Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Thank goodness we decided not to go camping! Today we spent yet another wet day gardening after which our water feature now just awaits the concrete. And my toothache is getting worse.
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
Same old, same old
After yet another damp day in the garden, I went off in the evening to join the local Chess Club. I was made to feel very welcome, but with typical bad timing I chose the night of their AGM. I did make the point that their website gave little help to potential new members, but I was clearly wrong on this. I spent two hours listening to the members address and resolve the issues of the day: attracting new members, meeting the costs of accommodation, improving the website, balancing engagement in formal structures against more informal activities. These questions must be addressed perennially by thousands of voluntary groups across the country.
Perhaps I’ll get a game of chess next week.
After yet another damp day in the garden, I went off in the evening to join the local Chess Club. I was made to feel very welcome, but with typical bad timing I chose the night of their AGM. I did make the point that their website gave little help to potential new members, but I was clearly wrong on this. I spent two hours listening to the members address and resolve the issues of the day: attracting new members, meeting the costs of accommodation, improving the website, balancing engagement in formal structures against more informal activities. These questions must be addressed perennially by thousands of voluntary groups across the country.
Perhaps I’ll get a game of chess next week.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Jackie and I spent another day in the garden dodging the rain - but at least our water feature is beginning to take shape.
Sunday, 31 August 2008
I spent another relaxing day with Jackie, starting to build our new water feature - a natural-looking cascade flowing down our rockery and into a small pond.
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Jackie and I had said we would go off walking this coming week. But the weather forecast looks so horrible, we decided instead to take the next week to build a new water feature in our garden. We spent most of today buying pumps and concrete and stuff. We know this isn't the most ecological of things to tackle, but our reasoning is that the water will attract frogs and they will be a natural antidote to slugs.
Friday, 29 August 2008
Andrea Allez of NAVCA spent the day with us reviewing our submission for the NAVCA quality award. Over the years, I have worked on several quality awards and these NAVCA standards and evidence requirements are pretty tough. But the process has also been extremely helpful in identifying strengths and weaknesses. Thankfully, Vanessa Levy (our Development and Training Officer) was here and she was tremendous – along with other staff and trustees who contributed. At the end of the day, Andrea gave some very helpful feedback. We wait with bated breath.
While Vanessa was taking the lead on QA, I was wrestling with some thorny IT problems – Connexions have changed their on-line database and our Connexions staff can’t get past the new security. I finally managed to resolve things at about 7:00 pm and headed off for a week’s leave.
While Vanessa was taking the lead on QA, I was wrestling with some thorny IT problems – Connexions have changed their on-line database and our Connexions staff can’t get past the new security. I finally managed to resolve things at about 7:00 pm and headed off for a week’s leave.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
I went to the Cover offices at Great Chesterton for a meeting of Trustees Together – the regional grouping looking at the needs of trustees. As our Trustee Network is scheduled for launch on 2 October, this was very timely.
On the return journey I dropped by at County Hall to meet with Andrew Burt to move toward finalising arrangements for the 29 October conference on LAA2, NI7, Compact, Partnership and Public Law. For those that don’t speak local government jargon, this is a conference about Local Area Agreements (the strategic plans for each local authority area). The Hertfordshire LAA incorporates National Indicator 7 (“creating an environment for a thriving third sector”). The Hertfordshire Compact Working Group (of which I am co-chair, with the lovely Jacquie Hime) sees this as a great opportunity to reinvigorate the Compact agenda, building effective partnerships between the statutory and voluntary sectors. And it seems sensible for this opportunity to also incorporate a better understanding of Public Law.
The plans are progressing a little too slowly for my liking, but they will doubtless come together soon.
On the return journey I dropped by at County Hall to meet with Andrew Burt to move toward finalising arrangements for the 29 October conference on LAA2, NI7, Compact, Partnership and Public Law. For those that don’t speak local government jargon, this is a conference about Local Area Agreements (the strategic plans for each local authority area). The Hertfordshire LAA incorporates National Indicator 7 (“creating an environment for a thriving third sector”). The Hertfordshire Compact Working Group (of which I am co-chair, with the lovely Jacquie Hime) sees this as a great opportunity to reinvigorate the Compact agenda, building effective partnerships between the statutory and voluntary sectors. And it seems sensible for this opportunity to also incorporate a better understanding of Public Law.
The plans are progressing a little too slowly for my liking, but they will doubtless come together soon.
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
After a day tackling IT problems (we had five new PCs installed) and looking to develop the Sunflower website, this evening we held the second AGM of the Watford One World forum. We enjoyed a very good presentation from Laura Cronshaw (of St Albans CVS) talking about the Representation Toolkit and from Michael Lassman (of EqualityEdge) talking about Working with Difference.
We had hoped to elect new officers for WOWf but after some very interesting discussions, we decided instead to ask a small working group to set up a short-term plan for the forum.
We had hoped to elect new officers for WOWf but after some very interesting discussions, we decided instead to ask a small working group to set up a short-term plan for the forum.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
I devoted most of my day to drawing up a detailed letter to Watford Borough Council on our hopes / expectations / requirements re: a possible relocation to the Holywell Centre.
Monday, 25 August 2008
A fete worse then death?
Jackie and I today drove to the Essendon Great Fete. Essendon is the first village east of Welwyn Garden City (perhaps 3 miles away) but it took us half an hour to get there as everyone else had also decided to attend the Fete. The organisers were overwhelmed and the tailback stretched past Welwyn and half way back to Hertford. The car-parking attendants were ill-prepared and tried to micro-manage every individual vehicle resulting in yet further unnecessary delays.
I have many fond memories of Hertfordshire’s village fetes, but this was frantic: there were queues everywhere and for everything and there are few spectacles less edifying than upper middle-class English families determined to ensure that their children will have a good time.
As society becomes less cohesive and more manic, there is a mania for "traditional" events - which of course lose their relevance and become merely over-managed opportunities to raise money at all costs. It wasn't a fete worse than death, I am just too weak-willed to resist an obvious pun. But it wasn't pleasant: I don’t feel that I took part in a traditional relaxed rural celebration of cohesion and togetherness. Rather, I feel like I have had a glimpse of society on the edge.
Jackie and I today drove to the Essendon Great Fete. Essendon is the first village east of Welwyn Garden City (perhaps 3 miles away) but it took us half an hour to get there as everyone else had also decided to attend the Fete. The organisers were overwhelmed and the tailback stretched past Welwyn and half way back to Hertford. The car-parking attendants were ill-prepared and tried to micro-manage every individual vehicle resulting in yet further unnecessary delays.
I have many fond memories of Hertfordshire’s village fetes, but this was frantic: there were queues everywhere and for everything and there are few spectacles less edifying than upper middle-class English families determined to ensure that their children will have a good time.
As society becomes less cohesive and more manic, there is a mania for "traditional" events - which of course lose their relevance and become merely over-managed opportunities to raise money at all costs. It wasn't a fete worse than death, I am just too weak-willed to resist an obvious pun. But it wasn't pleasant: I don’t feel that I took part in a traditional relaxed rural celebration of cohesion and togetherness. Rather, I feel like I have had a glimpse of society on the edge.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
I drove Bobby to Brighton, buying a bed en route. On the return journey I listened to a very good Radio 4 programme about Hate Crime directed against disabled people and then to an equally good (but less harrowing) programme on Noel Coward's poetry.
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Jackie and Bobby and I drove to Ampthill to visit my sister and had a thoroughly good time. On the return journey we dropped by for an uproarious meal with my Mum and nephew. All great fun.
Friday, 22 August 2008
I met in the morning with my Chair of trustees, and we discussed WCVS’s accommodation, our forthcoming AGM and our forthcoming NAVCA inspection.
As Pam left, Angelo arrived to install some new PCs, while I left for Hatfield to give a presentation to colleagues from the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium on the new mywatford.net system at the splendid new offices of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation. Even allowing for my (let’s be charitable) idiosyncratic presentation style, I was struck by the range of very different reactions to the demonstration: some enthusiastic, some keenly interested, some cool, some wary or even slightly cynical. People do have these very private adn personal reactions to ICT: which is what makes ICT so endlessly difficult and endlessly fascinating.
As Pam left, Angelo arrived to install some new PCs, while I left for Hatfield to give a presentation to colleagues from the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium on the new mywatford.net system at the splendid new offices of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation. Even allowing for my (let’s be charitable) idiosyncratic presentation style, I was struck by the range of very different reactions to the demonstration: some enthusiastic, some keenly interested, some cool, some wary or even slightly cynical. People do have these very private adn personal reactions to ICT: which is what makes ICT so endlessly difficult and endlessly fascinating.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
This morning I dispatched personal e-mails to each of our registered mywatford.net users. Numbers are building but we still need many more users before the site can become firmly established.
Farce
In the afternoon, I journeyed into London for a meeting at the Disability Law Service. It has become a tradition that I always arrive about 20 minutes late for these meetings, and to sustain this tradition I am having to contrive ever more elaborate difficulties. Today’s journey included missing a train because my car-parking ticket blew from my hand as I was trying to affix it to my windscreen. After unsuccessfully scrambling about on my hands and knees searching under parked vans and cars I finally had to find a cash point to get some more money and then get some change to buy another parking ticket. I kept expecting to bump into Laurel and Hardy or perhaps Brian Rix.
The DLS meeting included some very interesting discussions on the charity’s future accommodation, direction and purpose. On the journey back through Kings Cross I met with my son Bobby who is coming to stay for the weekend.
Conspiracy theory
But Jackie and I had plans for the evening. Undaunted by Sir Thomas Beecham's sneering words, we intended to join in the Folk Dancing at the Welwyn Free Church. But the church was all dark inside and there was no sign of the Welwyn Garden City Folk Dance Club. At first, I simply thought that we had mis-read the time, or that the club had closed down for the summer. But then darker thoughts jostled their way to my mind.
Jackie remembered that last autumn we had gone to attend a leeting of the local Archaeological Society, and this meeting also seemed not to exist. I recalled that earlier in the Spring I had gone to play at the local Chess Club and this journey was also fruitless.
The awful thought struck me: what if none of these clubs and societies actually exist? What if someone somewhere is simply inventing these activities and banking on the likelihood that everyone is too busy (or too seduced by television) to ever actually turn up for the events - or that if they do, they wont try a second time.
It is a disturbing thought. The mastermind might be a senior council bureaucrat who has worked out that people like to live in a town with a strong sense of community, but who also knows that actually everyone is too busy to actually do anything. Rather than having a town that is simply a social wasteland, what could be easier or more public spirited (reasoned our bureaucrat) than to invent a thriving social network? Everyone will be much happier living in a healthy community, and there will be no real victims - just a few sad old sods trying to play chess or go folk dancing, and who would listen to them?
Just a few key people could get away with this for years. How long has this conspiracy been going on? I think we should be told.
Farce
In the afternoon, I journeyed into London for a meeting at the Disability Law Service. It has become a tradition that I always arrive about 20 minutes late for these meetings, and to sustain this tradition I am having to contrive ever more elaborate difficulties. Today’s journey included missing a train because my car-parking ticket blew from my hand as I was trying to affix it to my windscreen. After unsuccessfully scrambling about on my hands and knees searching under parked vans and cars I finally had to find a cash point to get some more money and then get some change to buy another parking ticket. I kept expecting to bump into Laurel and Hardy or perhaps Brian Rix.
The DLS meeting included some very interesting discussions on the charity’s future accommodation, direction and purpose. On the journey back through Kings Cross I met with my son Bobby who is coming to stay for the weekend.
Conspiracy theory
But Jackie and I had plans for the evening. Undaunted by Sir Thomas Beecham's sneering words, we intended to join in the Folk Dancing at the Welwyn Free Church. But the church was all dark inside and there was no sign of the Welwyn Garden City Folk Dance Club. At first, I simply thought that we had mis-read the time, or that the club had closed down for the summer. But then darker thoughts jostled their way to my mind.
Jackie remembered that last autumn we had gone to attend a leeting of the local Archaeological Society, and this meeting also seemed not to exist. I recalled that earlier in the Spring I had gone to play at the local Chess Club and this journey was also fruitless.
The awful thought struck me: what if none of these clubs and societies actually exist? What if someone somewhere is simply inventing these activities and banking on the likelihood that everyone is too busy (or too seduced by television) to ever actually turn up for the events - or that if they do, they wont try a second time.
It is a disturbing thought. The mastermind might be a senior council bureaucrat who has worked out that people like to live in a town with a strong sense of community, but who also knows that actually everyone is too busy to actually do anything. Rather than having a town that is simply a social wasteland, what could be easier or more public spirited (reasoned our bureaucrat) than to invent a thriving social network? Everyone will be much happier living in a healthy community, and there will be no real victims - just a few sad old sods trying to play chess or go folk dancing, and who would listen to them?
Just a few key people could get away with this for years. How long has this conspiracy been going on? I think we should be told.
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Today I met with Robin and Heather from Hertsmere CVS who came to see what progress we had made with CRM and mywatford.net. I also met with local Crime Reduction Officer Mike Sibley to discuss setting up a “Good Neighbours” scheme, and with Helen Price (Volunteer Centre co-ordinator) on much the same theme.
Wet blanket
Immediately the British medal-rush started at Beijing, it occurred to me that it was four years too early. Britain’s athletes will certainly be expected to improve on this performance when the Olympics are held in London in 2012. Otherwise, at least in the world of domestic politics, London 2012 will be seen as an anti-climax. To use an athletic metaphor, the team of 2008 have set the bar very high.
Politicians and sports administrators will ponder upon this difficulty. They will notice that the country’s top sportsmen and women have turned investment into Olympic success. They will notice that the media loved it. They will notice that politicians can grab some of this glory for themselves. The more cynical will notice that charity and cultural investments rarely offer such media bonanzas.
For the next four years at least, politicians will find it very hard to resist the demands of the various sporting bodies - and correspondingly hard to find money for charitable adn community initiatives. While I have been thrilled by British performances in Beijing, I see a tough four years ahead for charity and community groups.
Wet blanket
Immediately the British medal-rush started at Beijing, it occurred to me that it was four years too early. Britain’s athletes will certainly be expected to improve on this performance when the Olympics are held in London in 2012. Otherwise, at least in the world of domestic politics, London 2012 will be seen as an anti-climax. To use an athletic metaphor, the team of 2008 have set the bar very high.
Politicians and sports administrators will ponder upon this difficulty. They will notice that the country’s top sportsmen and women have turned investment into Olympic success. They will notice that the media loved it. They will notice that politicians can grab some of this glory for themselves. The more cynical will notice that charity and cultural investments rarely offer such media bonanzas.
For the next four years at least, politicians will find it very hard to resist the demands of the various sporting bodies - and correspondingly hard to find money for charitable adn community initiatives. While I have been thrilled by British performances in Beijing, I see a tough four years ahead for charity and community groups.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
I arrived in Watford early and spent some time tidying up various parts of mywatford.net. At last, I now have a clear idea of how the template site should look and I need to spend some time with Angelo working this through. At 10:00 I had another mywatford.net workshop. Again the internet connection was tortuously and painfully slow so we abandoned the “hands on” part of the workshop. But for what it’s worth I am at least now convinced that there is nothing fundamentally wrong at our end of the connection.
After a short visit to the CVS office, I walked over to the Town Hall to meet with our Mayor, Dorothy Thornhill. We covered a lot of ground in our hour-long chat about the needs of the local voluntary sector.
I left Watford at 3:30, still with no news on the award of the HCC LINks contract. On my way home, I had to drop off a Fundraising Toolkit for Kate Belinis at Herts CDA in Hatfield. Herts CDA had also put in a bid for the HCC LINks contract.
When I arrived at Herts CDA, Kate asked: “Have you had an e-mail from HCC about LINks?” She asked in such a way as to indicate that she had received such an e-mail.
“Is it good news?” I asked, with an unspoken “… for either of us?” But by the time I had stumbled out the question, I had already seen the answer on Kate’s face and heard it in her voice. HCC wanted to appoint someone with strong connections in Hertfordshire’s communities; so they have appointed the Shaw Trust in preference to bids from Herts CDA and Herts CVS. Go figure (as I believe the Americans say).
The task now is to get clear feedback from HCC on where we went wrong (and / or where and why our bid was marked down) so we can at least learn some lessons from this exercise.
After a short visit to the CVS office, I walked over to the Town Hall to meet with our Mayor, Dorothy Thornhill. We covered a lot of ground in our hour-long chat about the needs of the local voluntary sector.
I left Watford at 3:30, still with no news on the award of the HCC LINks contract. On my way home, I had to drop off a Fundraising Toolkit for Kate Belinis at Herts CDA in Hatfield. Herts CDA had also put in a bid for the HCC LINks contract.
When I arrived at Herts CDA, Kate asked: “Have you had an e-mail from HCC about LINks?” She asked in such a way as to indicate that she had received such an e-mail.
“Is it good news?” I asked, with an unspoken “… for either of us?” But by the time I had stumbled out the question, I had already seen the answer on Kate’s face and heard it in her voice. HCC wanted to appoint someone with strong connections in Hertfordshire’s communities; so they have appointed the Shaw Trust in preference to bids from Herts CDA and Herts CVS. Go figure (as I believe the Americans say).
The task now is to get clear feedback from HCC on where we went wrong (and / or where and why our bid was marked down) so we can at least learn some lessons from this exercise.
Monday, 18 August 2008
I took a rare day's holiday, but my attempts at relaxing were rather spoiled by the continued wait for HCC to award their LINks contract. I called HCC shortly after 9:00 am and was assured that the decision would be communicated today. At 4:59 pm I called again and was told that no final decision had been taken after all and there would be a delay of “24 to 48 hours”.
Interesting. But not encouraging: the most likely scenario I could imagine is that HCC are completing some form of negotiations with (or checks on) the selected provider. The Shaw Trust have been in the news rather a lot lately ...
Interesting. But not encouraging: the most likely scenario I could imagine is that HCC are completing some form of negotiations with (or checks on) the selected provider. The Shaw Trust have been in the news rather a lot lately ...
Sunday, 17 August 2008
A day spent gardening and relaxing is never wasted. I am worried about Aged Ken (our decrepit white cat) who now seems completely oblivious to anything that happens more than three feet away.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Jackie and I enjoyed a typical Saturday of domestic bliss and an evening of good food, good wine and good company.
Friday, 15 August 2008
Today I went to the second meeting of the local Health Inequalities Fund.
Peter Wright of the PCT has been very brave in setting up these meetings, each to agree on expenditure against £5,000. He has been ably supported by Emma Gadsby of WBC. Over the two meetings I was a bit disappointed by the turnout from voluntary organisations. I think this was partly due to voluntary groups not understanding the opportunity (ie: we didn’t explain it very well) adn partly to the narrow focus of the meetings (“physical exercise for the over-45s in minority ethnic communities” and “smoking cessation in West Watford”).
But decisions have been taken - and the exercise has produced invaluable lessons for future similar initiatives. One lesson concerns the ignorance between the voluntary and statutory sectors: some voluntary organisations believe statutory agencies have money to burn and some statutory agencies believe the way to involve the voluntary sector is to let them attend public events. Peter, Emma and I must get together soon to exchange notes!
Peter Wright of the PCT has been very brave in setting up these meetings, each to agree on expenditure against £5,000. He has been ably supported by Emma Gadsby of WBC. Over the two meetings I was a bit disappointed by the turnout from voluntary organisations. I think this was partly due to voluntary groups not understanding the opportunity (ie: we didn’t explain it very well) adn partly to the narrow focus of the meetings (“physical exercise for the over-45s in minority ethnic communities” and “smoking cessation in West Watford”).
But decisions have been taken - and the exercise has produced invaluable lessons for future similar initiatives. One lesson concerns the ignorance between the voluntary and statutory sectors: some voluntary organisations believe statutory agencies have money to burn and some statutory agencies believe the way to involve the voluntary sector is to let them attend public events. Peter, Emma and I must get together soon to exchange notes!
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Today’s workshop on mywatford.net was a minor disaster. Our venue for all the workshops has been the Newton Price Centre. The internet connections to the sites have always been very slow but tolerable. Today, we could barely get connections at all and we had to abandon the sessions after a frustrating hour: particularly frustrating as at this workshop were Kim Bloomfield (of WBC who paid for the system), Kim Price (keen to use the system for the Disability Forum) and Phil Willerton (one of my trustees). Technology is always likely to turn on you when you most want it to just keep quiet and do its job.
After this debacle, I had a cuppa with Phil Willerton at YMCA talking about the future of Watford’s community centres.
Back at CVS, Angelo and I tried to work out why the speed of the mywatford.net site had been so slow. but the site was functioning perfectly well and we could find nothing wrong. Sometimes I hate technology.
After this debacle, I had a cuppa with Phil Willerton at YMCA talking about the future of Watford’s community centres.
Back at CVS, Angelo and I tried to work out why the speed of the mywatford.net site had been so slow. but the site was functioning perfectly well and we could find nothing wrong. Sometimes I hate technology.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
I was to have met with Everton Blake of Voluntary Action Luton, but he cancelled due to a savage sounding sports injury. I instead had a day free to update our plans on CRM and mywatford. We are getting many calls asking to update this and that and today I tidied up websites at http://mywatford.net/sites/oneworldforum and http://mywatford.net/sites/disabilityforum.
The Chair and Vice Chair of the Disability Forum dropped by to ask for my agreement to a letter they planned to send about poor facilities for disabled people at the new Central Watford Leisure Centre. They felt that their advice had been disregarded and that facilities were inadequate. On the first weekend of operation, a disabled adult was trapped in the pool when a winch malfunctioned.
The Watford Disability Forum operates under the auspices of the CVS and their letterhead includes our charity number etc. The Forum’s officers were “very happy” with their letter and didn’t want advice on the wording - but they said the letter was “heavy stuff” and wanted to know if it was alright to send it on behalf of the Disability Forum.
After due reflection, I concluded that the CVS’s role is to support the Disability Forum to provide a voice for disabled people and to represent the interests of disabled people. It is clearly not our role to censor their activities or their correspondence. I therefore declined to read the letter but said I looked forward to receiving a copy when it was sent and would then respond appropriately.
Perhaps I could have said something about Act in haste, repent at leisure but this would have been insufferably pompous even by my standards.
I’m sure I’ve done the right thing. I hope.
I also worked out that not until Monday will we learn the outcome of our bid for the LINks contract. I can be patient.
The Chair and Vice Chair of the Disability Forum dropped by to ask for my agreement to a letter they planned to send about poor facilities for disabled people at the new Central Watford Leisure Centre. They felt that their advice had been disregarded and that facilities were inadequate. On the first weekend of operation, a disabled adult was trapped in the pool when a winch malfunctioned.
The Watford Disability Forum operates under the auspices of the CVS and their letterhead includes our charity number etc. The Forum’s officers were “very happy” with their letter and didn’t want advice on the wording - but they said the letter was “heavy stuff” and wanted to know if it was alright to send it on behalf of the Disability Forum.
After due reflection, I concluded that the CVS’s role is to support the Disability Forum to provide a voice for disabled people and to represent the interests of disabled people. It is clearly not our role to censor their activities or their correspondence. I therefore declined to read the letter but said I looked forward to receiving a copy when it was sent and would then respond appropriately.
Perhaps I could have said something about Act in haste, repent at leisure but this would have been insufferably pompous even by my standards.
I’m sure I’ve done the right thing. I hope.
I also worked out that not until Monday will we learn the outcome of our bid for the LINks contract. I can be patient.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
This morning I took part in another workshop for mywatford.net. These workshops are very small and informal but they do seem to be going rather well - apart from very slow internet connections which are a worry.
In the afternoon, I was at the Town Hall for a meeting of the One Watford LSP. Emma Gadsby of WBC gave a very good summary of the statistical base available to inform the review we are undertaking of the Community Plan. There were some very good discussions about how exactly to pitch the review: are we simply updating? Updating with an eye on LAA2? Reporting on LAA1 outcomes? Completely rewriting to reflect LAA2?
In the afternoon, I was at the Town Hall for a meeting of the One Watford LSP. Emma Gadsby of WBC gave a very good summary of the statistical base available to inform the review we are undertaking of the Community Plan. There were some very good discussions about how exactly to pitch the review: are we simply updating? Updating with an eye on LAA2? Reporting on LAA1 outcomes? Completely rewriting to reflect LAA2?
Monday, 11 August 2008
Tender presentation
Herts CVS’s presentation team gathered at 9:00 at the home of Ann Jansz (CEO of Stevenage CVS and the voluntary sector’s representative on Hertfordshire Forward, the county LAA). Ann and I were joined by Laura Cronshaw (CEO of St Albans CVS and chair of Herts CVS) and Jacquie Hime (CEO of North Herts CVS and “Responsible Body” for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium). We put the finishing touches to our presentation, rehearsed handovers and talked tactics: I thought we made a formidable team.
We arrived for our 11:15 presentation at 11:00 and had to wait around in the foyer until after 11:30 when we were taken to deliver our presentation. After introductions, it was explained to us that we had wrongly been asked to give a 45 minute presentation and allow 15 minutes for questions. We should have been asked to give a 15 minute presentation and allow 45 minutes for questions. Could we please keep our presentation as short as possible? Obligingly, we ran through our carefully prepared 45 minute presentation in just 25 minutes.
After the presentation I expected a thorough grilling on our proposals. After all, this is serious business. But we faced only a few questions that were desultory rather than searching. This apparent disinterest concerned me greatly but I kept quiet. After emerging, we four CVS Musketeers congratulated each other on a splendid performance and we all went our separate ways.
I headed off to Watford for a meeting of the Watford and Three Rivers Health Inequalities Fund at the Multi-Cultural Community Centre.
After this, I had intended to stay on for an evening meeting on volunteer mentoring for Hertfordshire Youth Connexions. Around 5:00 it dawned on me that I was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to escape home. Des Reid, one of our Youth Connexions Personal Advisors, agreed to “host” the meeting in my place and I gratefully headed off home.
Herts CVS’s presentation team gathered at 9:00 at the home of Ann Jansz (CEO of Stevenage CVS and the voluntary sector’s representative on Hertfordshire Forward, the county LAA). Ann and I were joined by Laura Cronshaw (CEO of St Albans CVS and chair of Herts CVS) and Jacquie Hime (CEO of North Herts CVS and “Responsible Body” for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium). We put the finishing touches to our presentation, rehearsed handovers and talked tactics: I thought we made a formidable team.
We arrived for our 11:15 presentation at 11:00 and had to wait around in the foyer until after 11:30 when we were taken to deliver our presentation. After introductions, it was explained to us that we had wrongly been asked to give a 45 minute presentation and allow 15 minutes for questions. We should have been asked to give a 15 minute presentation and allow 45 minutes for questions. Could we please keep our presentation as short as possible? Obligingly, we ran through our carefully prepared 45 minute presentation in just 25 minutes.
After the presentation I expected a thorough grilling on our proposals. After all, this is serious business. But we faced only a few questions that were desultory rather than searching. This apparent disinterest concerned me greatly but I kept quiet. After emerging, we four CVS Musketeers congratulated each other on a splendid performance and we all went our separate ways.
I headed off to Watford for a meeting of the Watford and Three Rivers Health Inequalities Fund at the Multi-Cultural Community Centre.
After this, I had intended to stay on for an evening meeting on volunteer mentoring for Hertfordshire Youth Connexions. Around 5:00 it dawned on me that I was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to escape home. Des Reid, one of our Youth Connexions Personal Advisors, agreed to “host” the meeting in my place and I gratefully headed off home.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
I spent a final day devoted to preparations for tomorrow’s presentation to support Herts CVS’s tender for the Herts LINks contract. The actual slides of course are the easy part. The more difficult issues are how to co-ordinate four speakers over 45 minutes when three haven’t been involved in developing the slides. How can we make the presentation look seamless and professional? What handouts should we provide? How will we handle questions?
At some point during the day I drove over to Watford to collect some more papers. At 8:00 pm I settled down with Jackie and Midsomer Murders knowing that I had done all I could.
At some point during the day I drove over to Watford to collect some more papers. At 8:00 pm I settled down with Jackie and Midsomer Murders knowing that I had done all I could.
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Chickens are not naturally bright creatures and when it rains they do not think to take cover indoors. Nor are they waterproof. Our two chickens look very unhappy and bedraggled when it rains. Lately of course it has done little else but rain, so today Jackie and I bought a rain cover for our chicken run. I don’t think the chickens even noticed but we are happier.
While we were out, we dropped in at a boot sale. These sales have largely supplanted the old-fashioned jumble sales but they retain many of the same features: practical, communal, recycling, egalitarian. Long may they last. Especially when I can buy bright orange Pelican books for 10p each.
Recent reading
Exmoor Wanderings (by Eric Delderfield) captures the magic of Exmoor in the 1950s and '60s just before it was overrun by tourists.
Holding Their Own by Capt FAM Webster is a boy’s adventure story about Britain’s imperial rivalry with Germany in Africa at the start of the 20th Century. It was written to bolster patriotism with a strong sense of racial superiority and destiny: Britain’s white master race discovering its very own Lebensraum in Africa. I have read very widely but rarely encountered anything quite so nasty and offensive: this was truly appalling with no redeeming features.
It is the great misfortune of Margery Allingham to be always in the shade of Agatha Christie. But she was a great author and as a detective I prefer Albert Campion to Poirot or Miss Marple. Allingham’s Traitor’s Purse fairly rattles along for a great story.
While we were out, we dropped in at a boot sale. These sales have largely supplanted the old-fashioned jumble sales but they retain many of the same features: practical, communal, recycling, egalitarian. Long may they last. Especially when I can buy bright orange Pelican books for 10p each.
Recent reading
Exmoor Wanderings (by Eric Delderfield) captures the magic of Exmoor in the 1950s and '60s just before it was overrun by tourists.
Holding Their Own by Capt FAM Webster is a boy’s adventure story about Britain’s imperial rivalry with Germany in Africa at the start of the 20th Century. It was written to bolster patriotism with a strong sense of racial superiority and destiny: Britain’s white master race discovering its very own Lebensraum in Africa. I have read very widely but rarely encountered anything quite so nasty and offensive: this was truly appalling with no redeeming features.
It is the great misfortune of Margery Allingham to be always in the shade of Agatha Christie. But she was a great author and as a detective I prefer Albert Campion to Poirot or Miss Marple. Allingham’s Traitor’s Purse fairly rattles along for a great story.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Occasionally it is possible to work from home and today I stayed home preparing for Monday’s presentation on our tender for the Hertfordshire LINks contract.
I found rather depressing the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics with its relentless focus on spectacle through technology and drilling. Wondering what opening ceremony London should offer in 2012 and decided that we should provide the Queen with a pair of scissors and a red ribbon. Sometimes Less is More. And then Russia launched its tanks into Georgia and the glamour and gaudiness of the Olympic Games did little to disguise the stark realities of the world.
I found rather depressing the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics with its relentless focus on spectacle through technology and drilling. Wondering what opening ceremony London should offer in 2012 and decided that we should provide the Queen with a pair of scissors and a red ribbon. Sometimes Less is More. And then Russia launched its tanks into Georgia and the glamour and gaudiness of the Olympic Games did little to disguise the stark realities of the world.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Mike Harding once said that Mancunians could tell when summer arrived because the rain got warmer. This now applies to the whole of Britain. We no longer have a summer, but just a rainy season. There were more torrential downpours today.
I had meetings today on employment matters and (again) on quality assurance. At lunchtime I met with Michael Lassman of equalityedge and enjoyed a very good discussion taking in all aspects of diversity and community development – and a few other things beside. Michael will speak at the 27 August AGM for Watford One World forum.
In the evening, I visited my Mum and an old friend Sheila Jones (no relation) for a pleasant evening of reminiscence.
I had meetings today on employment matters and (again) on quality assurance. At lunchtime I met with Michael Lassman of equalityedge and enjoyed a very good discussion taking in all aspects of diversity and community development – and a few other things beside. Michael will speak at the 27 August AGM for Watford One World forum.
In the evening, I visited my Mum and an old friend Sheila Jones (no relation) for a pleasant evening of reminiscence.
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
I arrived early to meet with Sneha of Blue Tulip Training who offered some good advice on the future of the Watford One World forum. She offered some good advice. The forum holds its AGM at the end of this month and I hope the incoming officers can help inject a new sense of purpose and direction.
I also had a meeting about our developmetn of the Sunflower Herts website.
In the afternoon I travelled to Hertford for a meeting about the 29 October conference on partnership, public law, Compact, etc.
I also had a meeting about our developmetn of the Sunflower Herts website.
In the afternoon I travelled to Hertford for a meeting about the 29 October conference on partnership, public law, Compact, etc.
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
I had a busy day in the office starting with interviews for the new part-time post of Community Accountant - hopefully someone will be starting after the summer. I also looked again at our QA arrangements ahead of our NAVCA assessment at the end of August. In the afternoon I delivered another workshop on our new mywatford.net services.
Monday, 4 August 2008
Watford CVS held one of their popular Networking Lunches around the theme “Protecting and improving our Environment”.
There were seven speakers at this event, each talking for 5-10 minutes on their local activities. Maeve Tomlinson of Sustrans Travelsmart spoke about their work in Watford to promote more sustainable transport. In the wake of the collapsed world trade talks, Leslie Beckett of Watford Fairtrade spoke about the often difficult judgements that are needed around trade and sustainability. Margaret Collier described the campaigning work of Friends of the Earth and provoked some lively debate. April Cowen of Groundwork Hertfordshire and Judy Adams of Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust both explained the work they do with volunteers to protect and care for local environments. Emma Gadsby of Watford Borough Council explained the LSP’s work to encourage local businesses to make the Green Business Pledge. Finally, Pam Handley explained that Nine Lives Furniture had so far saved more than 30,000 items from landfill sites.
These lunches provide a great a opportunity for people to hear and contribute to the debates that are shaping their community and their future.
I had intended to spend the remainder of the day on preparations for our NAVCA QA “audit” at the end of August. But I received an e-mailed invitation to give a presentation on our Herts CVS consortium bid for the LINks contract so preparations for this took priority.
There were seven speakers at this event, each talking for 5-10 minutes on their local activities. Maeve Tomlinson of Sustrans Travelsmart spoke about their work in Watford to promote more sustainable transport. In the wake of the collapsed world trade talks, Leslie Beckett of Watford Fairtrade spoke about the often difficult judgements that are needed around trade and sustainability. Margaret Collier described the campaigning work of Friends of the Earth and provoked some lively debate. April Cowen of Groundwork Hertfordshire and Judy Adams of Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust both explained the work they do with volunteers to protect and care for local environments. Emma Gadsby of Watford Borough Council explained the LSP’s work to encourage local businesses to make the Green Business Pledge. Finally, Pam Handley explained that Nine Lives Furniture had so far saved more than 30,000 items from landfill sites.
These lunches provide a great a opportunity for people to hear and contribute to the debates that are shaping their community and their future.
I had intended to spend the remainder of the day on preparations for our NAVCA QA “audit” at the end of August. But I received an e-mailed invitation to give a presentation on our Herts CVS consortium bid for the LINks contract so preparations for this took priority.
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Today was another day spoilt by heavy rain. I know rain is good for the garden but at present the garden looks very bedraggled and sorry for itself. Jackie and I made a start on some domestic projects.
I finished reading The Bride of Science: Romance, Reason, and Byron's Daughter. Benjamin Woolley writes very well and has a masterful grasp of his subject: Ada Byron’s life as a metaphor for Britain’s transition from the enlightenment and romance through to the crushing hopelessness of industrial Victorian Christianity. Or at least that’s what I think he meant.
Big Babies - or why can't we just grow up was another very interesting book. Michael Bywater's theme is that modern society consists of the Nanny State treating us all like imbecilic children which is naturally what we all become. He hits some big nails roundly on the head. But somewhere along the way he misfires – or perhaps introduces too much of himself - and ends up writing too much like "grumpy old man".
I finished reading The Bride of Science: Romance, Reason, and Byron's Daughter. Benjamin Woolley writes very well and has a masterful grasp of his subject: Ada Byron’s life as a metaphor for Britain’s transition from the enlightenment and romance through to the crushing hopelessness of industrial Victorian Christianity. Or at least that’s what I think he meant.
Big Babies - or why can't we just grow up was another very interesting book. Michael Bywater's theme is that modern society consists of the Nanny State treating us all like imbecilic children which is naturally what we all become. He hits some big nails roundly on the head. But somewhere along the way he misfires – or perhaps introduces too much of himself - and ends up writing too much like "grumpy old man".
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Jackie and I had planned a garden party of sorts but it was rained off. Instead Jackie and I spent a very productive day in the garden on our own - tending to chickens and plants and compost heaps and during the heaviest downpours taking occasional refuge in our shed. One sad task I had was to remove another clematis that has fallen victim to "clematis wilt". The pride of our garden is currently a beautiful red Campion donated by our funding advisor Anne: thanks Anne!
Friday, 1 August 2008
I dropped off our LINks tender in Welwyn Garden City and came into the office. During the drive to Watford I thought of 2-3 crucial statements I had completely omitted from our proposals. But it is too late now. Unless we battle through to the last 2-3 and get an opportunity to give a presentation. We shall see.
I spent most of today with Kerry our very pleasant new receptionist, talking about systems and trying to get my office filing back on track. Kerry has been a great addition to the team here and I was very pleased to share the task with someone.
I spent most of today with Kerry our very pleasant new receptionist, talking about systems and trying to get my office filing back on track. Kerry has been a great addition to the team here and I was very pleased to share the task with someone.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
I returned to the office and distributed LINks business plans to our sister CVSs for comment. With only 24 hours to go to the submission deadline, I am not sure what I am expecting, but these things need to be done.
This afternoon I took the second of the workshops on our new IT systems. The venue was still uncomfortably close and the IT equipment and software are still ancient; and there were additional problems today with the slowness of the internet connection. But everyone was very patient and I think they understood the value of the new facilities.
I stayed late at the office completing the LINks tender submission: there were lots of last minute changes and the chore of printing and collating but it all looks good and I’m pretty pleased with it. I will deliver the tender first thing tomorrow morning.
This afternoon I took the second of the workshops on our new IT systems. The venue was still uncomfortably close and the IT equipment and software are still ancient; and there were additional problems today with the slowness of the internet connection. But everyone was very patient and I think they understood the value of the new facilities.
I stayed late at the office completing the LINks tender submission: there were lots of last minute changes and the chore of printing and collating but it all looks good and I’m pretty pleased with it. I will deliver the tender first thing tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
I worked at home all day completing business plans to support the Herts CVS tender to host the Herts LINks contract.
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Dr Maqsood Siddiqi runs an successful Educational Support Group for local Muslim schoolboys to offer additional teaching in Maths and Science. He has run the scheme without external funding for fourteen years and produced some impressive results. This morning I met with Dr Siddiqi and with Fatima Ikram who operates a similar scheme (Muskaan) in Dacorum. We were brought together by Bina Radia-Bond to discuss opportunities for collaboration. We soon identified that whereas Fatima’s group was properly constituted, Dr Siddiqi’s group has operated successfully for fourteen years without a constitution of any kind; this is something we should help rectify.
At lunchtime, Angelo (our IT chap) arrived to lead the first workshop on our new IT systems. For this first workshop, we only had CVS staff involved as guinea pigs. The training itself went pretty smoothly and the new web environment performed well. Our only problems were the extreme humidity and the ancient IT systems – both of which were out of our control.
At lunchtime, Angelo (our IT chap) arrived to lead the first workshop on our new IT systems. For this first workshop, we only had CVS staff involved as guinea pigs. The training itself went pretty smoothly and the new web environment performed well. Our only problems were the extreme humidity and the ancient IT systems – both of which were out of our control.
Monday, 28 July 2008
The Sunflower Centres in West Herts provide a comprehensive service for victims of domestic violence and hate crime with providers from the statutory and voluntary sectors coming together to offer a seamless service in which people receive expert advice to access the support streams that are right for them. Statutory partners include the Police, Herts County Council, Watford Borough Council, the PCT, and the Probation Service, while voluntary partners include Watford Women’s Centre, the Women’s Refuges, Relate, Victim Support, the CVSs, the Domestic Violence forums and so on. As a model it is impeccable. The reality has been fraught with difficulties and everyone involved has had to work ceaselessly to keep the project on the rails.
I became involved on the Strategic Board when there was no other voluntary sector representation. Having now helped secure three other seats on this Board for the voluntary sector, I think that perhaps my work here is done. Today’s Board meeting continued to make progress and there were pretty clear signs that we now need one (non-statutory) organisation to be responsible for delivery and co-ordination of the Sunflower Project. There are several good candidates for this role and I hope that we can make progress on this in future meetings.
At lunchtime, I wanted to attend the lunch for Mary Green who is leaving as Director of Three Rivers CVS to study in Aberystwyth. But instead I had to devote my time to preparations for our first workshop tomorrow on our new IT systems and to Friday’s deadline for submitting our Herts CVS bid to host the Hertfordshire LINks contract. Good luck Mary!
I became involved on the Strategic Board when there was no other voluntary sector representation. Having now helped secure three other seats on this Board for the voluntary sector, I think that perhaps my work here is done. Today’s Board meeting continued to make progress and there were pretty clear signs that we now need one (non-statutory) organisation to be responsible for delivery and co-ordination of the Sunflower Project. There are several good candidates for this role and I hope that we can make progress on this in future meetings.
At lunchtime, I wanted to attend the lunch for Mary Green who is leaving as Director of Three Rivers CVS to study in Aberystwyth. But instead I had to devote my time to preparations for our first workshop tomorrow on our new IT systems and to Friday’s deadline for submitting our Herts CVS bid to host the Hertfordshire LINks contract. Good luck Mary!
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Despite the sunshine outside, I spent the entire day working on the Herts CVS’s bid to host the LINks service.
Jackie’s hand has made a remarkably speedy recovery. So fast, that I am moved to wonder again if she isn’t just the most amazing person in the whole world. Or perhaps she just made rather a big fuss about nothing.
I finished drafting a LINks business plan just in time for Jackie and I to enjoy Midsomer Murders together.
Jackie’s hand has made a remarkably speedy recovery. So fast, that I am moved to wonder again if she isn’t just the most amazing person in the whole world. Or perhaps she just made rather a big fuss about nothing.
I finished drafting a LINks business plan just in time for Jackie and I to enjoy Midsomer Murders together.
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Today was a beautiful warm day and our first BBQ of the summer with friends Linda and Allan.
Friday, 25 July 2008
My plans for today were thrown into disarray by a minor domestic disaster: Jackie’s hairdryer exploded in her hand giving her a violent electric shock and a nasty burn on her hand and wrist. Her thumb and wrist were badly bruised and dramatically blackened. I was of course greatly caring and sympathetic - but utterly useless. We eventually decided that she would take herself off to a friendly nurse and if necessary to casualty while I would come to work to collect papers to work at home and nurse her through the rest of the day.
My first meeting was with my Chair Pam Handley who dispensed her usual sage advice and guidance with her usual great grace. After, I met briefly with Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) on our QA submission to NAVCA and with Andrew Waite of the Sunshine Children’s Centre. I had to cancel meetings with the Sunflower Centre and with Marv Renshaw on Community Arts.
I was back home by lunchtime to find Jackie’s wounds dressed but still very tender.
My first meeting was with my Chair Pam Handley who dispensed her usual sage advice and guidance with her usual great grace. After, I met briefly with Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) on our QA submission to NAVCA and with Andrew Waite of the Sunshine Children’s Centre. I had to cancel meetings with the Sunflower Centre and with Marv Renshaw on Community Arts.
I was back home by lunchtime to find Jackie’s wounds dressed but still very tender.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
When I have a trustees meeting, I like to keep the rest of the day free so I can prepare properly. It is not always possible and I spent this morning interviewing for the post of Support Worker for the BME Advocacy service.
For two part-time support workers the decision was very tough as we had four very good candidates.
At lunchtime, I walked across the road for the official hand-over ceremony for the new Watford Central Leisure Centre. This is a very impressive facility - and I do plan to swim there occasionally once it is fully open.
At WCVS’s trustees meeting we had a long discussion about future accommodation and whether or not we should take up a WBC invitation to consider (things are only in the earliest possible stages) a future move to the Holywell Community Centre. Some trustees had strong reservations and concerns but it was of course agreed – how could we refuse to consider?
After the meeting, I stayed on talking with individual trustees about our particular shared points of interest, which is always very helpful to me.
For two part-time support workers the decision was very tough as we had four very good candidates.
At lunchtime, I walked across the road for the official hand-over ceremony for the new Watford Central Leisure Centre. This is a very impressive facility - and I do plan to swim there occasionally once it is fully open.
At WCVS’s trustees meeting we had a long discussion about future accommodation and whether or not we should take up a WBC invitation to consider (things are only in the earliest possible stages) a future move to the Holywell Community Centre. Some trustees had strong reservations and concerns but it was of course agreed – how could we refuse to consider?
After the meeting, I stayed on talking with individual trustees about our particular shared points of interest, which is always very helpful to me.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
I hear great news from my friends in Bristol who have a new baby: Nathan. Congratulations to Ruth and Jane! Helen Price (our Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator) and I met with Roger Sands and Nicole Connors of V-involved, the youth volunteering programme.
The rest of the day I spent on our web-services and on preparations for tomorrow’s trustees meeting.
A sick rose
Ever since I first took up post in Watford I have been very impressed by what a lovely place it is, benefiting from a good community, approachable politicians, dedicated public servants, pretty good resources and many healthy voluntary groups. It is far from perfect of course, but far better than many other towns I have known.
But there was a worm in this particular rose: someone has been co-ordinating a sustained campaign against those I can broadly call "the political elite". This campaign has included: vandalism, graffiti, distributing libellous leaflets, posting pornography and making threats.
After Boris Johnson’s victory in the elections for London’s Mayor, we were contacted by Ian Oakley, the prospective parliamentary candidate for the local Tories. He wanted to meet me and learn more about the local voluntary sector. I don’t like the CVS being used for political campaigning. But we do live in a democracy and if any member of the public asked the same I would not refuse, so of course I agreed. The meeting was set for this coming Friday.
Today I learn that Ian Oakley has been arrested in connection with the police enquiry into the local hate campaign. He has resigned as a councillor in London and as Watford’s prospective candidate for the Tory Party. Of course everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But I will assume my meeting with him on Friday is now cancelled.
The rest of the day I spent on our web-services and on preparations for tomorrow’s trustees meeting.
A sick rose
Ever since I first took up post in Watford I have been very impressed by what a lovely place it is, benefiting from a good community, approachable politicians, dedicated public servants, pretty good resources and many healthy voluntary groups. It is far from perfect of course, but far better than many other towns I have known.
But there was a worm in this particular rose: someone has been co-ordinating a sustained campaign against those I can broadly call "the political elite". This campaign has included: vandalism, graffiti, distributing libellous leaflets, posting pornography and making threats.
After Boris Johnson’s victory in the elections for London’s Mayor, we were contacted by Ian Oakley, the prospective parliamentary candidate for the local Tories. He wanted to meet me and learn more about the local voluntary sector. I don’t like the CVS being used for political campaigning. But we do live in a democracy and if any member of the public asked the same I would not refuse, so of course I agreed. The meeting was set for this coming Friday.
Today I learn that Ian Oakley has been arrested in connection with the police enquiry into the local hate campaign. He has resigned as a councillor in London and as Watford’s prospective candidate for the Tory Party. Of course everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But I will assume my meeting with him on Friday is now cancelled.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
I went to Hatfield this morning to attend a HIC meeting. It is lovely to no longer have the responsibility for chairing – which role Ian Richardson now performs splendidly.
After the meeting, I enjoyed some very useful discussions, and then came home to work on the LINks tender.
After the meeting, I enjoyed some very useful discussions, and then came home to work on the LINks tender.
Monday, 21 July 2008
Returning home after a few days away, I am struck by the ancient appearance of Ken, our decrepit white cat: poor old Ken.
On a more positive note, our new chickens laid their first egg. We’re not sure which chicken it was as they both seem equally pleased with themself.
Our garden is looking at its very best and Jackie and I spent a wonderful day marvelling and relaxing.
In the evening I enjoyed Phil Beadle’s C4 documentary about adult literacy. He has the right amount of passion and indignation – but a little too much of the show seems to be about his angst rather than the journeys of his students.
On a more positive note, our new chickens laid their first egg. We’re not sure which chicken it was as they both seem equally pleased with themself.
Our garden is looking at its very best and Jackie and I spent a wonderful day marvelling and relaxing.
In the evening I enjoyed Phil Beadle’s C4 documentary about adult literacy. He has the right amount of passion and indignation – but a little too much of the show seems to be about his angst rather than the journeys of his students.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
We drove home from Sidmouth, taking a detour to Dorchester and then to Tolpuddle for the Martyrs’ festival.
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Jackie and I spent a day relaxing in Sidmouth - and along the beach to the west colelcting quartz.
Friday, 18 July 2008
Jackie and I rose very early and after five hours driving arrived at our hotel in Sidmouth. We had a good rummage around the Church and museum and in the evening enjoyed a drink with Jackie’s parents and Uncle and Aunt, which was great fun.
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Watford CVS is the head of a consortium of Herts CVSs bidding to host the Hertfordshire LINks service. This is taking up an awful lot of time, of course. This morning I visited Ann Jansz (my counterpart at Stevenage CVS but also a close neighbour in Welwyn Garden City) to talk about our bid. After this we both travelled to St. Albans for a meeting of Herts CVS where we discussed LINks, as well as the Funding Advisors’ network, volunteering, Basis, and the Children’s Trust Partnerships.
In Watford, I met with the acting Director of the Sunshine Children’s Centre and after dealing with more correspondence ahead of the second part of my summer holiday.
I arrived home to find Jackie in the midst of packing. I was not much use to the enterprise as I needed to read applications and shortlist for the post of Support Worker for our BME Advocacy Service. Jackie was very patient.
In Watford, I met with the acting Director of the Sunshine Children’s Centre and after dealing with more correspondence ahead of the second part of my summer holiday.
I arrived home to find Jackie in the midst of packing. I was not much use to the enterprise as I needed to read applications and shortlist for the post of Support Worker for our BME Advocacy Service. Jackie was very patient.
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
This evening I travelled to Whitechapel for a trustees meeting at the Disability Law Service where things seem to be looking up – apart of course from the no-longer-new but still-ludicrous legal service contracts.
I started the day in Watford meeting my treasurer John Casstles to work through a final draft of our 2007-08 accounts. John asked several excellent questions and spotted one or two errors: he has an eagle eye for numbers and is proving invaluable to our cause.
In between these two meetings, I collated and dispatched papers for Watford CVS’s trustees meeting next week.
I started the day in Watford meeting my treasurer John Casstles to work through a final draft of our 2007-08 accounts. John asked several excellent questions and spotted one or two errors: he has an eagle eye for numbers and is proving invaluable to our cause.
In between these two meetings, I collated and dispatched papers for Watford CVS’s trustees meeting next week.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
After a brief visit to the office, I headed off to the Holywell Centre for a presentation from the Guidepost Trust and Watford Asian Community Care about their recent research on Asian women’s access to mental health services. The event was very good and I particularly enjoyed the Bollywood dancers.
Back at the office, I caught up on more correspondence including on two new local charities, establishing the new Watford Community Fund, the Watford Health Inequalities Fund, the Community Development network, community lunches, the BME advocacy service, our October Compact event, and mywatford.net.
Back at the office, I caught up on more correspondence including on two new local charities, establishing the new Watford Community Fund, the Watford Health Inequalities Fund, the Community Development network, community lunches, the BME advocacy service, our October Compact event, and mywatford.net.
Monday, 14 July 2008
Today was my first day back at work so I arrived early to check some e-mails and take stock of what I have in store for the remainder of the week.
By lunchtime I was in Finchley for Grow 08 - Barnet CVS's annual training event. I met the wonderful Sandra Fullerton of Barnet VSC and the sharp and mischievous Robin Charnley of Hertsmere CVS. I also had a very interesting discussion with Ted Hill and Tania Murrell (of Hillingdon Association of Voluntary Services), and with Futurebuilders, and with Michael Lassman of Equality Edge, and with Andrew Brown of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. In one afternoon in Finchley I learned more than I had done in an eight week course at Cambridge Regional College. I wonder if they’d all passed their PTLLs training course?
By lunchtime I was in Finchley for Grow 08 - Barnet CVS's annual training event. I met the wonderful Sandra Fullerton of Barnet VSC and the sharp and mischievous Robin Charnley of Hertsmere CVS. I also had a very interesting discussion with Ted Hill and Tania Murrell (of Hillingdon Association of Voluntary Services), and with Futurebuilders, and with Michael Lassman of Equality Edge, and with Andrew Brown of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. In one afternoon in Finchley I learned more than I had done in an eight week course at Cambridge Regional College. I wonder if they’d all passed their PTLLs training course?
Sunday, 13 July 2008
I rose early and went straight back to work.
I reached the nadir in the afternoon when I discovered that in one assignment, 30% of the marks relied on me identifying a plan to improve my communication skills. I suffered eight poorly planned sessions designed (if at all) for teenagers, and now I am expected to prove that I have learned how to become better at communicating!? I narrowly overcame the urge to tell them what I thought of their stupid course and their impertinent moronic assignments.
I am reminded that this is the same professional cult that says voluntary organisations can no longer deliver informal teaching unless their tutors have attended a five-day PTLLs training course. What a farce.
Anyway, I finished my assignments just in time to relax and enjoy a superb new episode of Midsomer Murders before bed: very calming.
I reached the nadir in the afternoon when I discovered that in one assignment, 30% of the marks relied on me identifying a plan to improve my communication skills. I suffered eight poorly planned sessions designed (if at all) for teenagers, and now I am expected to prove that I have learned how to become better at communicating!? I narrowly overcame the urge to tell them what I thought of their stupid course and their impertinent moronic assignments.
I am reminded that this is the same professional cult that says voluntary organisations can no longer deliver informal teaching unless their tutors have attended a five-day PTLLs training course. What a farce.
Anyway, I finished my assignments just in time to relax and enjoy a superb new episode of Midsomer Murders before bed: very calming.
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Since returning from Devon, I have been slightly concerned about how I will cope next week when I have a busy time returning to work and a Friday deadline to submit four assignments for the Institute of Leadership and Management course that I undertook over the spring at Cambridge Regional College.
After breakfast this morning, something made me double check the submission deadline and I discovered that the deadline was not Friday 18 July but Monday 14 July. “Oh Dear”, I thought. I should really have let it go: I didn’t enjoy the course and I was looking forward to the last few days off work. But I have already devoted hours to the course and (being stubborn to a fault) I determined to try and complete the course work over the weekend. Poor Jackie.
The rest of Saturday was a bit of a blur and I worked through to the wee small hours.
After breakfast this morning, something made me double check the submission deadline and I discovered that the deadline was not Friday 18 July but Monday 14 July. “Oh Dear”, I thought. I should really have let it go: I didn’t enjoy the course and I was looking forward to the last few days off work. But I have already devoted hours to the course and (being stubborn to a fault) I determined to try and complete the course work over the weekend. Poor Jackie.
The rest of Saturday was a bit of a blur and I worked through to the wee small hours.
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Today we finally bought two chickens: crosses between Rhode Island Reds and Sussex Whites and extremely interesting creatures.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
After a welcome pub breakfast, we spent today at the Fleet Air Arm museum in Yeovilton as a way of remembering my Dad who died last year. They had a good display of a Swordfish and a model of one of the Merchant Aircraft Carriers he had served on during the War - he had been invited to attend the model’s installation.
The museum was very well organised with excellent attentive staff and a very smooth system to earn Gift Aid - we signed up as annual members of the museum.
Before returning home, there was just time for a tour of Salisbury cathedral. With its 400 ft tall spire it looks very impressive and is the only British mediaeval cathedral built entirely in one style: Early English. The cathedral is very attractive and houses one of the few remaining original copies of the Magna Carta.
Jackei and I arrived home in Welwyn Garden City at about 10:00.
The museum was very well organised with excellent attentive staff and a very smooth system to earn Gift Aid - we signed up as annual members of the museum.
Before returning home, there was just time for a tour of Salisbury cathedral. With its 400 ft tall spire it looks very impressive and is the only British mediaeval cathedral built entirely in one style: Early English. The cathedral is very attractive and houses one of the few remaining original copies of the Magna Carta.
Jackei and I arrived home in Welwyn Garden City at about 10:00.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
After yesterday’s exertions we slept very well. We rose this morning determined to repeat the experience. Driving to Lyme Regis I saw a sign “Visit Colyton - the rebel town”. Almost instinctively I turned off for Colyton. We found a delightful village with an excellent traditional market and some good shops (including a second-hand bookshop). The beautiful church houses one of the rare Vinegar Bibles where the word Vineyard is replaced (presumably by bored typesetters) with the word Vinegar. The church also has one of the distinctive short towers that are such a feature of Devon. The villagers earned their “rebel” title as staunch supporters of Monmouth’s Protestant rebellion against James II.
Back at Lyme Regis we headed straight out of town and spent the whole of a wonderful day enthusiastically fossiling and collected some prize specimens.
We finally dragged ourselves away at about 6:00 pm as we had to head off and find a hotel for the night. We headed to Yeovil tired and hungry but we could not find a hotel with vacancies. Then we passed a small country pub complete with Morris Dancers; they had good victuals and a bed for the night and we were very pleased: only our exhaustion prevented us joining in with the Morris Dancing.
Back at Lyme Regis we headed straight out of town and spent the whole of a wonderful day enthusiastically fossiling and collected some prize specimens.
We finally dragged ourselves away at about 6:00 pm as we had to head off and find a hotel for the night. We headed to Yeovil tired and hungry but we could not find a hotel with vacancies. Then we passed a small country pub complete with Morris Dancers; they had good victuals and a bed for the night and we were very pleased: only our exhaustion prevented us joining in with the Morris Dancing.
Monday, 7 July 2008
Jackie and I decided to walk along the Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis. Just as we were about to set off on our walk, the heavens opened and the rain poured down. It was only then that I noticed we were next to a café advertising “Devon Cream Teas”.
Half an hour later, the sun was shining and we set off again walking. Five minutes later there was another downpour. This time the only shelter was an old-fashioned amusement arcade where we played the tuppeny machines with the moving shelves where Jackie won some dollies and shells and I won nothing.
Half an hour later we set off again and were soon striding purposefully with Lyne Regis at our backs. We suffered 2-3 more downpours with no shelter at all - but our enjoyment was as thorough as our soaking.
Half an hour later, the sun was shining and we set off again walking. Five minutes later there was another downpour. This time the only shelter was an old-fashioned amusement arcade where we played the tuppeny machines with the moving shelves where Jackie won some dollies and shells and I won nothing.
Half an hour later we set off again and were soon striding purposefully with Lyne Regis at our backs. We suffered 2-3 more downpours with no shelter at all - but our enjoyment was as thorough as our soaking.
Sunday, 6 July 2008
We rose at 4:00 this morning and took breakfast in Sidmouth on the south coast of Devon at about 10:00. In teh afternoon adn evening we relaxed with a walk around the beautiful Connaught Gardens - but a cloud burst rather took the edge off the visit.
Saturday, 5 July 2008
I spent today organising for our holiday tomorrow. I have got horribly confused about where we are going and I have told half of Watford that Jackie and I are going to Bideford. This is not true: we are going to Sidmouth. Most of the preparations I have left to the wonderful Jackie. This rather continued today as I before leaving on holiday I was determined to finish reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon - a marvellous book that I recommend highly to anyone who might be interested.
Friday, 4 July 2008
This morning I had my third meeting in two days about the new BME Advocacy Service. And for the second time the attendance was disappointing (several HCC people thought the meeting was to be held in Wheathampstead rather than Watford). We carried on regardless and made some excellent progress: but the top priority is to increase our case load.
Today, I circulated our draft 2007-08 accounts. As ever, our auditors have done a splendid job. Maria has also done brilliantly and it is good to have John Casstles on board as our Treasurer. In fact everything has gone very smoothly - except for one embarrassing oversight of mine on which my lips are sealed.
I today agreed with Andrea Allez from NAVCA that her quality “audit” visit to us will take place on 29 August. We still have a little more work to do!
Today, I circulated our draft 2007-08 accounts. As ever, our auditors have done a splendid job. Maria has also done brilliantly and it is good to have John Casstles on board as our Treasurer. In fact everything has gone very smoothly - except for one embarrassing oversight of mine on which my lips are sealed.
I today agreed with Andrea Allez from NAVCA that her quality “audit” visit to us will take place on 29 August. We still have a little more work to do!
Thursday, 3 July 2008
I started the day by visiting HCC’s brand new offices in Stevenage for a meeting with Multi Ethnic Curriculum Support Services. My journey was not helped by the fact that the offices have been awarded their own new postcode - which means that multimap.co.uk doesn’t yet know where it is and allocates the location randomly somewhere the other side of Stevenage, which made for an interesting journey and a delayed start. We were there to agree protocols for Hema’s work as our BME Advocate. Hema and I emphasised that our priority was to protect the Advocacy Service’s independence from schools and HCC, and this was readily agreed and Karin of MECSS agreed to prepare draft some protocols.
Back in Watford I met with Angelo and Maria to review launch plans for our big IT project: mywatford.net as the first training events are scheduled for 29 July. The technology is looking fabulous - but there are still some security problems and some design work and lots and lots of data entry required.
I also spoke with Andrew Burt of HCC about the county-wide conference we are putting together for 29 October with the theme: Public partnership and public law: creating the environment for a thriving third sector in Hertfordshire. This could be a great conference - but we need to secure a venue and start promoting the event!
In the evening I was in Hatfield for a meeting of the Advisory Board for the BME Advocacy Service. The panel comprises eleven people and we had received 2-3 apologies, so the turnout of only two was pretty disappointing - even allowing for the torrential rain at the scheduled start time. But we work with who’s there and one important lesson in life is that 99% of decisions are taken by people who actually turn up. One of our most important decisions was that next time we will meet during office hours rather than in the evening.
Big News
The Big News today was that the Hertfordshire Community Foundation learned that it had been successful in its bid to manage the Grassroots Grants programme in Hertfordshire. This is excellent news for Watford CVS as we shall soon have £30,000 to distribute in small grants to local groups. The only criteria are that groups have to have produced at least one annual report and to have annual turnover of less than £20k. This excludes a large number of groups, but we shall have to work hard to ensure that the money finds a welcoming and industrious home.
Back in Watford I met with Angelo and Maria to review launch plans for our big IT project: mywatford.net as the first training events are scheduled for 29 July. The technology is looking fabulous - but there are still some security problems and some design work and lots and lots of data entry required.
I also spoke with Andrew Burt of HCC about the county-wide conference we are putting together for 29 October with the theme: Public partnership and public law: creating the environment for a thriving third sector in Hertfordshire. This could be a great conference - but we need to secure a venue and start promoting the event!
In the evening I was in Hatfield for a meeting of the Advisory Board for the BME Advocacy Service. The panel comprises eleven people and we had received 2-3 apologies, so the turnout of only two was pretty disappointing - even allowing for the torrential rain at the scheduled start time. But we work with who’s there and one important lesson in life is that 99% of decisions are taken by people who actually turn up. One of our most important decisions was that next time we will meet during office hours rather than in the evening.
Big News
The Big News today was that the Hertfordshire Community Foundation learned that it had been successful in its bid to manage the Grassroots Grants programme in Hertfordshire. This is excellent news for Watford CVS as we shall soon have £30,000 to distribute in small grants to local groups. The only criteria are that groups have to have produced at least one annual report and to have annual turnover of less than £20k. This excludes a large number of groups, but we shall have to work hard to ensure that the money finds a welcoming and industrious home.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Today was the launch of our new Community Development Network for Watford, as proposed in our (draft) Community Development Strategy. The intention is that this network will bring together those (in WCVS, Watford Borough Council and Watford Community Housing Trust) who are working in Community Development and act to:
· identify new or unmet needs;
· raise the profile of Community Development work;
· co-ordinate timetables and activities;
· exchange information;
· develop standards;
· share skills, learning and good practice;
· identify opportunities for collaboration;
· develop standards.
There was a good turnout. Alison Stainsby explained the current re-organisation taking place within Watford Borough Council (including the removal of her own post) and Alison Plant explained some of the training and development work that WCHT are undertaking. She also had to advise us that WCHT’s Director of Community Empowerment had left WCHT at short notice to take up another post. Two high profile changes at our first meeting!
For this first meeting of the network we were joined by Rachel Leggett of Inspire East who travelled all the way down from Norfolk. She gave an excellent presentation on the Community Development work of Inspire East and helped ensure that the launch was a success. We will meet again after the summer and try to get around to adopting some Terms of Reference.
· identify new or unmet needs;
· raise the profile of Community Development work;
· co-ordinate timetables and activities;
· exchange information;
· develop standards;
· share skills, learning and good practice;
· identify opportunities for collaboration;
· develop standards.
There was a good turnout. Alison Stainsby explained the current re-organisation taking place within Watford Borough Council (including the removal of her own post) and Alison Plant explained some of the training and development work that WCHT are undertaking. She also had to advise us that WCHT’s Director of Community Empowerment had left WCHT at short notice to take up another post. Two high profile changes at our first meeting!
For this first meeting of the network we were joined by Rachel Leggett of Inspire East who travelled all the way down from Norfolk. She gave an excellent presentation on the Community Development work of Inspire East and helped ensure that the launch was a success. We will meet again after the summer and try to get around to adopting some Terms of Reference.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
At 8:30 this morning I met with Des (Youth Connexions Personal Advisor) at Bushey Hall School to complete an “observation” on his work with young people. I stayed until nearly 11:00 during which time only one of his three scheduled appointments turned up. This was dispiriting - but not unexpected at a time when many young people can think only of exams and summer holidays.
Back at WCVS, I talked with Helen about the future of the Volunteer Centre. The Centre is accredited as part of the national network and uses the Volunteer Centre branding which has some value. But overall, the benefits seem to be outweighed by the costs of administration and plain bureaucracy. In some instances, this bureaucracy even seems to deter people from volunteering. We need to find a way to cut through all this. There are a few fairly radical solutions, and I will consult my trustees, staff and members about these over the coming months.
I also had several discussions with colleagues in other Herts CVSs about our bid to host the Hertfordshire LINks contract.
Before leaving the office, I talked with Vanessa (as our H&S Officer) and Anne (as our Fire Officer) to review our safety snagging list.
Next, I responded to some legal and employment queries from some of our member organisations.
Quality Assurance
Vanessa and I also had a final talk through the draft quality assurance framework we are developing for Watford's voluntary sector. I stayed late and circulated for consultation a draft “Quality assurance framework for Watford’s voluntary sector”. The intention is that this will provide a comprehensive framework for our quality assurance work in Watford. It also provides a framework for other voluntary groups to use. There is also plenty there for our statutory partners to adopt as best practice.
Health Inequalities Fund
Before leaving the office, I also circulated inviations to workshops to discuss Watford's £10,000 Health Inequalities Fund. This is money set aside by the PCT for innovative work in Watford tackling smoking and promoting exercise for the over-45s. We are working with the PCT and WBC to try and ensure that voluntary groups collaborate on how to use the money rather than compete: the workshops of vooluntary and community groups are intended to produce a consensus on which projects will deliver the most benefit. We shall see.
Back at WCVS, I talked with Helen about the future of the Volunteer Centre. The Centre is accredited as part of the national network and uses the Volunteer Centre branding which has some value. But overall, the benefits seem to be outweighed by the costs of administration and plain bureaucracy. In some instances, this bureaucracy even seems to deter people from volunteering. We need to find a way to cut through all this. There are a few fairly radical solutions, and I will consult my trustees, staff and members about these over the coming months.
I also had several discussions with colleagues in other Herts CVSs about our bid to host the Hertfordshire LINks contract.
Before leaving the office, I talked with Vanessa (as our H&S Officer) and Anne (as our Fire Officer) to review our safety snagging list.
Next, I responded to some legal and employment queries from some of our member organisations.
Quality Assurance
Vanessa and I also had a final talk through the draft quality assurance framework we are developing for Watford's voluntary sector. I stayed late and circulated for consultation a draft “Quality assurance framework for Watford’s voluntary sector”. The intention is that this will provide a comprehensive framework for our quality assurance work in Watford. It also provides a framework for other voluntary groups to use. There is also plenty there for our statutory partners to adopt as best practice.
Health Inequalities Fund
Before leaving the office, I also circulated inviations to workshops to discuss Watford's £10,000 Health Inequalities Fund. This is money set aside by the PCT for innovative work in Watford tackling smoking and promoting exercise for the over-45s. We are working with the PCT and WBC to try and ensure that voluntary groups collaborate on how to use the money rather than compete: the workshops of vooluntary and community groups are intended to produce a consensus on which projects will deliver the most benefit. We shall see.
Monday, 30 June 2008
I arrived at the office early and around 8:00 am I had a telephone call from Jackie asking if I had her car keys in my pocket; under the circumstances she displayed remarkable self control.
Most of the morning I spent with Angelo (our IT chap) working on our IT launch and we spent teh afternoon talking with staff about the project launch etc.
Sunday, 29 June 2008
Jackie and I spent another lovely day in our garden, followed by a visit to North Mymms Park for an open day in honour of the Red Cross.
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Jackie and I did some gardening and were visited by friends and family.
Today I read Harold Bayley’s classic The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Inquiry into the Origin of Certain Letters, Words, Names, Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Mythologies. Or at least I read the second volume in its original 1936 clothbound edition. Harold Bayley’s theories were eccentric bordering on dangerous: that the human race (or sometimes the Aryan race) originated in Atlantis and then spread across the world with a shared language and culture. If his theories were eccentric, his "scientific method" was hilarious: simply asserting that some sounds have common meanings across all the world’s languages regardless of any and all evidence to the contrary. I think I strained Jackie’s patience reading aloud the funny bits.
Today I read Harold Bayley’s classic The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Inquiry into the Origin of Certain Letters, Words, Names, Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Mythologies. Or at least I read the second volume in its original 1936 clothbound edition. Harold Bayley’s theories were eccentric bordering on dangerous: that the human race (or sometimes the Aryan race) originated in Atlantis and then spread across the world with a shared language and culture. If his theories were eccentric, his "scientific method" was hilarious: simply asserting that some sounds have common meanings across all the world’s languages regardless of any and all evidence to the contrary. I think I strained Jackie’s patience reading aloud the funny bits.
Friday, 27 June 2008
Today was another precious day free of meetings so I could try and catch up on correspondence and all those little jobs that are still cluttering up my focus. I organised the upgrade to MS Office 2007, helped Maria with come accounting queries, sorted out our IT licences, made plans for next week’s CRM training, did some more testing on our developing web services, sorted out the speakers to invite to our next networking lunch, discussed arrangements for other meetings, advised a local group looking for accommodation, sent out a programme of future events for the Watford One World forum, and sent out invitations re: the new Watford Community Fund. Not a bad day’s work, but I still feel as if I am barely making any impact on the backlog of work here: I still have 119 items in Outlook bearing little red flags and I have one more week before I go on leave.
Reading
This evening I finished reading The Big Show by Pierre Closterman – a member of the Free French Air Force who flew for the RAF from the surrender of France until the surrender of Germany. He had 33 confirmed "air victories" and was only just 24 when the war ended. The final paragraph of his book is very appropriately for Veterans Day:
The Circus is over. The public was satisfied. The menu was rich and not so bad, except that the lions have torn apart the tamer. We'll remember them again later and even when all will be forgotten, the music, the fireworks and their nice costumes, at the centre of the square the trace of the big tent will remain, until the following rain shall erase it for ever. My friends that survived the Big Circus have, luckily, not realised it - me neither for that matter- and that will be our final reward.
Reading
This evening I finished reading The Big Show by Pierre Closterman – a member of the Free French Air Force who flew for the RAF from the surrender of France until the surrender of Germany. He had 33 confirmed "air victories" and was only just 24 when the war ended. The final paragraph of his book is very appropriately for Veterans Day:
The Circus is over. The public was satisfied. The menu was rich and not so bad, except that the lions have torn apart the tamer. We'll remember them again later and even when all will be forgotten, the music, the fireworks and their nice costumes, at the centre of the square the trace of the big tent will remain, until the following rain shall erase it for ever. My friends that survived the Big Circus have, luckily, not realised it - me neither for that matter- and that will be our final reward.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
I had arranged that Vanessa Levy (our Development and Training Officer) would attend today’s meeting of the Watford Learning Partnership in my stead as I was to have taught a course on PQASSO. But the course attracted insufficient interest to make it viable so instead I had a day to catch up on things – and I really needed this to finish off a few projects that have been lingering for weeks and (in some cases) months.
I amended the minutes of the last Herts Compact meeting, responded to some audit queries, finalised our draft trustees report (building on work done by our treasurer, John Casstles), and did some initial work on our bid for the LINks contract.
I amended the minutes of the last Herts Compact meeting, responded to some audit queries, finalised our draft trustees report (building on work done by our treasurer, John Casstles), and did some initial work on our bid for the LINks contract.
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
There is so much going on at WCVS that several people here have expressed to me a concern that they aren’t “up to speed” on things. I sympathise entirely; so today we had one of our occasional staff meetings.
Later I drove out to visit the CEO one of our member organisations who I had heard was under great stress. Today’s visit served to emphasise that the CEO is indeed under stress - and that at this time there is nothing I can do to help. The lesson is that sometimes we are most effective somewhere other than at the point of greatest need.
Later I drove out to visit the CEO one of our member organisations who I had heard was under great stress. Today’s visit served to emphasise that the CEO is indeed under stress - and that at this time there is nothing I can do to help. The lesson is that sometimes we are most effective somewhere other than at the point of greatest need.
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Community centres were once at the heart of each community and were well-used for all manner of community events: wedding receptions, performances, jumble sales, lectures, clubs and societies, cubs and scouts, public meetings and the like. Some centres are still very well used and still provide a focal point for community life; but many community centres across the country have fallen into disuse. This morning, I met with Sarah Pinnock and Any McBean of Watford Borough Council to visit Holywell Community Centre in West Watford to talk over options for using the facility as a focal point for community activity in Watford.
Back at the office, I organised some future meetings, finalised some job advertisements, and looked at funding for the October conference we’re organising on the Compact and Public Law.
On my way home, I dropped by to meet Tina Barnard who gave me a tour of the (extremely nice) new offices of the Watford Community Housing Trust. I also spend some time with Bobbie Graham, WCHT’s Equalities and Diversity officer. Back in WGC I visited Ann Jansz (my counterpart in Stevenage CVS) to talk about the Herts CVS bid to host the LINks contract in Hertfordshire. We had an extremely helpful talk (thanks Ann) and I left about 8:00 extremely hopeful that we can put together an excellent tender.
Back at the office, I organised some future meetings, finalised some job advertisements, and looked at funding for the October conference we’re organising on the Compact and Public Law.
On my way home, I dropped by to meet Tina Barnard who gave me a tour of the (extremely nice) new offices of the Watford Community Housing Trust. I also spend some time with Bobbie Graham, WCHT’s Equalities and Diversity officer. Back in WGC I visited Ann Jansz (my counterpart in Stevenage CVS) to talk about the Herts CVS bid to host the LINks contract in Hertfordshire. We had an extremely helpful talk (thanks Ann) and I left about 8:00 extremely hopeful that we can put together an excellent tender.
Monday, 23 June 2008
I once calculated that each networking lunch costs us at least £1,000. Only a small amount of this is for direct costs on the actual day of the lunch. By far the greater part of the cost is preparation, negotiation and promotion. Today’s event was sponsored by the Watford Community Housing Trust. Off the top of my head I can recall five planning meetings, several telephone conversations, and several mail-shots. And this excludes the work that Maria, Sha-Lee and Kerry have put into preparations for the day.
The format for our lunches is that we have a few speakers each talking for 10-15 minutes, topped and tailed by announcements and questions, and followed by a lunch. This format is tried and trusted and works well. Today’s excellent speakers were Susannah Brunert, Ruddy Jones and Val Maguire (Watford Community Housing Trust), Peg Ford (Watford Senior Citizens Forum), Steve Simms (Fire Brigade), Alec Beech (Royal British Legion) and Terry Godfrey (University of the Third Age). Several of the speakers brought along stands, and we also had information or displays from the PCT, the Safer Watford Partnership, West Herts Against Crime, and HCC’s Adult Care Services.
More than sixty people attended the event: a very respectable turnout although not our best figure. I was especially gratified that attendance included two members of the Local Strategic Partnership: Tina Barnard (WCHT’s CEO) and Peter Wright (of the PCT). At our last meeting we welcomed Mayor Dorothy Thornhill and Peter Wright. Too often, senior people regard networking lunches as unworthy of their attention; I think it says a lot about Watford that its LSP members get along to the community lunches.
Today’s event was overshadowed by the sad news of Len Tomlinson’s death. He has been the key figure within the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum and I have often heard him speak with passion and eloquence on the needs of older people. In some part, today’s event was originally designed to provide Len with a platform to talk on his chosen specialised subject. I learnt at the lunch that his funeral was this afternoon. I worked frantically to make it to the service, but got delayed at the office and then got caught in traffic and would have been late; and nobody wants to be late at a funeral. I’ll miss you Len.
The format for our lunches is that we have a few speakers each talking for 10-15 minutes, topped and tailed by announcements and questions, and followed by a lunch. This format is tried and trusted and works well. Today’s excellent speakers were Susannah Brunert, Ruddy Jones and Val Maguire (Watford Community Housing Trust), Peg Ford (Watford Senior Citizens Forum), Steve Simms (Fire Brigade), Alec Beech (Royal British Legion) and Terry Godfrey (University of the Third Age). Several of the speakers brought along stands, and we also had information or displays from the PCT, the Safer Watford Partnership, West Herts Against Crime, and HCC’s Adult Care Services.
More than sixty people attended the event: a very respectable turnout although not our best figure. I was especially gratified that attendance included two members of the Local Strategic Partnership: Tina Barnard (WCHT’s CEO) and Peter Wright (of the PCT). At our last meeting we welcomed Mayor Dorothy Thornhill and Peter Wright. Too often, senior people regard networking lunches as unworthy of their attention; I think it says a lot about Watford that its LSP members get along to the community lunches.
Today’s event was overshadowed by the sad news of Len Tomlinson’s death. He has been the key figure within the Watford Senior Citizen’s Forum and I have often heard him speak with passion and eloquence on the needs of older people. In some part, today’s event was originally designed to provide Len with a platform to talk on his chosen specialised subject. I learnt at the lunch that his funeral was this afternoon. I worked frantically to make it to the service, but got delayed at the office and then got caught in traffic and would have been late; and nobody wants to be late at a funeral. I’ll miss you Len.
Sunday, 22 June 2008
A fantastic day: sunny, cloudy, blustery; really invigorating. Jackie and I worked for a good eight hours in the garden. This was splendid exercise: very rewarding and very, very exhausting.
Saturday, 21 June 2008
I enjoyed a lovely day of rest and relaxation with family and friends. Jackie is knitting something that needs five knitting needles.
Recent reading
The Watch on the Heath by Keith Thomson is a pretty thorough account of the scientific and theological debate about evolution that climaxed with the great 1860 showdown at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Gammon and Espionage by Nicolas Bentley (who later illustrated Auberon Waugh's Private Eye column) is a comic spy thriller from 1938 that bridges the gap between PG Wodehouse and the Goons - not a gap that I previously thought needed bridging. In between I browsed again through Pilgrim’s Progress and was reminded of someone’s (Samuel Johnson?) observation that it is a book that “once put down, is very hard to pick up again”.
Recent reading
The Watch on the Heath by Keith Thomson is a pretty thorough account of the scientific and theological debate about evolution that climaxed with the great 1860 showdown at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Gammon and Espionage by Nicolas Bentley (who later illustrated Auberon Waugh's Private Eye column) is a comic spy thriller from 1938 that bridges the gap between PG Wodehouse and the Goons - not a gap that I previously thought needed bridging. In between I browsed again through Pilgrim’s Progress and was reminded of someone’s (Samuel Johnson?) observation that it is a book that “once put down, is very hard to pick up again”.
Friday, 20 June 2008
Today I worked at home, taking a machete to some bunnies (don’t panic animal-lovers: this is a simple metaphor for my own diversion, not a real rabbit massacre). I did pretty well: I reached the next stage of our Job Evaluation exercise, wrote up notes of my PCT meeting, completed several other papers, and spent time catching up with Ann Jansz, my counterpart at Stevenage CVS (we had a good discussion about possible scenarios for the HCC Links contract).
Thursday, 19 June 2008
I began my day at the PCT discussing options for benchmarking their community engagement strategy as part of their drive to achieve “world class commissioning”.
In the afternoon (and for the second day running) I spoke with a consultant doing research into the Compact. I rarely talk with anyone who is paid to listen to me and pretend to be interested. I am afraid vanity took over and I rather took advantage of the situation. Still, it helped me hone my ideas on the future of Compact. Next, I will talk them over with WCVS members and with colleagues from Watford Borough Council.
My evening meeting of the Herts BME Advisory Panel was cancelled, so I took the opportunity to write up the minutes of Monday’s CEO meeting.
In the afternoon (and for the second day running) I spoke with a consultant doing research into the Compact. I rarely talk with anyone who is paid to listen to me and pretend to be interested. I am afraid vanity took over and I rather took advantage of the situation. Still, it helped me hone my ideas on the future of Compact. Next, I will talk them over with WCVS members and with colleagues from Watford Borough Council.
My evening meeting of the Herts BME Advisory Panel was cancelled, so I took the opportunity to write up the minutes of Monday’s CEO meeting.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
I started my day meeting Sylvia Harvey, Rosemary Dodgson and Andrew Waite. Our discussions touched on several major Watford projects, each involving two or more of the three people around the table with me. It was a useful reminder of how much the voluntary sector relies on the dedication and commitment of a relatively small number of people.
In the afternoon, I attended a meeting of the Watford and Three Rivers Health Partnership Board and later still I talked to a lady from the Compact Commission who was researching the relationship between PCTs and Hospices. Very interesting.
In the afternoon, I attended a meeting of the Watford and Three Rivers Health Partnership Board and later still I talked to a lady from the Compact Commission who was researching the relationship between PCTs and Hospices. Very interesting.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
This morning I visited Everton Blake, my counterpart at Voluntary Action Luton. We had a very interesting discussion. On the edge of Luton’s pedestrianised town centre, VAL occupy a large-ish building that serves as a sort of community resource centre. I am sure this is the best way forward for CVSs: operating resource centres that serve as real focal points for independent community activity. But of course the model can only succeed if there is security of tenure with no crippling rental charges or debts. This is something that VAL (and Watford CVS) are exploring. I hope one of us cracks it.
Back at the office, I met with several members of staff to discuss changes and developments.
At present, work is increasing exponentially. I have set rather too many hares running and they’ve bred like rabbits; now I must take a machete to a vast Malthusian bunny tidal wave. I need to conclude some projects quickly - or do some serious and bloody culling. Sorry bunnies. And sorry too for this appalling garbled metaphor.
Back at the office, I met with several members of staff to discuss changes and developments.
At present, work is increasing exponentially. I have set rather too many hares running and they’ve bred like rabbits; now I must take a machete to a vast Malthusian bunny tidal wave. I need to conclude some projects quickly - or do some serious and bloody culling. Sorry bunnies. And sorry too for this appalling garbled metaphor.
Monday, 16 June 2008
This morning we welcomed a new member of staff, Kerry Assell, who will take charge of reception between 10:00 and 4:00. She seems very capable and cheerful: what more could we ask?
The other high point of the day was the first meeting of a CEO network for Watford. There was a turnout of just eight CEOs. But of Watford’s 400+ community groups, only about 75 have any paid staff at all and of these only about twenty or so will employ someone who would think of themselves as a “Chief Officer”. So eight CEOs on a Monday afternoon is actually pretty good. And this was always about quality rather than quantity; a key aim is to help clarify roles and make it easier for people to think of themselves as a “Chief Officer”. The discussions were pretty good, and I think this group could become an important feature of Watford’s voluntary landscape.
Later in the day, I had further meetings on the Watford Learning Partnership and on next week’s networking lunch on Watford’s older people.
I missed the last course meeting of my Leadership and Management course. I now just have four short essays to write and it’s all over.
For the second morning running, our starlings failed to appear today. A few days ago, we could count on at least 20 starlings feeding on our lawn each morning. I learned that at a certain time each summer, starlings gather in bigger and bigger flocks to go off feeding. I’m not sure what this teaches about leadership and management.
The other high point of the day was the first meeting of a CEO network for Watford. There was a turnout of just eight CEOs. But of Watford’s 400+ community groups, only about 75 have any paid staff at all and of these only about twenty or so will employ someone who would think of themselves as a “Chief Officer”. So eight CEOs on a Monday afternoon is actually pretty good. And this was always about quality rather than quantity; a key aim is to help clarify roles and make it easier for people to think of themselves as a “Chief Officer”. The discussions were pretty good, and I think this group could become an important feature of Watford’s voluntary landscape.
Later in the day, I had further meetings on the Watford Learning Partnership and on next week’s networking lunch on Watford’s older people.
I missed the last course meeting of my Leadership and Management course. I now just have four short essays to write and it’s all over.
For the second morning running, our starlings failed to appear today. A few days ago, we could count on at least 20 starlings feeding on our lawn each morning. I learned that at a certain time each summer, starlings gather in bigger and bigger flocks to go off feeding. I’m not sure what this teaches about leadership and management.
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Jackie and I spent some time in the garden and some time reading - and I spent some time finalising recruitment plans for Watford CVS's two vacant posts.
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Depressing news this morning from Zimbabwe where Robert Mugabe seems determined to cling to power. I fear nothing will be done: spineless Thabo Mbeki merely fawns to Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe has no natural resources to attract attention or interest from further afield. Poor Africa.
Friday, 13 June 2008
I had expected to be in Ipswich for a Trustees Together meeting. But so many people had other urgent business that Jonathan Moore and I agreed to cancel the meeting. Instead I spent the morning at home finalising a draft of the QA framework for Watford’s voluntary sector. Very productive.
In the afternoon I took the opportunity to visit Ian Richardson and see the new offices of the Broxbourne and East Herts CVS in Ware. Ware is a beautiful town and the CVS offices are just about perfect - clean and tidy, welcoming and with no wasted space. Ian and I talked about the future of HIC, Basis 2, Links, and so on.
After, I heard the news that Ireland had voted against adopting the Lisbon Treaty. My experience of “the European Project” has been that it is fundamentally elitist, unaccountable and anti-democratic - seasoned with a fair amount of arrogance and a hint of totalitarianism. The whole thing strikes me as a Rum Deal so I am pleased that the Irish have voted to cold shoulder the Treaty. But I am sure our political masters will find some way to by-pass democratic processes - in Ireland as elsewhere - because at heart they have no interest in democracy.
In the afternoon I took the opportunity to visit Ian Richardson and see the new offices of the Broxbourne and East Herts CVS in Ware. Ware is a beautiful town and the CVS offices are just about perfect - clean and tidy, welcoming and with no wasted space. Ian and I talked about the future of HIC, Basis 2, Links, and so on.
After, I heard the news that Ireland had voted against adopting the Lisbon Treaty. My experience of “the European Project” has been that it is fundamentally elitist, unaccountable and anti-democratic - seasoned with a fair amount of arrogance and a hint of totalitarianism. The whole thing strikes me as a Rum Deal so I am pleased that the Irish have voted to cold shoulder the Treaty. But I am sure our political masters will find some way to by-pass democratic processes - in Ireland as elsewhere - because at heart they have no interest in democracy.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
This morning on the radio, I heard Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber quoted as saying that his biggest mistake was “pulling off cats”. I am sure we've all heard occasional whispers about Sir Andrew - but this?! What a horrible ghastly image. I nearly spat out my cornflakes. As if poor Aged Ken doesn’t have enough to worry about.
Once I had recovered, a headed off to Letchworth for a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. We have plans for a county-wide meeting of voluntary and statutory sector people in October - tied to the LAA (National Indicator 7), Public Law, and the tenth anniversary of Compact. I do hope this conference is a success as the group otherwise struggles to keep momentum going.
Once I had recovered, a headed off to Letchworth for a meeting of the Hertfordshire Compact Working Group. We have plans for a county-wide meeting of voluntary and statutory sector people in October - tied to the LAA (National Indicator 7), Public Law, and the tenth anniversary of Compact. I do hope this conference is a success as the group otherwise struggles to keep momentum going.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
I had a morning meeting about the Sunflower project’s website. Then I drove to St Albans to attend a meeting of the Herts BME Partnership to discuss whether the Partnership could deliver a CRE-type legal service. Most people present thought the Partnership should stick to its mission of capacity building. I wonder if a combined equalities service would be more effective.
After this, I stayed for my last meeting as Chair of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. I handed over without much ceremony to my successor Ian Richardson whose first meeting was thrown into some small disarray by Jacquie Hime’s absence due to local work pressures in North Herts. This is increasingly the dilemma we all face: balancing immediate tangible local needs against the long-term strategic benefits of working together at county and regional level.
We managed to reach some semblance of consensus on the projects to be funded in Hertfordshire under the Capacitybuilders Modernisation programme and under the Big Lottery’s Basis 2 programme.
Plaudits today were reserved for Steph Gallagher who was attending her last meeting as Development Worker for the Consortium. Steph has done a sterling job and will be sorely missed.
After this, I stayed for my last meeting as Chair of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium. I handed over without much ceremony to my successor Ian Richardson whose first meeting was thrown into some small disarray by Jacquie Hime’s absence due to local work pressures in North Herts. This is increasingly the dilemma we all face: balancing immediate tangible local needs against the long-term strategic benefits of working together at county and regional level.
We managed to reach some semblance of consensus on the projects to be funded in Hertfordshire under the Capacitybuilders Modernisation programme and under the Big Lottery’s Basis 2 programme.
Plaudits today were reserved for Steph Gallagher who was attending her last meeting as Development Worker for the Consortium. Steph has done a sterling job and will be sorely missed.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
I spent today in Ely discussing the East of England regional plan for voluntary sector infrastructure services. There were some interesting discussions and some surprisingly good insights into what is distinctive about the region.
At lunchtime we were joined by Catherine Johnstone the new / acting CEO of Capacitybuilders who is working to hold things together there.
Before the meeting, again at lunchtime and again at the end of the day, I strolled 100 yards up the road to visit the magnificent Ely Cathedral. The octagonal tower is stunningly beautiful and the Lady Chapel has history written on its every stone. I enjoyed Evensong for half hour or so with a choir of about 25. The cathedral could comfortably accommodate 1,200 but there were only eight of us - and at least one of those an atheist. I expect they do rather better on Sundays.
At lunchtime we were joined by Catherine Johnstone the new / acting CEO of Capacitybuilders who is working to hold things together there.
Before the meeting, again at lunchtime and again at the end of the day, I strolled 100 yards up the road to visit the magnificent Ely Cathedral. The octagonal tower is stunningly beautiful and the Lady Chapel has history written on its every stone. I enjoyed Evensong for half hour or so with a choir of about 25. The cathedral could comfortably accommodate 1,200 but there were only eight of us - and at least one of those an atheist. I expect they do rather better on Sundays.
Monday, 9 June 2008
After her latest visit to Poland, Maria returned to work this morning and we spent the first couple of hours interviewing for the new part-time receptionist post. Fortunately we soon agreed on a good candidate.
So many WCVS staff are visiting the annual Charity Fair over the next few days that I had to make some arrangements to secure cover at the office. I also had to catch up on some urgent correspondence before leaving at 1:00 for the latest round of my ReaLM course in Cambridge. The weather had stayed fine after yesterday, and the journey was hot and unpleasant. When I arrived in Cambridge I found the class already underway, and a stone’s throw from the window there were some huge construction vehicles making an infernal racket. I endured this politely for more than half an hour and then said that unless we changed to a room the other side of the building I was going to leave. We moved to classroom the other end of the college that was at least five times better than the awful airless suntrap we’ve been occupying for the past two months. And once the background noise was removed, I actually quite enjoyed myself for once. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that this is my last class meeting. Anyway, I will miss Wendy our lovely tutor.
So many WCVS staff are visiting the annual Charity Fair over the next few days that I had to make some arrangements to secure cover at the office. I also had to catch up on some urgent correspondence before leaving at 1:00 for the latest round of my ReaLM course in Cambridge. The weather had stayed fine after yesterday, and the journey was hot and unpleasant. When I arrived in Cambridge I found the class already underway, and a stone’s throw from the window there were some huge construction vehicles making an infernal racket. I endured this politely for more than half an hour and then said that unless we changed to a room the other side of the building I was going to leave. We moved to classroom the other end of the college that was at least five times better than the awful airless suntrap we’ve been occupying for the past two months. And once the background noise was removed, I actually quite enjoyed myself for once. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that this is my last class meeting. Anyway, I will miss Wendy our lovely tutor.
Sunday 8 June 2008
The bright sun soon burnt off this morning’s low cloud and we had a beautifully hot day. Jackie and I went straight out to the garden as we had chosen today to build our chicken run. It was hot work. But at the end of the day we have a fully functioning chicken run measuring 2m by 1.2m and 60 cms high - luxury for two little chickens I should think.
We finished in time to enjoy a great meal together as the sun went down.
But the day had a sting in the tail. Yesterday, I started reading The Tulip by Anna Pavord and today (on about page 35 or so) I was ambushed by a whole page written in French with no translation offered whatsoever. Obviously in the author’s world, it is impossible to understand English without also understanding French. For myself, I lost all trust in the book: how can I trust her not to insert a chapter written in classical Greek? or Serbo-Croat? or that strange whistling language spoken by the Clangers? Interested as I am in the history of the Tulip, it is a risk I can’t take. My interest in The Tulip has evaporated and I feel betrayed and used. Thanks Anna.
We finished in time to enjoy a great meal together as the sun went down.
But the day had a sting in the tail. Yesterday, I started reading The Tulip by Anna Pavord and today (on about page 35 or so) I was ambushed by a whole page written in French with no translation offered whatsoever. Obviously in the author’s world, it is impossible to understand English without also understanding French. For myself, I lost all trust in the book: how can I trust her not to insert a chapter written in classical Greek? or Serbo-Croat? or that strange whistling language spoken by the Clangers? Interested as I am in the history of the Tulip, it is a risk I can’t take. My interest in The Tulip has evaporated and I feel betrayed and used. Thanks Anna.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
I collected my new glasses, bought some books, defrosted the freezer, saw family, read and watched Dr Who.
A tour of the garden was very satisfactory with Snapdragons, Lupins, Foxgloves, Nasturtiums, Poppies and Pansies all blooming beautifully. But unfortunately we have Clematis Wilt.
A tour of the garden was very satisfactory with Snapdragons, Lupins, Foxgloves, Nasturtiums, Poppies and Pansies all blooming beautifully. But unfortunately we have Clematis Wilt.
Friday, 6 June 2008
After meeting with Louise Jones about our Connexions contract, I went to the Town Hall to meet with WBC CEO Alastair Robertson. We talked over options for the future of the Holywell Community Centre and I agreed to visit the site including as a possible new home for WCVS. The Centre accommodates a range of activities and it could provide a home for us, although there are also many problems and issues. But I will visit the site with a fresh and clear mind.
At lunchtime, I met with our Funding Advisor Anne to finalise our annual funding return to WBC and then I spent some time with Helen talking about the future of Watford Volunteer Centre.
At lunchtime, I met with our Funding Advisor Anne to finalise our annual funding return to WBC and then I spent some time with Helen talking about the future of Watford Volunteer Centre.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
This morning I drove to County Hall to see presentations from members of HEVEC, the Hertfordshire Voluntary Emergency Committee. There were presentations from the Red Cross, WRVS, Cruse, Victim Support, St John Ambulance, St Albans Diocese, Hertfordshire Community Foundation and myself raising questions on behalf of the Herts CVSs, Volunteer Centres and the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium.
In the afternoon I was in Hatfield for a briefing on new arrangements within Hertfordshire’s Integrated Youth Support Services. There were some good (and bad) presentations - but nothing they couldn’t have communicated in a medium length e-mail.
In the afternoon I was in Hatfield for a briefing on new arrangements within Hertfordshire’s Integrated Youth Support Services. There were some good (and bad) presentations - but nothing they couldn’t have communicated in a medium length e-mail.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
Leaving work late last night, I (unusually) left all my papers spread across my desk expecting an early start this morning. But my plans were ruined by car trouble as my normally reliable Skoda Felicia refused to move. I don’t like cars. I borrowed Jackie’s Suzuki WagonR to drive to Watford and collect papers so at least I could work at home. Meanwhile, Vanessa met alone with West Herts College to discuss whether she can deliver accredited PTLLs training to the voluntary sector under their auspices.
After a swift trip to Watford I returned home at lunchtime to get my car fixed. Kind brother Jez (of Welwyn Hatfield CVS’s Furniture Scheme) popped over in his lunch break and fixed the car in about five minutes. He did explain what had gone wrong and I made a fair fist of pretending to understand.
I spent the rest of the day at home drafting a QA framework for Watford’s VCS.
After a swift trip to Watford I returned home at lunchtime to get my car fixed. Kind brother Jez (of Welwyn Hatfield CVS’s Furniture Scheme) popped over in his lunch break and fixed the car in about five minutes. He did explain what had gone wrong and I made a fair fist of pretending to understand.
I spent the rest of the day at home drafting a QA framework for Watford’s VCS.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
We have our fingers crossed waiting for confirmation that the Herefordshire Community Foundation has been awarded the contract for Grassroots Grants in Hertfordshire. When this is confirmed (I daren't contemplate If...) WCVS will advise on local distribution of £30k pa. We will do this through a new Watford Community Fund panel comprising ourselves and others from Watford’s voluntary, public and private sectors.
The One Watford LSP met this morning and discussed our proposals for co-ordinating this new Watford Community Fund through the LSP. One Watford also agreed a draft timetable for “refreshing” the Local Strategic Plan. The LSP also discussed options for using any LAA1 reward monies that come to Watford (expected to be in the region of £750k - £1m) and I am delighted that they agreed to explore options for putting some part of this into endowment with the Watford Community Fund. This could really build some serious capacity for Watford’s future. Well Done One Watford!
After a few frantic hours paperwork, at 6:30 pm I hosted a second meeting of the Watford Community Arts Network. The first meeting attracted only about half the invited people. This meeting also attracted more apologies than attendances. But nevertheless I learnt more about One Voice, Inspiral Arts and the delightfully named I Can’t Believe We’re Not Better theatre company. Each of these groups does sterling work in Watford and I hope at some point they can be resourced to collaborate on a major community event. But things will start slowly.
The One Watford LSP met this morning and discussed our proposals for co-ordinating this new Watford Community Fund through the LSP. One Watford also agreed a draft timetable for “refreshing” the Local Strategic Plan. The LSP also discussed options for using any LAA1 reward monies that come to Watford (expected to be in the region of £750k - £1m) and I am delighted that they agreed to explore options for putting some part of this into endowment with the Watford Community Fund. This could really build some serious capacity for Watford’s future. Well Done One Watford!
After a few frantic hours paperwork, at 6:30 pm I hosted a second meeting of the Watford Community Arts Network. The first meeting attracted only about half the invited people. This meeting also attracted more apologies than attendances. But nevertheless I learnt more about One Voice, Inspiral Arts and the delightfully named I Can’t Believe We’re Not Better theatre company. Each of these groups does sterling work in Watford and I hope at some point they can be resourced to collaborate on a major community event. But things will start slowly.
Monday, 2 June 2008
My morning began with a trip to North Herts CVS to discuss projects that the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium might get funded through the Capacitybuilders modernisation programme. We were strongly aware of our responsibility to shore up HIC’s role as a lead partner in the delivery of LAA ambition target NI7: creating an environment for a healthy third sector. The difficulty is to develop activities that bring direct benefits to front line organisations and do not treat the voluntary sector merely as a deliverer of public services.
In the afternoon and evening, I attended my penultimate class meeting for the ReaLM course at Cambridge Regional College. I have previously jested that the course materials have sometimes been reminiscent of a TV game show. Today we spent the entire class carrying out a group exercise based on The Apprentice. This taught me nothing except that some of my fellow students have some rather disturbing character traits. I know people are doing their best and I am genuinely fond of our two tutors but this course has been painfully bad and I yearn for it to be over.
In the afternoon and evening, I attended my penultimate class meeting for the ReaLM course at Cambridge Regional College. I have previously jested that the course materials have sometimes been reminiscent of a TV game show. Today we spent the entire class carrying out a group exercise based on The Apprentice. This taught me nothing except that some of my fellow students have some rather disturbing character traits. I know people are doing their best and I am genuinely fond of our two tutors but this course has been painfully bad and I yearn for it to be over.
Sunday, 1 June 2008
I mostly stayed home reading the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Among other interests and achievements, he monitored his adherence to thirteen Virtues he defined as:
1. Temperance - eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation;
2. Silence - speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation;
3. Order - let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time;
4. Resolution - resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve;
5. Frugality - make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: waste nothing;
6. Industry - lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions;
7. Sincerity - use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly and speak accordingly;
8. Justice - wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty;
9. Moderation - avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries;
10. Cleanliness - tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation;
11. Tranquillity - be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable;
12. Chastity - use venery never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation;
13. Humility - imitate Jesus and Socrates.
1. Temperance - eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation;
2. Silence - speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation;
3. Order - let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time;
4. Resolution - resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve;
5. Frugality - make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: waste nothing;
6. Industry - lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions;
7. Sincerity - use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly and speak accordingly;
8. Justice - wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty;
9. Moderation - avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries;
10. Cleanliness - tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation;
11. Tranquillity - be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable;
12. Chastity - use venery never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation;
13. Humility - imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Aged Ken, our decrepit white cat, woke us this morning bravely fighting off another cat at the back door. Poor old Ken was quite exhausted by his efforts and his little heart was beating so quickly: it was a superfeline effort which won him much praise.
After an early breakfast I popped into town for an eye test and then popped into a charity shop where I bought a history of the Tulip, a biography of Penguin Books founder Allen Lane and a first edition of Noel Coward’s Present Indicative; all for £8:00. I was very pleased.
I spent the rest of the day in the garden, and in other people’s gardens. In the evening, carried forward from last weekend, we had our first barbecue of the year.
After an early breakfast I popped into town for an eye test and then popped into a charity shop where I bought a history of the Tulip, a biography of Penguin Books founder Allen Lane and a first edition of Noel Coward’s Present Indicative; all for £8:00. I was very pleased.
I spent the rest of the day in the garden, and in other people’s gardens. In the evening, carried forward from last weekend, we had our first barbecue of the year.
Friday, 30 May 2008
At 10:00 this morning I welcomed my chair of trustees Pam Handley for my monthly supervision meeting. In the hurly-burly of everyday things it is sometimes possible to lose direction a little and I greatly appreciate Pam’s calm focus on the big things and her easy commonsense advice. On this occasion I also got some expert technical input to our draft disciplinary and grievance procedures.
Later I issued a short WCVS e-bulletin offering our members free office furniture, free carpentry tools and a bargain PA system. Sometimes the practical things matter most.
Later I issued a short WCVS e-bulletin offering our members free office furniture, free carpentry tools and a bargain PA system. Sometimes the practical things matter most.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
The local PCT has a total of £20k in the current year to support community-based health initiatives in Watford and Three Rivers.
Rather than designing a grants application system and have groups bid competitively, I suggested that we try to run workshops where interested groups could themselves help assess different options and decide on projects. I am pleased that the PCT responded very positively to this suggestion and today we met to consider how this scheme might actually work.
We considered the Participatory Budgeting models put forward by the Department for Communities and Local Government and these were rather daunting and for such small amounts (initially at least) we wanted something more streamlined and eventually we reached agreement on a simple workshop model - hopefully there will be more on this later!
In the afternoon, I met with our Treasurer John Casstles to talk through our trustee report and at the end I promised to e-mail a draft report to John later in the day. But then I received a call from one of our member organisations facing a funding crisis of sorts and I spent the rest of the day and early evening working with them to see what might help overcome their difficulties.
Rather than designing a grants application system and have groups bid competitively, I suggested that we try to run workshops where interested groups could themselves help assess different options and decide on projects. I am pleased that the PCT responded very positively to this suggestion and today we met to consider how this scheme might actually work.
We considered the Participatory Budgeting models put forward by the Department for Communities and Local Government and these were rather daunting and for such small amounts (initially at least) we wanted something more streamlined and eventually we reached agreement on a simple workshop model - hopefully there will be more on this later!
In the afternoon, I met with our Treasurer John Casstles to talk through our trustee report and at the end I promised to e-mail a draft report to John later in the day. But then I received a call from one of our member organisations facing a funding crisis of sorts and I spent the rest of the day and early evening working with them to see what might help overcome their difficulties.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
I have received an e-mail back from Social Enterprise East of England declining our membership application as a social enterprise. I was rather taken aback by this. Surely we’re a social enterprise! Aren’t we? Apparently not.
Recent reading (I know you’re interested)
I read E O Wilson’s Consilience: the Unity of Knowledge - a fascinating history and review of the gradual convergence of scientific knowledge. Then F Spencer Chapman’s Memoirs of a Mountaineer comprising Helvellyn to Himalaya and Lhasa: The Holy City – an account of Britain’s 1937 mission to Tibet. I then read a collection of poetry to confirm that in this field my tastes are distinctly “low brow” - Shakespeare, Blake and Matthew Arnold are a bit of a struggle but I love Kipling, Edward Lear and WS Gilbert.
Springwatch
Jackie discussed BBC's Springwatch at work and one of her colleagues observed: “I know about Ospreys: my friend had a field of cows and replaced them all with a flock of Ospreys.” We think she meant Ostriches.
Recent reading (I know you’re interested)
I read E O Wilson’s Consilience: the Unity of Knowledge - a fascinating history and review of the gradual convergence of scientific knowledge. Then F Spencer Chapman’s Memoirs of a Mountaineer comprising Helvellyn to Himalaya and Lhasa: The Holy City – an account of Britain’s 1937 mission to Tibet. I then read a collection of poetry to confirm that in this field my tastes are distinctly “low brow” - Shakespeare, Blake and Matthew Arnold are a bit of a struggle but I love Kipling, Edward Lear and WS Gilbert.
Springwatch
Jackie discussed BBC's Springwatch at work and one of her colleagues observed: “I know about Ospreys: my friend had a field of cows and replaced them all with a flock of Ospreys.” We think she meant Ostriches.
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
My first meeting this morning was with Kate Belinis at CDA for Herts. I wanted to catch up on a few things and to discuss what expectations CDA for Herts has over the Links contract for which HCC are now inviting expressions of interest. I left having agreed that we would both seek to pass the PQQ stage and then review partnership options.
I then drove back to WGC to collect two helpers to shift and store all the office furniture we had gathered on Saturday.
After our arrival in Watford, the helpers got to work and I spent the rest of the day with Angelo (our IT chap) discussing our mywatford IT project. I am very impressed with progress to date and now we need to start rolling out the project. This is dependent first on us completing some initial data entry and data checking, and Sha-Lee is making steady progress on this using Microsoft CRM but we still need a few days more work. We also need a few more software licences so I put together an order for the excellent Charity Technology Exchange.
I then drove back to WGC to collect two helpers to shift and store all the office furniture we had gathered on Saturday.
After our arrival in Watford, the helpers got to work and I spent the rest of the day with Angelo (our IT chap) discussing our mywatford IT project. I am very impressed with progress to date and now we need to start rolling out the project. This is dependent first on us completing some initial data entry and data checking, and Sha-Lee is making steady progress on this using Microsoft CRM but we still need a few days more work. We also need a few more software licences so I put together an order for the excellent Charity Technology Exchange.
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