates for networking meetings and so on.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
In the evening, Jackie and I went with neighbours to the local Barn Theatre for a performance of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park. It was a very compact production and remained completely true to the original text set in New York around 1960. The cast of seven did very well and, although Neil Simon isn’t one of my favourite writers, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
By agreement, we had driven half way to the theatre and walked the rest of the way. As we started the return walk Jackie turned her ankle on the pavement so after settling Jackie on a conveniently situated bench, I hurried off to fetch the car. Twenty minutes later, I was back with Jackie to collect the car keys. How we laughed.
By agreement, we had driven half way to the theatre and walked the rest of the way. As we started the return walk Jackie turned her ankle on the pavement so after settling Jackie on a conveniently situated bench, I hurried off to fetch the car. Twenty minutes later, I was back with Jackie to collect the car keys. How we laughed.
Monday, 31 March 2008
I spent part of today revisiting our Job Evaluation exercise as I need to progress this within WCVS. Later I had a call from a member organisation on Job Evaluations, so that worked out nicely too.
I also did a preliminary run through of the Microsoft SharePoint sites that Angelo (our IT chap) has prepared for our members. So much is now possible with IT and the voluntary sector is so far behind!
I did a bit more organising for our forthcoming meeting of the Community Arts Network and then met with Ian, Len and Peggy from the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum. We talked through options for the coming networking lunch on “Celebrating the Contribution of Older People”.
I also did a preliminary run through of the Microsoft SharePoint sites that Angelo (our IT chap) has prepared for our members. So much is now possible with IT and the voluntary sector is so far behind!
I did a bit more organising for our forthcoming meeting of the Community Arts Network and then met with Ian, Len and Peggy from the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum. We talked through options for the coming networking lunch on “Celebrating the Contribution of Older People”.
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Jackie and I journeyed to Crews Hill. We wanted a decent Acer, but despite having "the largest concentration of garden centres in Europe", plants were a bit thin on the ground. We could have bought any amount of home- or garden- nick-nacks, and at Woldens we encountered possibly the rudest shop manager in the country. After three hours scouring Crews Hill we returned home with a Honeysuckle, a Clematis, and an Ivy.
The weather stayed fine and we spent the entire afternoon and evening in the garden - our first real "gardening day" of the year.
The weather stayed fine and we spent the entire afternoon and evening in the garden - our first real "gardening day" of the year.
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Jackie and I drove over to Woodside Farm (just over the border in Bedfordshire from Markyate) to look at Chickens. Jackie had set her heart on getting an Orpington Buff (I think she liked the name) or a “rescue” from a battery farm. I was dubious on both options and after a good look around we agreed that for our first foray into keeping chickens we should stick to a Black Rock and a Light Sussex.
We also looked at buying a chicken coop. From a "recommended" provider the absolute cheapest coops cost £100, anything a quarter way decent is £200 and the ones we'd like to buy cost up to £1,000. Ever resourceful and never ones to waste money, Jackie and I looked up some plans on the internet and a friend has promised us a few spare palettes.
We also looked at buying a chicken coop. From a "recommended" provider the absolute cheapest coops cost £100, anything a quarter way decent is £200 and the ones we'd like to buy cost up to £1,000. Ever resourceful and never ones to waste money, Jackie and I looked up some plans on the internet and a friend has promised us a few spare palettes.
Friday, 28 March 2008
I was much refreshed by a full night’s sleep and within a short time of arriving at work I had dispatched a response to the PCT and HCC on their integrated transport proposal. Clearly more discussions are needed and involving more VCS organisations, but the prospects for a County-wide voluntary transport service look good.
I also sent off letters to the ten LSP Chairs in Hertfordshire, with the text carefully negotiated and agreed with HCC.
Pam Handley arrived prompt as ever for my monthly supervision meeting. She came with some excellent points on the draft Community Development Strategy and (as ever) some good support / ideas on other areas too. I'm not unduly modest or reticent, but things would be so much harder without these regular meetings with my Chair of Trustees: without them I wouldn't do anywhere near such a good job.
I also worked on a draft letter to Chris Pond of Capacitybuilders. Oh Dear. Capacitybuilders oversees the development of vountary sector support and began its life a year ago with a big fanfare and then an unnecessary and unseemly head-to-head battle with existing bodies such as NCVO and NAVCA. Capacitybuilders then took each infrastructure consortium (Hertfordshire’s included) through a year-long process to prove that each consortium was “fit for purpose”.
But there are serious questions about whether Capacitybuilders itself is fit for purpose: its star has waned considerably, it has missed its own deadlines, funding is drying up and support agencies are disengaging rather too readily. I do hope the funding survives at least because without it things would be even harder.
But Capacitybuilders isn't in as big a mess as that presided over by BA at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 - what a catastrophic display of arrogance, mismanagement and downright dishonesty. And of course no-one has yet resigned: does no-one have any sense of honour?
Before leaving the office I spoke with Ian Richardson, Chair of Herts CVS and congratulated him on his successful office relocation to Ware.
On the way home I dropped off for a chat with my Vice Chair Althea MacLean OBE and her husband Mac.
Back at home, I found the new Status Quo album waiting for me along with friends bearing "cloudy scumpy" - the evening took years off me.
I also sent off letters to the ten LSP Chairs in Hertfordshire, with the text carefully negotiated and agreed with HCC.
Pam Handley arrived prompt as ever for my monthly supervision meeting. She came with some excellent points on the draft Community Development Strategy and (as ever) some good support / ideas on other areas too. I'm not unduly modest or reticent, but things would be so much harder without these regular meetings with my Chair of Trustees: without them I wouldn't do anywhere near such a good job.
I also worked on a draft letter to Chris Pond of Capacitybuilders. Oh Dear. Capacitybuilders oversees the development of vountary sector support and began its life a year ago with a big fanfare and then an unnecessary and unseemly head-to-head battle with existing bodies such as NCVO and NAVCA. Capacitybuilders then took each infrastructure consortium (Hertfordshire’s included) through a year-long process to prove that each consortium was “fit for purpose”.
But there are serious questions about whether Capacitybuilders itself is fit for purpose: its star has waned considerably, it has missed its own deadlines, funding is drying up and support agencies are disengaging rather too readily. I do hope the funding survives at least because without it things would be even harder.
But Capacitybuilders isn't in as big a mess as that presided over by BA at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 - what a catastrophic display of arrogance, mismanagement and downright dishonesty. And of course no-one has yet resigned: does no-one have any sense of honour?
Before leaving the office I spoke with Ian Richardson, Chair of Herts CVS and congratulated him on his successful office relocation to Ware.
On the way home I dropped off for a chat with my Vice Chair Althea MacLean OBE and her husband Mac.
Back at home, I found the new Status Quo album waiting for me along with friends bearing "cloudy scumpy" - the evening took years off me.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Insomnia
Mostly, I consider myself a good sleeper; accomplished even as I sleep very deeply and very little disturbs me. I don't sleep for long and find I thrive best on about six hours a night. And I cope well with disruption and never suffer from jet-lag or similar. But once in a while I have a bout of insomnia and this past night was one such night.
After several futile attempts to sleep, I thought I might as well be at the office doing something useful rather than disturbing Jackie's sleep too so I arrived at work about 4:30 am. It’s not as if there wasn’t plenty of work to do.
First, I spent time shifting furniture and computers about. This wasn’t on some capricious whim as Maria (our office co-ordinator) had ordered a skip for the day and furniture needed shifting about and papers sorted for archive / shredding / recycling.
I spent a large part of the past night reading CRM for Dummies and this had helped clarify so much. I am now 98% sure how we are going to configure CRM for the second test installation. I wrote a long-ish e-mail to Angelo setting out an agenda for us to talk through during his visit later in the day.
It is never a good idea to send anything out for wider consultation until it’s been thoroughly scrutinised by critical friends. So this morning I sent out the draft Community Development Strategy to WCVS staff and trustees. Hopefully I will get some good feedback and next week be able to circulate a revised draft to members and stakeholders and for discussion at some of our forums.
Ann Jansz had reported back on the LAA discussions with the news that Herts Forward may decide to create a “bespoke” target for itself around engagement with the voluntary sector. The possibilities are very exciting, but things will have to move fast. The charge on this was led by Watford’s Dorothy Thornhill and I have to applaud her thinking: Audentior indeed.
Angelo arrived and we tackled a few problems together before adjourning for a brief lunch. We went down the High Street to Toast - there is nothing quite like visiting a good independent local business. Over dinner, we had an intense discussion about Watford CVS's IT project which is looking so full of promise: Angelo has developed some great looking web-tools, CRM looks better than we’d hoped, and integrates with MS Exchange / SharePoint / v-base / MS Office, and everything looks fully scaleable.
This is the stage of the project where hopes and expectations ride high; sadly, I know that soon enough there will come a time when cold hard technical reality will kick in, red in tooth and claw.
Back at the office, the skip still hadn’t arrived, but Maria (Office Co-ordinator) and Anne (Funding Advisor) and Sha-Lee (Information Worker) and (Sean (Volunteer) were all working brilliantly in preparation.
I had to leave them to it and drove to Hemel Hempstead for a 3:30 meeting with Mohamed Fawzi of Connexions. We spoke about our contract with Connexions for Aim Higher work, and about our new contract to provide a BME Advocacy Service across Hertfordshire. Mohamed had some excellent ideas (and names) for the service’s Advisory Panel and I greatly appreciate his input. Hema starts in a few weeks and things look good.
I arrived home about 6:00 pm and Jackie pampered me: I went to bed about 10:00 pm and was asleep the instant my head hit the pillow.
Mostly, I consider myself a good sleeper; accomplished even as I sleep very deeply and very little disturbs me. I don't sleep for long and find I thrive best on about six hours a night. And I cope well with disruption and never suffer from jet-lag or similar. But once in a while I have a bout of insomnia and this past night was one such night.
After several futile attempts to sleep, I thought I might as well be at the office doing something useful rather than disturbing Jackie's sleep too so I arrived at work about 4:30 am. It’s not as if there wasn’t plenty of work to do.
First, I spent time shifting furniture and computers about. This wasn’t on some capricious whim as Maria (our office co-ordinator) had ordered a skip for the day and furniture needed shifting about and papers sorted for archive / shredding / recycling.
I spent a large part of the past night reading CRM for Dummies and this had helped clarify so much. I am now 98% sure how we are going to configure CRM for the second test installation. I wrote a long-ish e-mail to Angelo setting out an agenda for us to talk through during his visit later in the day.
It is never a good idea to send anything out for wider consultation until it’s been thoroughly scrutinised by critical friends. So this morning I sent out the draft Community Development Strategy to WCVS staff and trustees. Hopefully I will get some good feedback and next week be able to circulate a revised draft to members and stakeholders and for discussion at some of our forums.
Ann Jansz had reported back on the LAA discussions with the news that Herts Forward may decide to create a “bespoke” target for itself around engagement with the voluntary sector. The possibilities are very exciting, but things will have to move fast. The charge on this was led by Watford’s Dorothy Thornhill and I have to applaud her thinking: Audentior indeed.
Angelo arrived and we tackled a few problems together before adjourning for a brief lunch. We went down the High Street to Toast - there is nothing quite like visiting a good independent local business. Over dinner, we had an intense discussion about Watford CVS's IT project which is looking so full of promise: Angelo has developed some great looking web-tools, CRM looks better than we’d hoped, and integrates with MS Exchange / SharePoint / v-base / MS Office, and everything looks fully scaleable.
This is the stage of the project where hopes and expectations ride high; sadly, I know that soon enough there will come a time when cold hard technical reality will kick in, red in tooth and claw.
Back at the office, the skip still hadn’t arrived, but Maria (Office Co-ordinator) and Anne (Funding Advisor) and Sha-Lee (Information Worker) and (Sean (Volunteer) were all working brilliantly in preparation.
I had to leave them to it and drove to Hemel Hempstead for a 3:30 meeting with Mohamed Fawzi of Connexions. We spoke about our contract with Connexions for Aim Higher work, and about our new contract to provide a BME Advocacy Service across Hertfordshire. Mohamed had some excellent ideas (and names) for the service’s Advisory Panel and I greatly appreciate his input. Hema starts in a few weeks and things look good.
I arrived home about 6:00 pm and Jackie pampered me: I went to bed about 10:00 pm and was asleep the instant my head hit the pillow.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Although ultimately quite satisfying, this is not a day I will remember with great fondness. I arrived at the office at 7:30 am determined to finish off a first draft of the Community Development strategy for which I already had a structure, a few pages of notes and a head full of half-formed ideas.
I had a mid-morning meeting with our Auditors, our Treasurer John Casstles, and Maria (Office Co-ordinator). Everything seems set fair for a straightforward audit. And I had a few interruptions to help sort out some difficulties over the installation of new telephone extensions pending the arrival of new staff.
Apart from this I worked steadily on the draft Community Development Strategy and by about 1:00 pm I was close to completing. I was pretty happy with things and I clicked on the Save icon for the twentieth time. Immediately I began to curse myself. I don’t know how I knew it, but I did. Instantly. All morning I had been working on the draft direct on my memory stick. Bad move. Very bad move. After twenty nightmare minutes of futile computer forensics, I accepted that I had lost my morning’s work. All of it. The amended revised and renamed file had utterly disappeared. All trace gone. Five or six wasted hours. Bugger.
A lesser man would have cried, sworn, abused some colleagues, sought out a cat to kick, stamped on his memory stick, thrown his dummy, and taken an axe to his PC. All these things seemed very attractive and in fact I did use some rather course language to myself. But in the end I spent perhaps fifteen minutes in a semi-trance, and then just went back to the beginning and started over. What else could I do?
I was soon interrupted by a flurry of e-mails from HCC asking if I had yet written to the chairs of the ten District LSPs in Hertfordshire. I had not sent the letter. But I had drafted it and sent it to HCC nearly two weeks ago asking for comments. But HCC now wanted the letter sent tout de suite to raise the issue of the Compact and to promote HCC’s 7 April conference.
About 7:00 pm I finally finished a draft of the Community Development Strategy. I clicked Save with some trepidation and was relieved that the document survived this complex procedure.
Meanwhile, the books I had ordered from Amazon had arrived and I took home CRM for Dummies for some night-time reading.
I had a mid-morning meeting with our Auditors, our Treasurer John Casstles, and Maria (Office Co-ordinator). Everything seems set fair for a straightforward audit. And I had a few interruptions to help sort out some difficulties over the installation of new telephone extensions pending the arrival of new staff.
Apart from this I worked steadily on the draft Community Development Strategy and by about 1:00 pm I was close to completing. I was pretty happy with things and I clicked on the Save icon for the twentieth time. Immediately I began to curse myself. I don’t know how I knew it, but I did. Instantly. All morning I had been working on the draft direct on my memory stick. Bad move. Very bad move. After twenty nightmare minutes of futile computer forensics, I accepted that I had lost my morning’s work. All of it. The amended revised and renamed file had utterly disappeared. All trace gone. Five or six wasted hours. Bugger.
A lesser man would have cried, sworn, abused some colleagues, sought out a cat to kick, stamped on his memory stick, thrown his dummy, and taken an axe to his PC. All these things seemed very attractive and in fact I did use some rather course language to myself. But in the end I spent perhaps fifteen minutes in a semi-trance, and then just went back to the beginning and started over. What else could I do?
I was soon interrupted by a flurry of e-mails from HCC asking if I had yet written to the chairs of the ten District LSPs in Hertfordshire. I had not sent the letter. But I had drafted it and sent it to HCC nearly two weeks ago asking for comments. But HCC now wanted the letter sent tout de suite to raise the issue of the Compact and to promote HCC’s 7 April conference.
About 7:00 pm I finally finished a draft of the Community Development Strategy. I clicked Save with some trepidation and was relieved that the document survived this complex procedure.
Meanwhile, the books I had ordered from Amazon had arrived and I took home CRM for Dummies for some night-time reading.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
This morning I had an eerily quiet drive into Watford - I suppose many people are taking time off work after the Easter weekend. I arrived pleasantly early and spent most of the morning finalising and forwarding Staff Reviews for signature.
Ahead of tomorrow’s important Herts Forward meeting, Ann Jansz (of Stevenage CVS - the voluntary sector representative on Herts Forward) is canvassing views on the distribution of LAA2 reward monies. Half of the monies will stay at County level, and the other half will be distributed equally to the ten District LSPs. But how will the monies actually be spent?
Ann is a model representative and is always canvassing views to inform her role and help us engage in debates. Not to disappoint her, I responded with my view that at least some of the monies should be put into endowment to provide long-term sustainable funding for the local voluntary sector. I also suggested that maybe the County could offer an “endowment challenge” to the District LSPs. I won’t hold my breath.
On our Microsoft CRM installation, Sha-Lee and I are making slow progress. I ordered some books from Amazon to help focus our efforts and they should arrive tomorrow.
We also accepted delivery of new monitors and I got a few of these set up, and then I had a further PC to join to the network and configure, and arrangements had to be made about our forthcoming networking lunches, and I had a discussion or two on voluntary sector training, and then got some printing quotes for our year end mailing. It's good to be back!
Ahead of tomorrow’s important Herts Forward meeting, Ann Jansz (of Stevenage CVS - the voluntary sector representative on Herts Forward) is canvassing views on the distribution of LAA2 reward monies. Half of the monies will stay at County level, and the other half will be distributed equally to the ten District LSPs. But how will the monies actually be spent?
Ann is a model representative and is always canvassing views to inform her role and help us engage in debates. Not to disappoint her, I responded with my view that at least some of the monies should be put into endowment to provide long-term sustainable funding for the local voluntary sector. I also suggested that maybe the County could offer an “endowment challenge” to the District LSPs. I won’t hold my breath.
On our Microsoft CRM installation, Sha-Lee and I are making slow progress. I ordered some books from Amazon to help focus our efforts and they should arrive tomorrow.
We also accepted delivery of new monitors and I got a few of these set up, and then I had a further PC to join to the network and configure, and arrangements had to be made about our forthcoming networking lunches, and I had a discussion or two on voluntary sector training, and then got some printing quotes for our year end mailing. It's good to be back!
Monday, 24 March 2008
Jackie and I again woke to the silence of falling snow. This time the snow was not settling and we felt no great urge to get out walking. Instead, Jackie and I shared a crossword over breakfast.
Then I spent the best part of the day trying to finish a consultation draft of a Community Development strategy. This is a field which brings together so many different strands of development that writing the policy is a bit like trying to get toothpaste back into the tube / herding cats / fighting an octopus.
Then I spent the best part of the day trying to finish a consultation draft of a Community Development strategy. This is a field which brings together so many different strands of development that writing the policy is a bit like trying to get toothpaste back into the tube / herding cats / fighting an octopus.
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Jackie and I woke at 7:15 to find outside a steady fall of snow. Within a short space of time we were dressed, begloved, bescarfed, behatted and bebooted. We took a walk out along the Mimram, beneath the viaduct and back past Digswell Lake. And of course we had a snowball fight. Absolutely beautiful and magical. After a warming drink back home we devoted the rest of the day to delivering chocolate eggs to relatives.
Catholic Church leaders are again whipping up a storm over the latest Embryology Bill. It was good to see some such as Evan Harris MP standing up to this.
In the evening, Jackie and I ate the meal we prepared last night. Very tasty.
Recent reading
Today, I finished reading Bevis Hillier's masterful biography Young Betjeman - a fascinating and comprehensive insight into the poet and his 1920s youth.
I also read the off-beat Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce - one of the diverting Louie Knight stories.
Catholic Church leaders are again whipping up a storm over the latest Embryology Bill. It was good to see some such as Evan Harris MP standing up to this.
In the evening, Jackie and I ate the meal we prepared last night. Very tasty.
Recent reading
Today, I finished reading Bevis Hillier's masterful biography Young Betjeman - a fascinating and comprehensive insight into the poet and his 1920s youth.
I also read the off-beat Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce - one of the diverting Louie Knight stories.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
This morning brought howling winds and driving sleet: so much for our planned day in the garden.
After a day on (indoor) domestic chores, Jackie and I planned a meal and set about cooking together. We got diverted by some excellent music and an interesting bottle of Malbec and by the time we’d finished cooking we were in no mood to eat. Perhaps tomorrow.
After a day on (indoor) domestic chores, Jackie and I planned a meal and set about cooking together. We got diverted by some excellent music and an interesting bottle of Malbec and by the time we’d finished cooking we were in no mood to eat. Perhaps tomorrow.
Friday, 21 March 2008
Jackie and I drove through eastern Hertfordshire to Braughing where we bought some sausages from the famous D White’s butchers. We also espied one of my ancestral homes but not in a location where we could decently go snooping, so instead we dined at the excellent Axe and Compasses (named in the days of enclosures?).
It may be sacrilege in Hertfordshire, but I do not think Braughing sausages are as exceptional as their reputation might suggest. I prefer Oaklands sausages from our local butcher on the road to Knebworth.
It may be sacrilege in Hertfordshire, but I do not think Braughing sausages are as exceptional as their reputation might suggest. I prefer Oaklands sausages from our local butcher on the road to Knebworth.
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Most of today I devoted to clearing things out of the way before the extended weekend break: new hygiene services at our offices, Watford Compact, planning a meeting for a Community Arts Network, planning a CEO network, PTLLs training, correspondence with the National Lottery and a draft response to a PCT paper on integrated transport.
There is more trouble in Tibet as China’s appalling record on human rights is again exposed to the world’s scrutiny. But given that the world’s economy depends so heavily on China, I suspect that the West’s politicians will have trouble standing up to China on this one; instead they will hope that the demonstrations subside as quickly as possible.
In the evening I watched Those Glory Glory Days - a 1983 film set in 1961 about a pre-pubescent girl’s infatuation with Spurs. I was interested to note that Watford’s Westfield School was thanked in the credits.
There is more trouble in Tibet as China’s appalling record on human rights is again exposed to the world’s scrutiny. But given that the world’s economy depends so heavily on China, I suspect that the West’s politicians will have trouble standing up to China on this one; instead they will hope that the demonstrations subside as quickly as possible.
In the evening I watched Those Glory Glory Days - a 1983 film set in 1961 about a pre-pubescent girl’s infatuation with Spurs. I was interested to note that Watford’s Westfield School was thanked in the credits.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
This morning I took the familiar drive to North Herts CVS for a meeting of the Herts CVS group.
My son used to watch The Power Rangers and I often find myself thinking of the Herts CVS group as the Power Rangers of the voluntary sector. But this is a mere fancy. In reality, while we all have strengths, we also all have weaknesses. Our meetings are often a balancing act to ensure that people contribute according to their abilities and receive according to their needs. For example, I often discover key information on things that I thought I already understood.
My son used to watch The Power Rangers and I often find myself thinking of the Herts CVS group as the Power Rangers of the voluntary sector. But this is a mere fancy. In reality, while we all have strengths, we also all have weaknesses. Our meetings are often a balancing act to ensure that people contribute according to their abilities and receive according to their needs. For example, I often discover key information on things that I thought I already understood.
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
I spent this morning at a stakeholder event for Aim Higher – the Government scheme that seeks to boost the educational achievement of those at risk of underachieving.
Then I returned to the office to face a deluge of e-mails and messages. If you’re awaiting a reply - I will get to you as soon as I can!
Then I returned to the office to face a deluge of e-mails and messages. If you’re awaiting a reply - I will get to you as soon as I can!
Monday, 17 March 2008
I spent this morning attending a Performance Management course (compulsory training for our Connexions contract) and spent the afternoon talking with our grants officer at the Big Lottery and working on our draft Community Development strategy for Watford. I eventually finished a first (rough) draft of the strategy. This strategy has been on my To Do list for months so it is nice to finally move things on a bit - even if there is still lots of work needed before I can issue it for consultation.
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Jackie and I enjoyed a second day with Granddaughter Beth during which we watched birds and invented the sport of Teddy Hurdling before finally returning Beth to her home just on her bedtime.
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Early in the morning, having barely caught up on our sleep, we received our Granddaughter Beth and our babysitting duties began.
During the day, I endeavoured to tire out poor Beth as I wanted her nice and sleepy for when the Six Nations climax arrived. I needn’t have worried: just as Wales vs France was about to start, Virgin Media’s cable service shut down. Living in a hollow there is no “terrestrial” TV signal so I listed to the match on the radio. Joyce Grenfell often used to say “the pictures are better on the radio”, but this is rubbish. But the rugby result was very pleasing.
During the day, I endeavoured to tire out poor Beth as I wanted her nice and sleepy for when the Six Nations climax arrived. I needn’t have worried: just as Wales vs France was about to start, Virgin Media’s cable service shut down. Living in a hollow there is no “terrestrial” TV signal so I listed to the match on the radio. Joyce Grenfell often used to say “the pictures are better on the radio”, but this is rubbish. But the rugby result was very pleasing.
Friday, 14 March 2008
In the morning, I attended a meeting of the Watford Learning Partnership. This took place at the Trade Union Learning Centre in Watford – an impressive and very useful venue.
In the afternoon I drove to Letchworth to learn about a (nearly) free level 5 Leadership and Management course being put on by Cambridge Regional College. I decided to enrol. It will mean that I will have to spend a lot of Monday afternoons and evenings in Cambridge, but the training looks very useful.
After stopping off at home for a change of clothes, and to collect my wonderful wife, we headed back into Watford for the annual Audentior awards hosted by Watford Borough Council. This was a marvellous event. Other boroughs have similar events, but I have never seen one as elegant as Watford’s awards. It was very thrilling and rather humbling to learn about the massive contributions made by some of the award winners. Jackie and I finally arrived home about midnight, emotionally and physically drained.
In the afternoon I drove to Letchworth to learn about a (nearly) free level 5 Leadership and Management course being put on by Cambridge Regional College. I decided to enrol. It will mean that I will have to spend a lot of Monday afternoons and evenings in Cambridge, but the training looks very useful.
After stopping off at home for a change of clothes, and to collect my wonderful wife, we headed back into Watford for the annual Audentior awards hosted by Watford Borough Council. This was a marvellous event. Other boroughs have similar events, but I have never seen one as elegant as Watford’s awards. It was very thrilling and rather humbling to learn about the massive contributions made by some of the award winners. Jackie and I finally arrived home about midnight, emotionally and physically drained.
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Today's Main Event was a much-needed meeting to start planning our CRM implementation. Sha-Lee, Maria, Vanessa, Anne, Helen and I met for a pretty thorough discussion about the implementation timetable and the implications for our work.
Our plan is to carry out three installations of CRM. The first installation has taken place and Sha-Lee and I are exploring the software’s full capacity and parameters. We are making notes on the configuration and customisation that we need. There will be a second test installation during April: this will incorporate our first pass customisation and will then be tested by all system users to make sure that the customisations will work. Our final installation will come only once we have tested the second installation thoroughly and prepared a list of further adaptations.
Later in the day, I issued our response to the consultation on Hertfordshire’s LAA2 and on the Sustainable Community Strategy. Given the timetable, there was no realistic opportunity to consult on this with member organisations, as per best practice. It was more a case of going to the barricades to get something in as a response while it might still have an impact. On this occasion I was championing the local voluntary sector rather than representing their specific views.
While I was still working on the response, I heard from Ann Jansz that LAA2 would after all include a goal on Volunteering. I also want the commitment to create an environment for a thriving voluntary sector which I think is much more to the point, but at least we no we now have the right direction of travel. Well done Ann!
I also agreed with Jacquie Hime that Hertfordshire should offer to host an East of England regional meeting to try and maintain the momentum toward creating a regional VCS strategy. We shall see.
Our plan is to carry out three installations of CRM. The first installation has taken place and Sha-Lee and I are exploring the software’s full capacity and parameters. We are making notes on the configuration and customisation that we need. There will be a second test installation during April: this will incorporate our first pass customisation and will then be tested by all system users to make sure that the customisations will work. Our final installation will come only once we have tested the second installation thoroughly and prepared a list of further adaptations.
Later in the day, I issued our response to the consultation on Hertfordshire’s LAA2 and on the Sustainable Community Strategy. Given the timetable, there was no realistic opportunity to consult on this with member organisations, as per best practice. It was more a case of going to the barricades to get something in as a response while it might still have an impact. On this occasion I was championing the local voluntary sector rather than representing their specific views.
While I was still working on the response, I heard from Ann Jansz that LAA2 would after all include a goal on Volunteering. I also want the commitment to create an environment for a thriving voluntary sector which I think is much more to the point, but at least we no we now have the right direction of travel. Well done Ann!
I also agreed with Jacquie Hime that Hertfordshire should offer to host an East of England regional meeting to try and maintain the momentum toward creating a regional VCS strategy. We shall see.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
I endured a fairly frantic day catching up on correspondence and organising a few things here at the office.
More pleasantly, I spoke with Andrea Allez at NAVCA about the submission we’ve made for NAVCA’s quality award: Andrea and I agreed that we need to do a little more work on NAVCA’s standards 4 and 5.
More pleasantly, I spoke with Andrea Allez at NAVCA about the submission we’ve made for NAVCA’s quality award: Andrea and I agreed that we need to do a little more work on NAVCA’s standards 4 and 5.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
The Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium has been passed as “fit for purpose” by Capacitybuilders. I heard this morning that the Cambridgeshire Consortium has not received this accolade and so won’t receive any Capacitybuilders project funding this year. Sometime ago, the Norfolk Consortium took a decision not even to apply for funding. And COVER, the voluntary sector co-ordinating body for the Easter Region has also now decided not to accept Capacitybuilders funding.
This means that in the Eastern Region as a whole only four counties have in place effective / funded Consortia. This is not good.
This morning, the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium met in Watford and there was a good turn-out and a pretty thorough discussion about where the Consortium stands.
HCC is currently drawing together its new Local Area Agreement. From what I had heard, I had complacently believed that HCC was considering a straight choice between including in its plan Indicator 6 (the number of people volunteering) and Indicator 7 (a healthy environment for voluntary organisations). Today I heard from Ethel (the LAA / VCS Liaison Officer) that in fact HCC want to reject both indicators.
Several reasons were advanced for this, but not having a specific target for the voluntary sector will effectively exclude the voluntary sector from the LAA process, or at best relegate the voluntary sector to the margins.
Something must be done and this morning we tried to rouse everyone to respond urgently to the soon-to-close consultation process.
In the afternoon, we hosted a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. It is difficult to get people to commit to meetings of the Compact Working Group – even when following on from a meeting of the Consortium. This afternoon there was just five of us doughty Compact Champions. Nevertheless, we made some good progress planning activities through the coming year – Compact’s tenth birthday.
With all the money being spent on the Compact Commission, I am surprised that Compacts are still entirely optional for local authorities. If a local authority decides not to engage with its voluntary sector, there is nothing anyone can do about it. Except the local electorate. Now there’s a thought …
This means that in the Eastern Region as a whole only four counties have in place effective / funded Consortia. This is not good.
This morning, the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium met in Watford and there was a good turn-out and a pretty thorough discussion about where the Consortium stands.
HCC is currently drawing together its new Local Area Agreement. From what I had heard, I had complacently believed that HCC was considering a straight choice between including in its plan Indicator 6 (the number of people volunteering) and Indicator 7 (a healthy environment for voluntary organisations). Today I heard from Ethel (the LAA / VCS Liaison Officer) that in fact HCC want to reject both indicators.
Several reasons were advanced for this, but not having a specific target for the voluntary sector will effectively exclude the voluntary sector from the LAA process, or at best relegate the voluntary sector to the margins.
Something must be done and this morning we tried to rouse everyone to respond urgently to the soon-to-close consultation process.
In the afternoon, we hosted a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. It is difficult to get people to commit to meetings of the Compact Working Group – even when following on from a meeting of the Consortium. This afternoon there was just five of us doughty Compact Champions. Nevertheless, we made some good progress planning activities through the coming year – Compact’s tenth birthday.
With all the money being spent on the Compact Commission, I am surprised that Compacts are still entirely optional for local authorities. If a local authority decides not to engage with its voluntary sector, there is nothing anyone can do about it. Except the local electorate. Now there’s a thought …
Monday, 10 March 2008
First thing this morning, I talked with Sha-Lee (our Information Worker) to talk about the next stages of implementing CRM for monitoring the support we offer our members etc.
And then in the afternoon, I talked with Laura, our Volunteer Transport co-ordinator. She is working on a local strategy for transport and we talked about assessing needs, pricing, driver recruitment, promotion and monitoring.
As the name suggests, the Watford Volunteer Transport scheme relies on volunteer drivers to provide journeys for those who can’t access public transport. Back in 2002, the Government assessed that it cost 40 pence per mile to run a car. This meant that volunteer drivers could be paid 40 pence per mile to cover their expenses. Anything above 40 pence would involve a “profit” for the drivers on which they would have to be taxed etc. Today, six years later, after some of the steepest increases in petrol prices since the 1970s, the Government says that to run a car it now costs – 40 pence per mile. Unsurprisingly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit volunteer drivers. If you know anyone with a car, some free time and a good heart, ask them to give us a call ...
Later in the afternoon I met with Francoise who supports or runs various local initatives and who wanted some help with legal and accounting queries.
And then in the afternoon, I talked with Laura, our Volunteer Transport co-ordinator. She is working on a local strategy for transport and we talked about assessing needs, pricing, driver recruitment, promotion and monitoring.
As the name suggests, the Watford Volunteer Transport scheme relies on volunteer drivers to provide journeys for those who can’t access public transport. Back in 2002, the Government assessed that it cost 40 pence per mile to run a car. This meant that volunteer drivers could be paid 40 pence per mile to cover their expenses. Anything above 40 pence would involve a “profit” for the drivers on which they would have to be taxed etc. Today, six years later, after some of the steepest increases in petrol prices since the 1970s, the Government says that to run a car it now costs – 40 pence per mile. Unsurprisingly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit volunteer drivers. If you know anyone with a car, some free time and a good heart, ask them to give us a call ...
Later in the afternoon I met with Francoise who supports or runs various local initatives and who wanted some help with legal and accounting queries.
Saturday, 8 March 2008
On leaving the office last night, I left my mobile telephone and wallet on the desk. This morning, Jackie and I drove over to collect them and then went for a walk through Watford before spending the evening with friends.
Friday, 7 March 2007
Most of the day I spent catching up on correspondence, looking to the 7 April Compact conference and dealing with queries about funding agreements, volunteer recruitment (our Volunteer Centre co-ordinator is on leave), training events, community lunches, and the Aim Higher programme.
Later, I met with Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts to talk about the possibility of setting up a local community arts forum.
Later, I met with Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts to talk about the possibility of setting up a local community arts forum.
Thursday, 6 March 2007
In contrast to the frantic pace of yesterday, I had a leisurely start this morning. Since early January, Jackie has fed the birds each morning. We now know our birds pretty well - the almost tame robins, the sedentary pigeons, the bickering blackbirds, the shy chaffinches, and the numerous starlings. All our birds have one thing in common - they are not remotely threatened by aged Ken, our decrepit cat. If there is another cat nearby, they won't dare land and feed. But Ken can potter around the garden within feet of them and they all completely ignore each other. Except when the hoppity Magpies are about, and then they chase bewildered Ken back into the house.
Today I attended a community development networking event at the Fielder Centre, just a ten minute drive from home. The event was staged by Inspire East and was very useful with some good presentations. But even after forty-odd years, community development is still in its infancy here – I was rather taken aback to hear experienced professionals say they “provided community development” to neighbourhoods.
I was home by 5:00 pm and Jackie and I had a lovely evening together, pleasingly rounded off by triumphing over two Daily Telegraph crosswords.
Today I attended a community development networking event at the Fielder Centre, just a ten minute drive from home. The event was staged by Inspire East and was very useful with some good presentations. But even after forty-odd years, community development is still in its infancy here – I was rather taken aback to hear experienced professionals say they “provided community development” to neighbourhoods.
I was home by 5:00 pm and Jackie and I had a lovely evening together, pleasingly rounded off by triumphing over two Daily Telegraph crosswords.
Wednesday, 5 March
I started the day early and visited the head of the local Chamber of Commerce to talk about volunteering and community funds and charity endowments.
Later in the day I met with Hema to discuss arrangements for the BME Advocacy service we are to deliver, read through a draft strategy for our Voluntary Transport scheme, set a date for doing a training event on PQASSO, prepared a report on our quality work at WCVS, broke a photocopier, and had a discussion about the District Children's Trust Partnership.
I also read through the interim survey results on volunteering in Herts. Again Watford has a return of just 6% of adults regularly doing formal volunteering: maybe they asked the same 100 people as last time?
Later still, Angelo (IT chap) arrived and we both worked (again) on the CRM installation. Finally, the installation was completed and I had another chance to see the software. It looks very good - just the ticket.
But I still wasn’t done for the day as I still needed to finalise and distribute the latest issue of WCVS News. I managed to send this at 11:08 pm and was home by midnight, a mere seventeen hours after leaving home this morning.
Later in the day I met with Hema to discuss arrangements for the BME Advocacy service we are to deliver, read through a draft strategy for our Voluntary Transport scheme, set a date for doing a training event on PQASSO, prepared a report on our quality work at WCVS, broke a photocopier, and had a discussion about the District Children's Trust Partnership.
I also read through the interim survey results on volunteering in Herts. Again Watford has a return of just 6% of adults regularly doing formal volunteering: maybe they asked the same 100 people as last time?
Later still, Angelo (IT chap) arrived and we both worked (again) on the CRM installation. Finally, the installation was completed and I had another chance to see the software. It looks very good - just the ticket.
But I still wasn’t done for the day as I still needed to finalise and distribute the latest issue of WCVS News. I managed to send this at 11:08 pm and was home by midnight, a mere seventeen hours after leaving home this morning.
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Awards
I learned this morning that the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium has been accepted by Capacitybulders as “fit for purpose”. Congratulations all round. Of course, none of us really doubted it but there is always a nagging undefinable fear that deadlines will slip and queries get raised. It’s good to have this decision. Now we just have to wait another month to see which of our projects they will fund.
I also received news that Watford FC has been voted “Community Club of the Year” by their Football League peers. Congratulations all round.
Collaboration
After this bright start, it was a long day writing up the Staff Annual Reviews. At the end of the day, Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) and I visited neighbouring Three Rivers CVS to discuss opportunities for further collaboration. We agreed to continue the joint training programme and to launch a trustees network together.
Recent reading
My reading has been a bit Hit and Miss lately. Peter Biddlecombe’s Travels with my Briefcase, an account of his experiences travelling around the world as a businessman, was really neither here nor there.
I began Mark Powers’s authoritative biography Mark Twain but I can’t say whether it was any good as I was soon defeated by the tiny weeny typeface.
Then I part-read the Oxford Dictionary of Saints - patriotically reading about British saints and only occasionally savouring the foreign fare. Naturally there was no genuine evidence of miracles but the history was interesting and I learned that St Audrey and St Ethelreda are one and the same, which was useful.
Laughing Gas was a typical Wodehousian frolic and was very enjoyable. This was followed by The Custom of the Sea, an imagined account of an infamous Victorian shipwreck including a case of “survival cannabalism”. With all due respect to author Neil Hanson, I could not warm to his subject matter and I despise “imagined” histories of this kind. The book was full of historical background and contemporary references and accounts but what could I believe? Either a thing is Fact or it’s Fiction and no-one benefits by blurring the distinction.
I am now on much happier ground reading Bevis Hillier’s biography Young Betjeman.
I learned this morning that the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium has been accepted by Capacitybulders as “fit for purpose”. Congratulations all round. Of course, none of us really doubted it but there is always a nagging undefinable fear that deadlines will slip and queries get raised. It’s good to have this decision. Now we just have to wait another month to see which of our projects they will fund.
I also received news that Watford FC has been voted “Community Club of the Year” by their Football League peers. Congratulations all round.
Collaboration
After this bright start, it was a long day writing up the Staff Annual Reviews. At the end of the day, Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) and I visited neighbouring Three Rivers CVS to discuss opportunities for further collaboration. We agreed to continue the joint training programme and to launch a trustees network together.
Recent reading
My reading has been a bit Hit and Miss lately. Peter Biddlecombe’s Travels with my Briefcase, an account of his experiences travelling around the world as a businessman, was really neither here nor there.
I began Mark Powers’s authoritative biography Mark Twain but I can’t say whether it was any good as I was soon defeated by the tiny weeny typeface.
Then I part-read the Oxford Dictionary of Saints - patriotically reading about British saints and only occasionally savouring the foreign fare. Naturally there was no genuine evidence of miracles but the history was interesting and I learned that St Audrey and St Ethelreda are one and the same, which was useful.
Laughing Gas was a typical Wodehousian frolic and was very enjoyable. This was followed by The Custom of the Sea, an imagined account of an infamous Victorian shipwreck including a case of “survival cannabalism”. With all due respect to author Neil Hanson, I could not warm to his subject matter and I despise “imagined” histories of this kind. The book was full of historical background and contemporary references and accounts but what could I believe? Either a thing is Fact or it’s Fiction and no-one benefits by blurring the distinction.
I am now on much happier ground reading Bevis Hillier’s biography Young Betjeman.
Monday, 3 March 2008
I met with Sarah Pinnock of Watford Borough Council. Sarah is an extremely smart woman and our occasional talks are always pleasantly relaxed and informative. Today we talked about the future of Watford’s community centres, the need for a consistent approach to Quality Assurance, developmetns in various local groups, community cohesion, and community development. Excellent value.
After Sarah left, I held the final Annual Review here and then worked for a bit writing up the Staff Reviews.
Then I met with Angelo. On Friday, he had abandoned plans to install Microsoft Customer Relationship Manager on our old server, and now he arrived to do a test installation of the application on a PC comprising odd bits that we were keeping as spares. Angelo and I worked flat out until about 9:00 when we both agreed enough was enough.
After Sarah left, I held the final Annual Review here and then worked for a bit writing up the Staff Reviews.
Then I met with Angelo. On Friday, he had abandoned plans to install Microsoft Customer Relationship Manager on our old server, and now he arrived to do a test installation of the application on a PC comprising odd bits that we were keeping as spares. Angelo and I worked flat out until about 9:00 when we both agreed enough was enough.
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Mothering Sunday: we spent a lovely morning in the garden, followed by a trip to Jackie’s mother, a visit from my mother, and then a visit from Jackie’s daughter and granddaughter.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Jackie and I took a drive to the church at Ayot St Peter. We took a stroll around the church admiring its charming clock and its perfect proportions. But we couldn’t go inside. Not so very long ago it was unheard of for a church to be locked at any time: they were always open for the faithful to pray and for the faithless to admire the architecture and history. No more. Every church is now closed like a fist against casual visitors.
This set me thinking about our own policy at Watford CVS: should we leave our door open to visitors even when there is no-one on reception, or should we lock the door and ask visitors to ring the doorbell?
Jackie and I drove on to Kings Walden and Manor Gardens Nursery. Isobel is a truly original and wonderful character and her garden centre is an absolute joy: highly independent and eccentric. Along with a few plants we bought a trug and some ancient straw baskets - but resisted the lure of the mobile commode.
After this, we drove back through Kimpton and Codicot to Shaw’s Corner and then for lunch to the Brocket Arms where landlord Toby Wingfield-Digby is another great character.
The countryside was perfect: farms and market gardens and water cress lakes, villages, parks and country estates. We saw an alien Muntjack deer and a very indigenous Hare. Hertfordshire is not a “high maintenance” County; there are no dramatic mountains or boastful forests or vain lakes and Hertfordshire doesn’t constantly need to be told how beautiful she is. She is a modest county, reserved and seemly. But she knows her worth and every now and then she gives you a gentle nudge as if to say: “I am beautiful, you know”.
This set me thinking about our own policy at Watford CVS: should we leave our door open to visitors even when there is no-one on reception, or should we lock the door and ask visitors to ring the doorbell?
Jackie and I drove on to Kings Walden and Manor Gardens Nursery. Isobel is a truly original and wonderful character and her garden centre is an absolute joy: highly independent and eccentric. Along with a few plants we bought a trug and some ancient straw baskets - but resisted the lure of the mobile commode.
After this, we drove back through Kimpton and Codicot to Shaw’s Corner and then for lunch to the Brocket Arms where landlord Toby Wingfield-Digby is another great character.
The countryside was perfect: farms and market gardens and water cress lakes, villages, parks and country estates. We saw an alien Muntjack deer and a very indigenous Hare. Hertfordshire is not a “high maintenance” County; there are no dramatic mountains or boastful forests or vain lakes and Hertfordshire doesn’t constantly need to be told how beautiful she is. She is a modest county, reserved and seemly. But she knows her worth and every now and then she gives you a gentle nudge as if to say: “I am beautiful, you know”.
Friday, 29 February 2008
Having set the alarm for an early start, I drove to the office through a beautifully warm morning. I wasn’t the only one in early as Anne (our Funding Advisor) arrived for an 8:00 am meeting with her counterpart from St Albans CVS.
At 9:30 prompt, Pam arrived for my annual appraisal meeting. We had a very thorough talk about the past year and an even more detailed talk through priorities for the coming year. On reviewing last year’s targets, my biggest challenge remains restoring a healthy work-life balance. I assured Pam (perhaps a little too confidently) that I was getting on top of this.
Fortunately, Pam and I are in full agreement that the priorities for me in the coming year should be managing the WCVS office and ensuring that WCVS members derive full benefit from their WCVS membership. This will lead me to review some of my “out of town” commitments with county and regional structures.
I then had a very good meeting with Anne (Funding Advisor ) and Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) on our Basis Fit for Purpose project.
Angelo (our IT chap) came to install Microsoft CRM on our old network server. This is our solution for managing our contacts and monitoring our activities. After several hours work, the prospects did not look good: our ex-server is eight years old and the motherboard is extremely fragile. Ho hum.
At 9:30 prompt, Pam arrived for my annual appraisal meeting. We had a very thorough talk about the past year and an even more detailed talk through priorities for the coming year. On reviewing last year’s targets, my biggest challenge remains restoring a healthy work-life balance. I assured Pam (perhaps a little too confidently) that I was getting on top of this.
Fortunately, Pam and I are in full agreement that the priorities for me in the coming year should be managing the WCVS office and ensuring that WCVS members derive full benefit from their WCVS membership. This will lead me to review some of my “out of town” commitments with county and regional structures.
I then had a very good meeting with Anne (Funding Advisor ) and Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) on our Basis Fit for Purpose project.
Angelo (our IT chap) came to install Microsoft CRM on our old network server. This is our solution for managing our contacts and monitoring our activities. After several hours work, the prospects did not look good: our ex-server is eight years old and the motherboard is extremely fragile. Ho hum.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
I arrived at work early and checked over our network which thankfully seems to be back to normal bar a few outstanding problems over our accounts package and the volunteering database.
In the morning I had a brief meeting on the Watford Disability Forum with its Chair Leigh Hutchings and with Vanessa (Development and Training Officer), Anne (Funding Advisor).
In the afternoon, I attended the first meeting of the new / revamped Watford and Three Rivers Health Partnership Forum. This was well attended and Peter Wright of the PTC did an excellent job setting out a framework and working method. I had again to focus on how the local voluntary sector can best engage with this forum and have its voice heard.
Back in the office, I had to copy over files to the new domain, start catching up on my e-mail correspondence, and collate our latest submissions to our Grants Officer at the Big Lottery and papers to NAVCA about our Quality Assurance programme. I eventually left the office about 9:00.
In the morning I had a brief meeting on the Watford Disability Forum with its Chair Leigh Hutchings and with Vanessa (Development and Training Officer), Anne (Funding Advisor).
In the afternoon, I attended the first meeting of the new / revamped Watford and Three Rivers Health Partnership Forum. This was well attended and Peter Wright of the PTC did an excellent job setting out a framework and working method. I had again to focus on how the local voluntary sector can best engage with this forum and have its voice heard.
Back in the office, I had to copy over files to the new domain, start catching up on my e-mail correspondence, and collate our latest submissions to our Grants Officer at the Big Lottery and papers to NAVCA about our Quality Assurance programme. I eventually left the office about 9:00.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
After a morning finalising the minutes of last week’s trustees’ meeting and starting to write up the annual staff appraisals, I drove to Letchworth for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium meeting with Jon Fox of Capacitybuilders. On arrival I discovered that the meeting had in fact been cancelled and an e-mail to this effect had gone out the previous day.
As it happened, this was a happy set of circumstances as it allowed Jacquie, Steph and I an opportunity to catch up and focus on the Consortium's funding submission to Capacitybuilders.
When I arrived home, there was still some daylight left so Jackie and I took off for a relaxing walk around Stanborough Park (the one in Welwyn Garden City, not the one in Watford).
As it happened, this was a happy set of circumstances as it allowed Jacquie, Steph and I an opportunity to catch up and focus on the Consortium's funding submission to Capacitybuilders.
When I arrived home, there was still some daylight left so Jackie and I took off for a relaxing walk around Stanborough Park (the one in Welwyn Garden City, not the one in Watford).
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
E-mail was still unavailable: running two servers, two domains and two versions of Microsoft Exchange seemed like such a good idea at the time. I spent a large part of the day firefighting specific IT problems while Angelo (IT chap) wrestled with the bigger stuff.
My one moment of relief came in the middle of the day when I met with Jay Gaglani and Althea MacLean OBE to sketch out a year of activities for the Watford One World forum.
My one moment of relief came in the middle of the day when I met with Jay Gaglani and Althea MacLean OBE to sketch out a year of activities for the Watford One World forum.
Monday 25 February 2008
To minimise disruption to activities here, I had planned that our server change-over would begin yesterday and be completed today. Due to some unavoidable problems, the change-over only began today. People could continue to work on individual documents but there was major disruption to e-mail and web connectivity. Everyone was very patient and accommodating.
I completed two further staff review meetings and met with Lyn Telford and Phil Willerton about the coming Watford Learning Partnership meeting.
I completed two further staff review meetings and met with Lyn Telford and Phil Willerton about the coming Watford Learning Partnership meeting.
Sunday, 23 February 2008
Perfect Day
I woke early and went out to buy the papers and some pastries, Jackie made the coffee and then we enjoyed an extremely leisurely morning. Every moment I expected a young couple in whites to pop through the French Windows and ask "Anyone for Tennis?" Except we don't have French Windows.
This Sporting Life
I thoroughly enjoyed some sporting results this weekend. In the Six Nations, Wales trounced Italy and England beat the French. And today Spurs pleasingly beat Chelsea to win the League Cup. The only disappointing news was that Watford failed to beat Preston North End and Sarecens lost to Harlequins. But you can't have everything. And Spurs did win the League Cup. Did I mention that already?
I woke early and went out to buy the papers and some pastries, Jackie made the coffee and then we enjoyed an extremely leisurely morning. Every moment I expected a young couple in whites to pop through the French Windows and ask "Anyone for Tennis?" Except we don't have French Windows.
This Sporting Life
I thoroughly enjoyed some sporting results this weekend. In the Six Nations, Wales trounced Italy and England beat the French. And today Spurs pleasingly beat Chelsea to win the League Cup. The only disappointing news was that Watford failed to beat Preston North End and Sarecens lost to Harlequins. But you can't have everything. And Spurs did win the League Cup. Did I mention that already?
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Jackie and I enjoyed a quiet day pottering around the house and garden and in the evening visited my Mum for a family meal.
Friday, 22 February 2008
Transformations
This morning I had a 10:00 meeting at the Hertfordshire Community Foundation in Hatfield. With my barber due to open in WGC at 9:00, this was just sufficient time to finally have a haircut and still make the 10:00 meeting. The barbers finally opened up shop about 9:20 which meant a very swift haircut indeed and I just managed to arrive in Hatfield on time.
At HCF, David Fitzpatrick explained plans for the new Grassroots Grants scheme. Robin Charnley of Hertsmere CVS described the proposals as the most exciting news he had heard in many years and no-one disagreed: this really could transform the way CVSs work in Hertfordshire.
In short, the proposal is that each of Hertfordshire’s Districts and Boroughs get allocated an annual budget of (about) £25,000 to be used to support the initiatives of new and small community groups. This fund is to be managed locally by CVS using a “light touch” and working in partnership with local authorities and private sector groups through the Chamber of Commerce.
There is also the £1m match funding challenge in which the government will match every £1 of new private money raised for local endowments up to a maximum (across Hertfordshire) of £1m.
What a wonderful start to the day: a new haircut and a new grants programme for Watford.
Words
Back at the office, Anne and Vanessa were trying to make sense of a training programme they have agreed to deliver as part of the Engage programme for Children Schools and Families. I had a meeting with the steering group overseeing a project researching into how mental health services are accessed by women from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This is being ably led by Leslie Billy of The Guideposts Trust: volunteers have interviewed 100 women and results are being collated.
In a discussion about language barriers, Sash Seyan of the PCT said that one Indian language has only one word, Pagul, to describe a wide range of mental illnesses: anxiety, stress, depression, psychosis. It occured to me that just because there isn’t a special word to describe a particular condition, it does not mean that the condition is not understood. Conversely, where a special word does exist, it does not necessarily improve understanding: what's the difference between anxiety and stress? Not more than one in a hundred will know.
Aide Memoires
I often find notes I have written for myself that I have no memory of writing; often I also have no idea of their import. The notes contain only one piece of information: a date, a name or a telephone number. Today I found a note that read "22/5 - AGM!" Whose AGM? Where? 2008? After a short while, I found another note: "Ring Dave asap". Which Dave? Where? Why? I must exercise more discipline when writing to myself.
Late in the day, I called Paul Ruskin (our regional IT Champion) to follow up a discussion from early January on ICT needs in Hertfordshire. I was rather worried when Paul said that we had already followed up our earlier discussion and agreed a path forward. He briefly explained what we had agreed and it indeed sounded like the sort of thing I would have happily agreed to. But I have no recollection whatsoever of the discussion. I tried not to make this too obvious to Paul. I believe that Paul may have had the discussion with someone else; possibly Jacquie Hime of North Herts CVS who has also been engaged in this process, or possibly with that nice Bob chap who works at Watford CVS.
Party time
After work, I hurried home to Welwyn Garden City, collected Jackie, and we drove into London for a house-warming party. On arrival we were delighted to discover that it was also an engagement party.
Despite our delight at this news, I was exhausted after a long week and (although everyone made us very welcome) there was no escaping the fact that it was really a party for younger people and I sensed that guests were politely holding themselves back in my aged presence. So I persuaded Jackie that we should do the right thing and leave rather early. I think she was a bit disappointed.
This morning I had a 10:00 meeting at the Hertfordshire Community Foundation in Hatfield. With my barber due to open in WGC at 9:00, this was just sufficient time to finally have a haircut and still make the 10:00 meeting. The barbers finally opened up shop about 9:20 which meant a very swift haircut indeed and I just managed to arrive in Hatfield on time.
At HCF, David Fitzpatrick explained plans for the new Grassroots Grants scheme. Robin Charnley of Hertsmere CVS described the proposals as the most exciting news he had heard in many years and no-one disagreed: this really could transform the way CVSs work in Hertfordshire.
In short, the proposal is that each of Hertfordshire’s Districts and Boroughs get allocated an annual budget of (about) £25,000 to be used to support the initiatives of new and small community groups. This fund is to be managed locally by CVS using a “light touch” and working in partnership with local authorities and private sector groups through the Chamber of Commerce.
There is also the £1m match funding challenge in which the government will match every £1 of new private money raised for local endowments up to a maximum (across Hertfordshire) of £1m.
What a wonderful start to the day: a new haircut and a new grants programme for Watford.
Words
Back at the office, Anne and Vanessa were trying to make sense of a training programme they have agreed to deliver as part of the Engage programme for Children Schools and Families. I had a meeting with the steering group overseeing a project researching into how mental health services are accessed by women from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This is being ably led by Leslie Billy of The Guideposts Trust: volunteers have interviewed 100 women and results are being collated.
In a discussion about language barriers, Sash Seyan of the PCT said that one Indian language has only one word, Pagul, to describe a wide range of mental illnesses: anxiety, stress, depression, psychosis. It occured to me that just because there isn’t a special word to describe a particular condition, it does not mean that the condition is not understood. Conversely, where a special word does exist, it does not necessarily improve understanding: what's the difference between anxiety and stress? Not more than one in a hundred will know.
Aide Memoires
I often find notes I have written for myself that I have no memory of writing; often I also have no idea of their import. The notes contain only one piece of information: a date, a name or a telephone number. Today I found a note that read "22/5 - AGM!" Whose AGM? Where? 2008? After a short while, I found another note: "Ring Dave asap". Which Dave? Where? Why? I must exercise more discipline when writing to myself.
Late in the day, I called Paul Ruskin (our regional IT Champion) to follow up a discussion from early January on ICT needs in Hertfordshire. I was rather worried when Paul said that we had already followed up our earlier discussion and agreed a path forward. He briefly explained what we had agreed and it indeed sounded like the sort of thing I would have happily agreed to. But I have no recollection whatsoever of the discussion. I tried not to make this too obvious to Paul. I believe that Paul may have had the discussion with someone else; possibly Jacquie Hime of North Herts CVS who has also been engaged in this process, or possibly with that nice Bob chap who works at Watford CVS.
Party time
After work, I hurried home to Welwyn Garden City, collected Jackie, and we drove into London for a house-warming party. On arrival we were delighted to discover that it was also an engagement party.
Despite our delight at this news, I was exhausted after a long week and (although everyone made us very welcome) there was no escaping the fact that it was really a party for younger people and I sensed that guests were politely holding themselves back in my aged presence. So I persuaded Jackie that we should do the right thing and leave rather early. I think she was a bit disappointed.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
After further great input from Vanessa, I have finally sent off our initial submission for the NAVCA quality standard. I know we have more work to do before we meet the standard, so this is just another stage in the process. Our Action Plan already identifies several big projects so there is plenty more work to do and we must be patient.
In the evening, WCVS trustees gathered for their quarterly meeting.
During the meeting, WCVS agreed its 2008-09 budget including looked at the BASIS implementation, signed up for One Watford “Green Business Pledge”, reaffirmed its commitment to Fair Trade, decided on its 2008-09 membership system, discussed the NAVCA quality application, agreed some staffing changes, committed itself to a Board Review process, and co-opted two new members: Mir Ejaz of the Watford Muslim Community Project and Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts.
Pam Handley delivered another masterclass in chairing: making people feel welcome, including everyone in discussions, discussing all agenda items, and still closing the meeting within two hours. I run out of superlatives to describe my trustees.
In the evening, WCVS trustees gathered for their quarterly meeting.
During the meeting, WCVS agreed its 2008-09 budget including looked at the BASIS implementation, signed up for One Watford “Green Business Pledge”, reaffirmed its commitment to Fair Trade, decided on its 2008-09 membership system, discussed the NAVCA quality application, agreed some staffing changes, committed itself to a Board Review process, and co-opted two new members: Mir Ejaz of the Watford Muslim Community Project and Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts.
Pam Handley delivered another masterclass in chairing: making people feel welcome, including everyone in discussions, discussing all agenda items, and still closing the meeting within two hours. I run out of superlatives to describe my trustees.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
While Vanessa travelled from Watford to WGC for the Hertfordshire Development and Training Consortium, I journeyed in the opposite direction to make a further attempt to complete our NAVCA quality award submission and to sort through some queries on our IT project with Angelo.
Later still, Angelo and I met again with Melanie Claxton of the White Box Foundation and with her boss David Barker, head of White Box Digital. We talked about the voluntary sector and its IT needs, and David explained the work that White Box Digital are doing to support Survivors UK and with the ICT Hub to develop affordable IT solutions for the VCS. Much of this work falls squarely within the parameters of the ICT strategy that I developed with HIC in the run-up to Christmas so there is plenty of scope for synergy adn collaboration. But the ICT Hub will soon lose it’s national contract and it’s difficult to say how this will affect things. We also need to see how / when / if the HIC project goes ahead. We agreed to meet again at the beginning of April.
Wisdom in numbers
In the evening, I attended a meeting of the Watford One World Forum. This meeting helped underline two strengths of the voluntary sector. First, many voluntary activists gave up an evening for the greater good of their community; that’s pretty special. Secondly, intelligent debate led us to informed consensus on a series of thorny issues. As an inherent strength of the voluntary sector, this second is often overlooked: in fact “committees” are more often identified as a weakness than a strength. But with the right people and the right situation, open debate is a great positive force for creative problem-solving and for building social capital.
Later still, Angelo and I met again with Melanie Claxton of the White Box Foundation and with her boss David Barker, head of White Box Digital. We talked about the voluntary sector and its IT needs, and David explained the work that White Box Digital are doing to support Survivors UK and with the ICT Hub to develop affordable IT solutions for the VCS. Much of this work falls squarely within the parameters of the ICT strategy that I developed with HIC in the run-up to Christmas so there is plenty of scope for synergy adn collaboration. But the ICT Hub will soon lose it’s national contract and it’s difficult to say how this will affect things. We also need to see how / when / if the HIC project goes ahead. We agreed to meet again at the beginning of April.
Wisdom in numbers
In the evening, I attended a meeting of the Watford One World Forum. This meeting helped underline two strengths of the voluntary sector. First, many voluntary activists gave up an evening for the greater good of their community; that’s pretty special. Secondly, intelligent debate led us to informed consensus on a series of thorny issues. As an inherent strength of the voluntary sector, this second is often overlooked: in fact “committees” are more often identified as a weakness than a strength. But with the right people and the right situation, open debate is a great positive force for creative problem-solving and for building social capital.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Quality Assurance
My office has a large plate glass window. In the summer sunshine, this window magnifies heat to turn my office into a huge oven. On winter nights, the window sucks every last bit of warmth from the office creating a large icebox. There is no radiator or air conditioning. At midnight, I was sitting at my desk in this icebox pulling together our submission for the NAVCA quality standard.
We applied for this standard nearly a year ago. At that point, we thought we would soon be introducing a new Contacts Management System to underpin much quality assurance work. But the funding for this was finally only released a fortnight ago so we are behind schedule. Over the months, several people have worked to make progress on the NAVCA quality award, but it has been difficult without a core system and of course there have always been other priorities.
We have twice agreed an extended deadline with NAVCA for submission and I fear we have tried their patience enough. Hence my late night solitary push to get a first draft submission completed.
NAVCA's five quality standards are very clear and very helpful. Within each Standard there are then a handful of outcomes. And then our outputs and activities have to be married up to the outcomes to demonstrate that we have met the standard. Some of the outcomes seem by their nature outputs rather than outcomes. And then the whole thing needs to be supported by evidence that sometimes looks like replicating outcomes and sometimes looks like stating the blindingly obvious.
I suppose in the fullness of time, the mysteries of the NAVCA quality award will become clearer to me: it is relatively early days for us. And our work on the standard has already highlighted some areas where we need to make improvements. But why oh why is the system complex beyond all possible benefit or justification or reason?
BME Advocacy
I arrived at 8:00 this morning to prepare for our interviews starting at 9:30. There were some good candidates, but we eventually offered the job to a candidate who had always made clear that she only wanted to work half-time. We agreed on the appointment, as we were morally and legally bound to do. But we could not appoint a job-share partner so we will have to consider repeating the recruitment cycle.
The BME Advocacy service will support families who have a complaint about an incident on HCC school premises where there may be an element of direct or indirect discrimination on grounds of race or faith. I am told that Hertfordshire is the only local authority that funds a BME Advocacy service in this way.
After the interviews, I had a review meeting with HCC (as the contractor) and with the Multi-Ethnic Curriculum Support Service. There are some tough targets built into the contract. If we don’t meet the targets, does this mean that the service isn’t required? Or simply that we are not sufficiently accessible to the right people? We need to start promoting the service very soon!
My office has a large plate glass window. In the summer sunshine, this window magnifies heat to turn my office into a huge oven. On winter nights, the window sucks every last bit of warmth from the office creating a large icebox. There is no radiator or air conditioning. At midnight, I was sitting at my desk in this icebox pulling together our submission for the NAVCA quality standard.
We applied for this standard nearly a year ago. At that point, we thought we would soon be introducing a new Contacts Management System to underpin much quality assurance work. But the funding for this was finally only released a fortnight ago so we are behind schedule. Over the months, several people have worked to make progress on the NAVCA quality award, but it has been difficult without a core system and of course there have always been other priorities.
We have twice agreed an extended deadline with NAVCA for submission and I fear we have tried their patience enough. Hence my late night solitary push to get a first draft submission completed.
NAVCA's five quality standards are very clear and very helpful. Within each Standard there are then a handful of outcomes. And then our outputs and activities have to be married up to the outcomes to demonstrate that we have met the standard. Some of the outcomes seem by their nature outputs rather than outcomes. And then the whole thing needs to be supported by evidence that sometimes looks like replicating outcomes and sometimes looks like stating the blindingly obvious.
I suppose in the fullness of time, the mysteries of the NAVCA quality award will become clearer to me: it is relatively early days for us. And our work on the standard has already highlighted some areas where we need to make improvements. But why oh why is the system complex beyond all possible benefit or justification or reason?
BME Advocacy
I arrived at 8:00 this morning to prepare for our interviews starting at 9:30. There were some good candidates, but we eventually offered the job to a candidate who had always made clear that she only wanted to work half-time. We agreed on the appointment, as we were morally and legally bound to do. But we could not appoint a job-share partner so we will have to consider repeating the recruitment cycle.
The BME Advocacy service will support families who have a complaint about an incident on HCC school premises where there may be an element of direct or indirect discrimination on grounds of race or faith. I am told that Hertfordshire is the only local authority that funds a BME Advocacy service in this way.
After the interviews, I had a review meeting with HCC (as the contractor) and with the Multi-Ethnic Curriculum Support Service. There are some tough targets built into the contract. If we don’t meet the targets, does this mean that the service isn’t required? Or simply that we are not sufficiently accessible to the right people? We need to start promoting the service very soon!
Monday, 18 February 2008
My morning ablutions reminded me that I had yet again failed to get to the barber over the weekend and I look increasingly like a portly bearded Peter Stringfellow. As you might imagine, this is quite distressing.
There was a heavy hoary old frost this morning, with fog, and so a slow drive to Watford. Vanessa and I received e-mails telling us we are now fully accredited PQASSO Mentors, which is nice.
Most of the day I spent on staff reviews and preparations for Wednesday’s meeting of the Watford One World Forum and for tomorrow’s interviews.
In the evening, I worked on the draft constitution for a new Community Choir starting in Watford. I have met the couple behind the scheme and was very impressed by their obvious commitment and humanity. This particular draft was pretty good, far better than many I have seen, and pretty short. But reviewing draft constitutions is not exciting under any circumstances.
The Charity Commission now provide many model constitutions and approved models, and this is a great step forward. But the whole thing ought really to be much easier. It should not be beyond the wit of someone to devise a simple flow chart and animate this to ask eight or ten simple questions and then save and print a perfectly good draft constitution. Or governing document. Or Articles and Memorandum of Association.
I completed my comments about 7:00 pm and left for home.
There was a heavy hoary old frost this morning, with fog, and so a slow drive to Watford. Vanessa and I received e-mails telling us we are now fully accredited PQASSO Mentors, which is nice.
Most of the day I spent on staff reviews and preparations for Wednesday’s meeting of the Watford One World Forum and for tomorrow’s interviews.
In the evening, I worked on the draft constitution for a new Community Choir starting in Watford. I have met the couple behind the scheme and was very impressed by their obvious commitment and humanity. This particular draft was pretty good, far better than many I have seen, and pretty short. But reviewing draft constitutions is not exciting under any circumstances.
The Charity Commission now provide many model constitutions and approved models, and this is a great step forward. But the whole thing ought really to be much easier. It should not be beyond the wit of someone to devise a simple flow chart and animate this to ask eight or ten simple questions and then save and print a perfectly good draft constitution. Or governing document. Or Articles and Memorandum of Association.
I completed my comments about 7:00 pm and left for home.
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Gardening
At last I got to spend a good day in the garden starting right after a hearty breakfast. I only came in at 6:00 pm when it was too dark to see and the temperature had plummeted to minus 17 degrees centigrade. Perhaps. It might not have been quite that cold.
Recent reading
I've read two books from the early 1950s. First Blood, Oil and Sand written by journalist Ray Brock between the Iranian Oil and Suez crises - a virulent attack on the perceived communist threat to the Middle East and one of the books that confirmed the start of the Cold War.
I also re-read the sublime Under Milk Wood set in the palindromic Llareggub and packed with so much insight and humour and so many brilliant characters: a hundred pages of literary perfection.
At last I got to spend a good day in the garden starting right after a hearty breakfast. I only came in at 6:00 pm when it was too dark to see and the temperature had plummeted to minus 17 degrees centigrade. Perhaps. It might not have been quite that cold.
Recent reading
I've read two books from the early 1950s. First Blood, Oil and Sand written by journalist Ray Brock between the Iranian Oil and Suez crises - a virulent attack on the perceived communist threat to the Middle East and one of the books that confirmed the start of the Cold War.
I also re-read the sublime Under Milk Wood set in the palindromic Llareggub and packed with so much insight and humour and so many brilliant characters: a hundred pages of literary perfection.
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Once, our kitchen was adorned by a shelf unit on which Jackie displayed her extensive collection of curios. A year ago she was persuaded to replace this unit with a mirror. Today I replaced the mirror with new shelving. This was not as easy as it sounds because the shelf unit concerned was designed to stand on a floor, and not to be screwed into a wall.
While working, I heard an Italian restaurateur introduced as once having been “saved from a jellyfish attack by David Cameron”. Are our political leaders beyond all control? Where did David Cameron learn this unusual form of attack? And why did he risk his career to attack a restaurateur? I think we should be told.
Later in the day, we heard two lots of bad news – one friend diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and a family with three young children caught out in the great credit sqeeze. We didn’t have a particularly joyeous Saturday night.
While working, I heard an Italian restaurateur introduced as once having been “saved from a jellyfish attack by David Cameron”. Are our political leaders beyond all control? Where did David Cameron learn this unusual form of attack? And why did he risk his career to attack a restaurateur? I think we should be told.
Later in the day, we heard two lots of bad news – one friend diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and a family with three young children caught out in the great credit sqeeze. We didn’t have a particularly joyeous Saturday night.
Friday, 15 February 2008
I spent the morning working on our NAVCA quality assurance application. So many others have helped prepare things and I am pretty sure we can get off a good initial application, but delays implementing of our new database mean that there are some areas where we struggle to meet the NAVCA quality standard.
In the afternoon, I held meetings with our Connexions team and carried out another staff review.
I was very sorry to miss the event at the Collosseum focusing on the work that Bev Carter is doing establishing links between Watford and Umulogho village in Nigeria.
In the afternoon, I held meetings with our Connexions team and carried out another staff review.
I was very sorry to miss the event at the Collosseum focusing on the work that Bev Carter is doing establishing links between Watford and Umulogho village in Nigeria.
Thursday, 14 February 2008
St Valentine’s Day
No-one has ever satisfactorily explained why St Valentine should be associated with lovers. Personally I suspect the sinister hand of the Greetings Card industry so to spite them Jackie and I didn't exchange cards, but kisses and small boxes of luxury chocolates. A lovely start to the day.
Vanessa and I were back at the NCVO in the parallel World of Training having our final assessment as PQASSO mentors. Along with five other pairings on the course we had to deliver a short presentation on a particular aspect of PQASSO. I think we did well enough and now we wait with bated breath for our PQASSO Mentor licences.
Reflections for 2008-09
This day brought home to me how much effort WCVS has put into its preparations for 2008-09. We have planned, we have secured funding, trained, reorganised, upgraded our network, secured quality assurance accreditations etc etc etc. There are still a few outstanding tasks: we need to introduce our new contacts management system and complete our NAVCA quality award and finish a few missing strategies and policies.
But we now need to focus on 2008-09 as a Year of Delivery when we devote our energies to engaging with local voluntary groups and ensuring they receive the support they need.
No-one has ever satisfactorily explained why St Valentine should be associated with lovers. Personally I suspect the sinister hand of the Greetings Card industry so to spite them Jackie and I didn't exchange cards, but kisses and small boxes of luxury chocolates. A lovely start to the day.
Vanessa and I were back at the NCVO in the parallel World of Training having our final assessment as PQASSO mentors. Along with five other pairings on the course we had to deliver a short presentation on a particular aspect of PQASSO. I think we did well enough and now we wait with bated breath for our PQASSO Mentor licences.
Reflections for 2008-09
This day brought home to me how much effort WCVS has put into its preparations for 2008-09. We have planned, we have secured funding, trained, reorganised, upgraded our network, secured quality assurance accreditations etc etc etc. There are still a few outstanding tasks: we need to introduce our new contacts management system and complete our NAVCA quality award and finish a few missing strategies and policies.
But we now need to focus on 2008-09 as a Year of Delivery when we devote our energies to engaging with local voluntary groups and ensuring they receive the support they need.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
I began the morning meeting with Louise Jones of Connexions who manages our Aim Higher contract. We talked about the contract and targets and so on and also about the ongoing merger in Hertfordshire of Youth Services and Connexions. The merger plans envisage services becoming more focused on Districts and Boroughs. This is problematic for us: although all our PAs are employed in Watford and work predominently with young people from Watford, they also work with young people in Dacorum, St Albans, Three Rivers, Hertsmere, and occasionally even from north London. Young people have far too little respect for District boundaries.
After this I worked hard to e-mail out final papers for next week's trustees meeting and to finish preparations (with Vanessa) for tomorrow’s PQASSO training.
After this I worked hard to e-mail out final papers for next week's trustees meeting and to finish preparations (with Vanessa) for tomorrow’s PQASSO training.
Tuesday, 12 Febuary 2008
Today I attended the latest meeting of One Watford (the Local Strategic Partnership) chaired by our Mayor Dorothy Thornhill.
The One Watford LSP has done great work developing a Community Plan and working on LAA1 covering (I think) 2006-09. LAA2 (to cover 2008-11) now looms large on the horizon and discussions of LAA2 really dominated the meeting. We saw some presentations from HCC and agreed our comments on the draft county-wide priorities to try and ensure that Watford’s particular needs were not overlooked.
We also reviewed the findings of our recent Aspire workshop. Watford CVS is charged with co-ordinating various community initiatives – very particularly co-ordinating our own Community Development Strategy with WBC’s Community Engagement Strategy and the Community Empowerment Strategy being drafted by the new Community Housing Trust. This is good news and illustrates one key contribution that the VCS can make to LSPs.
Another issue I have championed on the LSP is representation of the VCS and of Watford’s diverse communities. The LSP having agreed that there are issues to address (and myself knowing that WCVS also needs to sort its own policies out a little) we agreed that Mayor Dorothy and I would discuss this again in the summer and return to the LSP with clear proposals.
This seems entirely helpful. I must remember to add it to the agenda for WCVS’s trustees meeting next week.
The One Watford LSP has done great work developing a Community Plan and working on LAA1 covering (I think) 2006-09. LAA2 (to cover 2008-11) now looms large on the horizon and discussions of LAA2 really dominated the meeting. We saw some presentations from HCC and agreed our comments on the draft county-wide priorities to try and ensure that Watford’s particular needs were not overlooked.
We also reviewed the findings of our recent Aspire workshop. Watford CVS is charged with co-ordinating various community initiatives – very particularly co-ordinating our own Community Development Strategy with WBC’s Community Engagement Strategy and the Community Empowerment Strategy being drafted by the new Community Housing Trust. This is good news and illustrates one key contribution that the VCS can make to LSPs.
Another issue I have championed on the LSP is representation of the VCS and of Watford’s diverse communities. The LSP having agreed that there are issues to address (and myself knowing that WCVS also needs to sort its own policies out a little) we agreed that Mayor Dorothy and I would discuss this again in the summer and return to the LSP with clear proposals.
This seems entirely helpful. I must remember to add it to the agenda for WCVS’s trustees meeting next week.
Monday, 11 February 2008
After the fog lifted there was another beautiful bright morning. I met our Treasurer John Casstles to talk through the current financial report, the draft 2008-09 budget and other matters. Later I completed another staff review. Later still I met with Anne Saffery of Age Concern to talk through some issues around property and premises.
Mostly I worked on papers for next week’s trustees meeting - another long evening at the office.
Mostly I worked on papers for next week’s trustees meeting - another long evening at the office.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
I called some old friends to catch up on things and discovered that two of my best friends are expecting another baby. Instead of spending the day enjoying the sunshine in the garden, I put up bookshelves and sorted through books to pass back to charity shops - a strange choice for a sunny Sunday. In the evening I completed The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey and Danny Danzinger. I read it eight years behind everyone else: it was a bit thin but still enjoyable.
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Our Big Day Out
What a glorious winter morning: blue and bright and shimmering. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t thinking: Who on earth will want to spend all day at a conference on a day like this? This was not an idle question as today was the day of the Hertfordshire Charity Trustee Conference at Hatfield's Comet Hotel.
I arrived at 8:00 am to set up projectors and PA systems. Already there were Vanessa (WCVS Development and Training Officer), Maria (WCVS Office Co-ordinator) and Mary Green (CEO at Three Rivers CVS).
Around 9:15 am, people started arriving in a steady stream and I thought: Only half will stay for the afternoon session. I think I was Eeyore in a previous life. I had a few minor worries setting up the IT and PA systems, but nothing to cause any real panic.
Pam Handley chaired the conference with her usual aplomb. Linda Laurance gave a comprehensive introduction to governance issues, Michael Carpenter picked up the pace focusing on the Charity Trustee Network, and Tesse Akpeki produced a rousing end to the first plenary session.
There was a really nice buzz about the place. I can't say what exactly: I just knew that everything was going to be fine.
All the morning workshops went well and I enjoyed a good lunch with with Althea McLean, Arthur MacLean and Tesse Akpeki - all extraordinarily lovely people.
Alan Clarkin started the afternoon with a shining introduction to the Charity Commission. Usually, this is the graveyard slot but Alan’s presentation was extremely entertaining and informative.
After the final workshop session, the conference closed with an Experts Panel. If anything, there were more people present for this final 3:00 am session than there were at the opening 10:00 pm session. That's what a good day it was.
To ensure a Hertfordshire presence, Jacquie Hime was to join the Experts Panel from the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium but she reasonably pointed out that she had already led three workshops and had done enough. So I got to sit as an “Expert” alongside Alan Clarkin, Linda Clarkin and Michael Carpenter, chaired by Andrew Burt of HCC. Great fun!
The conference ended on a general cushion of goodwill and it was all very pleasant. We got so much positive feedback and I do hope we get to do the same again next year.
I would love to lay claim to the conference as another Watford CVS triumph. But the conference was a triumph for partnership working. Vanessa had the original idea for the conference, arising from discussions with North Herts CVS and with Suffolk Association for Voluntary Organisations. Funding was secured through Herts County Council and through Capacitybuilders. Recruitment to the event was organised via all Herts CVSs and through the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. Three River CVS helped out on the day. Speakers came from statutory, private and public sectors adn they delivered workshops as well as plenary sessions. There were also workshops from HIC and from SAVO. Everyone mucked in. I think the "out-of-county" speakers were pleased by the turnout and the good atmosphere, and they smiled, and the participants got a lift from this, and it all worked very well.
But through this false Watford modesty, I do hope everyone knows that in truth the credit for the planning and hard work really does belong to Vanessa Levy and Maria Waszkis.
What a glorious winter morning: blue and bright and shimmering. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t thinking: Who on earth will want to spend all day at a conference on a day like this? This was not an idle question as today was the day of the Hertfordshire Charity Trustee Conference at Hatfield's Comet Hotel.
I arrived at 8:00 am to set up projectors and PA systems. Already there were Vanessa (WCVS Development and Training Officer), Maria (WCVS Office Co-ordinator) and Mary Green (CEO at Three Rivers CVS).
Around 9:15 am, people started arriving in a steady stream and I thought: Only half will stay for the afternoon session. I think I was Eeyore in a previous life. I had a few minor worries setting up the IT and PA systems, but nothing to cause any real panic.
Pam Handley chaired the conference with her usual aplomb. Linda Laurance gave a comprehensive introduction to governance issues, Michael Carpenter picked up the pace focusing on the Charity Trustee Network, and Tesse Akpeki produced a rousing end to the first plenary session.
There was a really nice buzz about the place. I can't say what exactly: I just knew that everything was going to be fine.
All the morning workshops went well and I enjoyed a good lunch with with Althea McLean, Arthur MacLean and Tesse Akpeki - all extraordinarily lovely people.
Alan Clarkin started the afternoon with a shining introduction to the Charity Commission. Usually, this is the graveyard slot but Alan’s presentation was extremely entertaining and informative.
After the final workshop session, the conference closed with an Experts Panel. If anything, there were more people present for this final 3:00 am session than there were at the opening 10:00 pm session. That's what a good day it was.
To ensure a Hertfordshire presence, Jacquie Hime was to join the Experts Panel from the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium but she reasonably pointed out that she had already led three workshops and had done enough. So I got to sit as an “Expert” alongside Alan Clarkin, Linda Clarkin and Michael Carpenter, chaired by Andrew Burt of HCC. Great fun!
The conference ended on a general cushion of goodwill and it was all very pleasant. We got so much positive feedback and I do hope we get to do the same again next year.
I would love to lay claim to the conference as another Watford CVS triumph. But the conference was a triumph for partnership working. Vanessa had the original idea for the conference, arising from discussions with North Herts CVS and with Suffolk Association for Voluntary Organisations. Funding was secured through Herts County Council and through Capacitybuilders. Recruitment to the event was organised via all Herts CVSs and through the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. Three River CVS helped out on the day. Speakers came from statutory, private and public sectors adn they delivered workshops as well as plenary sessions. There were also workshops from HIC and from SAVO. Everyone mucked in. I think the "out-of-county" speakers were pleased by the turnout and the good atmosphere, and they smiled, and the participants got a lift from this, and it all worked very well.
But through this false Watford modesty, I do hope everyone knows that in truth the credit for the planning and hard work really does belong to Vanessa Levy and Maria Waszkis.
Friday, 8 February 2008
Early morning alarm call
Our household was woken up about 4:00 am by a smoke alarm beeping loudly and persistently - to let us know that its battery is running out. By the time I’d dealt with it and we’d all had a cup of tea, the prospect of further sleep seemed very distant, so I tucked Jackie back up in bed and drove to Watford.
I had a good few hours working on papers for our forthcoming Trustees’ meeting. Then at 10:00 I met with Vivienne Davies (of Home-Start) and Roland Bedford (Signposts) and Claire Pitkin (Youth Council) to talk about voluntary sector representation on the District Children’s Trust Partnership. Each are voluntary sector members of the DCTP and we discussed ways in which they can most effectively support and represent local voluntary groups.
We discussed the differences between championing and representing (on which I felt particularly well-briefed after Laura Cronshaw’s recent presentation) and options for strengthening the role.
We agreed that Vivienne and Roland should be formally adopted as Watford CVS representatives, underpinned by generally improved communications, a networking event on the DCTP and VCS, and in due course an appropriate selection procedure. I will consult my trustees next week.
Although I had often heard her name mentioned, this was my first meeting with Claire Pitkin adn very impressive she was too.
Over lunch, I met with Vanessa and Maria to finalise plans for tomorrow’s big trustees’ event.
I also had to configure two new laptops that have arrived for our Connexions staff.
Later in the afternoon we held a staff meeting here to discuss our future accommodation needs, and the role of volunteers in the office here. Consensus is emerging.
You decide
I’ve been deluged with a request to explain my views on Rowan Williams's comments on "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty" and I am pleased to elaborate.
Rowan Williams wants a society where religious groups can be exempt from certain legislation or can opt in or out of certain legislation. I believe that this amounts to a Bigots’ Charter. The “inevitable” result would be a world where jobs and services can be advertised as “Christians only” or “Jews need not apply” or "No Gays or Lesbians" and where people are not free-thinking equal individuals but exist only as the property of a particular faith.
If Rowan Williams made these connections, and chose to make his comments anyway, then I believe he is very wicked. If he did not foresee the logical conclusion of his remarks, and the furore they would produce, then he is a deeply stupid man.
His biggest victims are Britain's Muslims. Rowan Williams didn't focus on special pleading for his own faith but instead chose to hide behind Islam. It is possible that Rowan Williams was too stupid to see that this would place Islam in the front line. Or perhaps he understood very well and just didn’t care.
So, Rowan Williams: Deeply Evil or just Very Very Stupid?
You decide.
Our household was woken up about 4:00 am by a smoke alarm beeping loudly and persistently - to let us know that its battery is running out. By the time I’d dealt with it and we’d all had a cup of tea, the prospect of further sleep seemed very distant, so I tucked Jackie back up in bed and drove to Watford.
I had a good few hours working on papers for our forthcoming Trustees’ meeting. Then at 10:00 I met with Vivienne Davies (of Home-Start) and Roland Bedford (Signposts) and Claire Pitkin (Youth Council) to talk about voluntary sector representation on the District Children’s Trust Partnership. Each are voluntary sector members of the DCTP and we discussed ways in which they can most effectively support and represent local voluntary groups.
We discussed the differences between championing and representing (on which I felt particularly well-briefed after Laura Cronshaw’s recent presentation) and options for strengthening the role.
We agreed that Vivienne and Roland should be formally adopted as Watford CVS representatives, underpinned by generally improved communications, a networking event on the DCTP and VCS, and in due course an appropriate selection procedure. I will consult my trustees next week.
Although I had often heard her name mentioned, this was my first meeting with Claire Pitkin adn very impressive she was too.
Over lunch, I met with Vanessa and Maria to finalise plans for tomorrow’s big trustees’ event.
I also had to configure two new laptops that have arrived for our Connexions staff.
Later in the afternoon we held a staff meeting here to discuss our future accommodation needs, and the role of volunteers in the office here. Consensus is emerging.
You decide
I’ve been deluged with a request to explain my views on Rowan Williams's comments on "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty" and I am pleased to elaborate.
Rowan Williams wants a society where religious groups can be exempt from certain legislation or can opt in or out of certain legislation. I believe that this amounts to a Bigots’ Charter. The “inevitable” result would be a world where jobs and services can be advertised as “Christians only” or “Jews need not apply” or "No Gays or Lesbians" and where people are not free-thinking equal individuals but exist only as the property of a particular faith.
If Rowan Williams made these connections, and chose to make his comments anyway, then I believe he is very wicked. If he did not foresee the logical conclusion of his remarks, and the furore they would produce, then he is a deeply stupid man.
His biggest victims are Britain's Muslims. Rowan Williams didn't focus on special pleading for his own faith but instead chose to hide behind Islam. It is possible that Rowan Williams was too stupid to see that this would place Islam in the front line. Or perhaps he understood very well and just didn’t care.
So, Rowan Williams: Deeply Evil or just Very Very Stupid?
You decide.
Thursday, 7 February 2008
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?
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.
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