Sunday, 11 November 2007
A very sombre Remembrance Sunday. Last night, Jackie and I watched on television Ian Hislop’s history of war memorials and tonight we enjoyed Jeremy Paxman’s biography of Wilfred Owen. All very moving.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
All over Watford this morning, voluntary groups opened their post and thought: "Complementary? Is he a fool?" Ho hum.
After some work on HIC projects, Jackie and I took a break to go to our local community museum (the delightful Mill Green Museum in Hatfield) and then into Hatfield to do some shopping and visit the library.
Trying to be helpful
After our shopping, we found a very distressed man sitting on a low wall. He wouldn’t speak or raise his head, but I could tell he was about our age and he was coughing up blood which I know is not a good sign. After Jackie and I failed to rouse him, I called the emergency services and within about four minutes a Paramedic had arrived. She parked right next to the chap and started checking his vital signs and trying to establish communication with him.
Almost immediately an assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver asked the Paramedic to move her emergency car as she was blocking the traffic: “I’m not being insensitive but I’ve got to get somewhere”. The Paramedic said she was on an emergency call and would move her car in a few minutes. She then decided the chap needed hospital treatment and called for an Ambulance. But she still couldn’t establish communication and I suggested that perhaps her patient didn’t speak English. She was armed with a phrasebook and soon worked out that her patient was Russian.
Jackie then returned from the library to say that the library staff had told her that they knew him and that he “regularly did drink and drugs”. The Ambulance had now arrived and one of their team decided to pop into the library to ask if they knew the chap's name as this could help speed up treatment etc.
Things then happened very fast. The next thing I remember, the lady in the library was arguing with the Ambulance man saying she couldn’t tell him anything about the man because of "the Data Protection Act" - this same lady had just happily told Jackie that the man “regularly did drink and drugs”.
Meanwhile, the assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver was becoming more strident and was asking the Paramedic why she couldn’t move her car and did she want her to move the car for her?
And the patient was now face down on the pavement refusing to be moved. Another member of the Ambulance crew (having already established that the patient understood no English) stood over the man saying: “This might be ok in your own country, but not here, alright? Do you want me to call the Police to arrest you?”
Jackie and I decided it was time to leave. I am usually at my most dangerous when trying to be helpful.
Once home, I worked like fury on the IT and Training strategies. Of course we are still consulting with other HIC members and with front-line organisations, but I have enough background now at least to get the bare bones of the strategies sketched out.
After some work on HIC projects, Jackie and I took a break to go to our local community museum (the delightful Mill Green Museum in Hatfield) and then into Hatfield to do some shopping and visit the library.
Trying to be helpful
After our shopping, we found a very distressed man sitting on a low wall. He wouldn’t speak or raise his head, but I could tell he was about our age and he was coughing up blood which I know is not a good sign. After Jackie and I failed to rouse him, I called the emergency services and within about four minutes a Paramedic had arrived. She parked right next to the chap and started checking his vital signs and trying to establish communication with him.
Almost immediately an assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver asked the Paramedic to move her emergency car as she was blocking the traffic: “I’m not being insensitive but I’ve got to get somewhere”. The Paramedic said she was on an emergency call and would move her car in a few minutes. She then decided the chap needed hospital treatment and called for an Ambulance. But she still couldn’t establish communication and I suggested that perhaps her patient didn’t speak English. She was armed with a phrasebook and soon worked out that her patient was Russian.
Jackie then returned from the library to say that the library staff had told her that they knew him and that he “regularly did drink and drugs”. The Ambulance had now arrived and one of their team decided to pop into the library to ask if they knew the chap's name as this could help speed up treatment etc.
Things then happened very fast. The next thing I remember, the lady in the library was arguing with the Ambulance man saying she couldn’t tell him anything about the man because of "the Data Protection Act" - this same lady had just happily told Jackie that the man “regularly did drink and drugs”.
Meanwhile, the assertive (possibly aggressive) lady driver was becoming more strident and was asking the Paramedic why she couldn’t move her car and did she want her to move the car for her?
And the patient was now face down on the pavement refusing to be moved. Another member of the Ambulance crew (having already established that the patient understood no English) stood over the man saying: “This might be ok in your own country, but not here, alright? Do you want me to call the Police to arrest you?”
Jackie and I decided it was time to leave. I am usually at my most dangerous when trying to be helpful.
Once home, I worked like fury on the IT and Training strategies. Of course we are still consulting with other HIC members and with front-line organisations, but I have enough background now at least to get the bare bones of the strategies sketched out.
Friday, 9 November 2009
I worked for an hour or two this morning on some correspondence and then headed off to a meeting on the new Integrated Youth Support Service for Hertfordshire. Pleasingly, this meeting was held at Breaks Youth Club in Hatfield, a place I last visited to play 5-a-side football when I was about 14.
The meeting was attended by about 100 youth works from across the County. The plans seem reasonably well thought out: within each of the county’s Districts and Boroughs, staff from all the disparate youth agencies will join together to create a single integrated local youth service. What could be more obviously sensible?
Apart from logistical issues, my only concerns were that young people don’t recognise local government boundaries (why should they?) and that creating a monolithic youth structure will tend to the further weakening of ties with voluntary sector projects, and the stiffling of local voluntary initiatives.
When I arrived back in Watford, Maria was just taking the 400 letters to the Post Office for onward dispatch. I had a meeting with our Connexions staff.
After the meeting, Maria reminded me that I still needed to write the letter to accompany the Community Directory’s distribution to local councillors and council officers. To do this, I naturally opened last night’s letter as a template and I was startled and shocked to read the first line of the letter: “Please find enclosed your complementary copy of Watford’s 2008 Community Directory.” Complementary? I thought. Complementary??!! Oh dear. And 400 copies of this latter have just been handed over to the Post Office? I felt so ashamed.
When I arrived home, Jackie had already completed her nightly walk. I have stopped accompanying her adn consequently I have remained large and slothful while Jackie is looking absolutely gorgeous. Later in the night, Jackie and I drove to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage where she had her heart palpitations explored. Needless to say, her heart behaved impeccably throughout the monitoring.
Later still, I finished reading Christian England Volume 1. This was an extremely interesting book, intertwining England’s military, political and theological history. It was hard work but very worthwhile. I wish I could retain all this lovely historical knowledge, but it almost immediately gets crowded out by new acronyms, government policy announcements and so on.
The meeting was attended by about 100 youth works from across the County. The plans seem reasonably well thought out: within each of the county’s Districts and Boroughs, staff from all the disparate youth agencies will join together to create a single integrated local youth service. What could be more obviously sensible?
Apart from logistical issues, my only concerns were that young people don’t recognise local government boundaries (why should they?) and that creating a monolithic youth structure will tend to the further weakening of ties with voluntary sector projects, and the stiffling of local voluntary initiatives.
When I arrived back in Watford, Maria was just taking the 400 letters to the Post Office for onward dispatch. I had a meeting with our Connexions staff.
After the meeting, Maria reminded me that I still needed to write the letter to accompany the Community Directory’s distribution to local councillors and council officers. To do this, I naturally opened last night’s letter as a template and I was startled and shocked to read the first line of the letter: “Please find enclosed your complementary copy of Watford’s 2008 Community Directory.” Complementary? I thought. Complementary??!! Oh dear. And 400 copies of this latter have just been handed over to the Post Office? I felt so ashamed.
When I arrived home, Jackie had already completed her nightly walk. I have stopped accompanying her adn consequently I have remained large and slothful while Jackie is looking absolutely gorgeous. Later in the night, Jackie and I drove to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage where she had her heart palpitations explored. Needless to say, her heart behaved impeccably throughout the monitoring.
Later still, I finished reading Christian England Volume 1. This was an extremely interesting book, intertwining England’s military, political and theological history. It was hard work but very worthwhile. I wish I could retain all this lovely historical knowledge, but it almost immediately gets crowded out by new acronyms, government policy announcements and so on.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
I had some interesting discussions this morning. First, I confirmed with Mir Ejaz and Marv Renshaw that they would attend our next trustees meeting. Then I took a call from a small local charity that needed help with a delicate legal matter involving mental health, the DDA, homelessness and tenancy. All very complex. Needless to say, the charity involved aren’t CVS members.
In the afternoon I met with Sarah Elliott, the new development worker for the new Hertfordshire VCS Training Consortium. Also present were Mary Green (my serene counterpart from Three Rivers CVS) and Vanessa Levy (our own Development and Training Officer). We had a very helpful talk about possible future scenarios for the training consortium. At present, the consortium is a compromise between the LSC’s willingness to fund the creation of a county-wide third sector consortium to deliver training to the public, and the voluntary sector’s aspiration to find funding to meet its own training needs.
After this, I worked on the IT and Training strategies for the HIC development plan. Later, as I was leaving the office, Maria reminded me that I needed to draft out a letter to accompany Watford's 2008 Community Directory being mailed tomorrow to 400 voluntary organisations. Between gritted teeth I turned my computer back on and pounded out a letter, leaving Maria to supervise the printing.
In the afternoon I met with Sarah Elliott, the new development worker for the new Hertfordshire VCS Training Consortium. Also present were Mary Green (my serene counterpart from Three Rivers CVS) and Vanessa Levy (our own Development and Training Officer). We had a very helpful talk about possible future scenarios for the training consortium. At present, the consortium is a compromise between the LSC’s willingness to fund the creation of a county-wide third sector consortium to deliver training to the public, and the voluntary sector’s aspiration to find funding to meet its own training needs.
After this, I worked on the IT and Training strategies for the HIC development plan. Later, as I was leaving the office, Maria reminded me that I needed to draft out a letter to accompany Watford's 2008 Community Directory being mailed tomorrow to 400 voluntary organisations. Between gritted teeth I turned my computer back on and pounded out a letter, leaving Maria to supervise the printing.
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Happy Birthday Dear Blog
Appropriately for my Blog’s first birthday, this evening our Executive Committee met and we were able to welcome two new trustees: the very experienced John Casstles and the very smart Lesley Billy. Both are excellent additions to the trustee team at WCVS.
As he is to take over as treasurer, I spent part of the afternoon with John discussing WCVS finances and systems. The evening meeting went well. Our chairwoman Pam maintained her record of supplying me with the perfect word that hovers just beyond my grasp. The trustees confirmed Helen as the full-time Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator. It was agreed to invite two potential new trustees to the next meeting with a view to possible co-option (Mir Ejaz of the Muslim Community Project and Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts). John Casstles was confirmed as Treasurer. The financial report was received. Dates were set for future meetings. And my draft Complaints Procedure was referred back for further work.
In the night, I was woken yet again by my nagging tooth ache. I fear another trip to the dentist is necessary. In the middle of the night, I sat up reading. Aged Ken was there, our decrepit white cat. He really does now look and seem pretty feeble; each morning I half expect to find him as stiff as a board with his four paws in the air. He probably fears the same about me.
Appropriately for my Blog’s first birthday, this evening our Executive Committee met and we were able to welcome two new trustees: the very experienced John Casstles and the very smart Lesley Billy. Both are excellent additions to the trustee team at WCVS.
As he is to take over as treasurer, I spent part of the afternoon with John discussing WCVS finances and systems. The evening meeting went well. Our chairwoman Pam maintained her record of supplying me with the perfect word that hovers just beyond my grasp. The trustees confirmed Helen as the full-time Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator. It was agreed to invite two potential new trustees to the next meeting with a view to possible co-option (Mir Ejaz of the Muslim Community Project and Marv Renshaw of Inspiral Arts). John Casstles was confirmed as Treasurer. The financial report was received. Dates were set for future meetings. And my draft Complaints Procedure was referred back for further work.
In the night, I was woken yet again by my nagging tooth ache. I fear another trip to the dentist is necessary. In the middle of the night, I sat up reading. Aged Ken was there, our decrepit white cat. He really does now look and seem pretty feeble; each morning I half expect to find him as stiff as a board with his four paws in the air. He probably fears the same about me.
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
After yesterday’s excellent WOW meeting, this morning started with a meeting of Watford CVS’s accommodation working group. The last few meetings have promised great things and this morning we took another important step forward.
After the meeting I had expected to attend a meeting of the Watford LSP but instead I drove to Wheathamstead. There, I attended a selection panel for a tender we had submitted to Herts County Council to provide a county-wide advocacy and support service to children who have experienced racist discrimination or racist bullying.
The process was very thorough and there were elements of the process I enjoyed. But toward the end, it seemed that more and more expectations were being placed on the contract without any additional resourcing.
Could we undertake to provide cover if the recruited worker is absent through illness? We’ll do our best. Could we guarantee it? No, we couldn’t I admitted.
Could we undertake to provide interpreters for the service? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we ensure that every parent in Hertfordshire is aware of the service – including those with no children currently at school? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we also address the problem of children who simply aren’t attending school? Isn’t this another whole big area?
These people are expected to deliver the best possible deal for HCC and its ratepayers, so I forgive them.
But it was a bit disconcerting. At one point, I thought the mood needed lightening and I made a joke about poor people being more racist than the educated middle classes. In the circumstances, this was foolish; far from lightening the mood I noticed several faces becoming distinctly thunderous.
It was a valuable learning exercise and I wait with interest to learn the outcome of the tender process. The advocacy service is of course very important and very serious. But the contract will have an almost entirely neutral impact on WCVS: it would be nice to extend our range of expertise and our funding base, but the contract is not highly profitable and it certainly has the potential to create new demands on our resources. I hope it doesn't sound flippant to say that I won't be losing any sleep over the outcome.
After the meeting I had expected to attend a meeting of the Watford LSP but instead I drove to Wheathamstead. There, I attended a selection panel for a tender we had submitted to Herts County Council to provide a county-wide advocacy and support service to children who have experienced racist discrimination or racist bullying.
The process was very thorough and there were elements of the process I enjoyed. But toward the end, it seemed that more and more expectations were being placed on the contract without any additional resourcing.
Could we undertake to provide cover if the recruited worker is absent through illness? We’ll do our best. Could we guarantee it? No, we couldn’t I admitted.
Could we undertake to provide interpreters for the service? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we ensure that every parent in Hertfordshire is aware of the service – including those with no children currently at school? No, we couldn’t. Why couldn’t we?
Could we also address the problem of children who simply aren’t attending school? Isn’t this another whole big area?
These people are expected to deliver the best possible deal for HCC and its ratepayers, so I forgive them.
But it was a bit disconcerting. At one point, I thought the mood needed lightening and I made a joke about poor people being more racist than the educated middle classes. In the circumstances, this was foolish; far from lightening the mood I noticed several faces becoming distinctly thunderous.
It was a valuable learning exercise and I wait with interest to learn the outcome of the tender process. The advocacy service is of course very important and very serious. But the contract will have an almost entirely neutral impact on WCVS: it would be nice to extend our range of expertise and our funding base, but the contract is not highly profitable and it certainly has the potential to create new demands on our resources. I hope it doesn't sound flippant to say that I won't be losing any sleep over the outcome.
Monday, 5 November 2007
This morning we finalised the publicity materials for the 9 February Hertfordshire Trustee Conference. The brochure looks pretty good (thanks to Sha-Lee) and there is an impressive list of workshops and speakers (thanks to Vanessa). I hope the speakers are all as good as they look on paper. My big anxiety is that the conference will get swamped with professional advisors (like me) rather than actual real-life trustees (like me, too). It’s a complex form of anxiety.
And I heard from the Charity Evaluation Service that I had finally been accepted onto their forthcoming PQASSO training. I also did more work on some HIC project specifications, and prepared myself for tomorrow’s selection panel for the HCC Advocacy tender we submitted. If anyone can make sense of the jargon in this paragraph, they have my deepest sympathy.
WOW!
At 3:00, we had a planning meeting of the Watford One World forum. Seventeen people attended and Vanessa brilliantly led us through the session.
We reached some key agreements. Our agreed vision is - Watford: a successful community that values togetherness and celebrates diversity. What a lovely thought.
Our mission is to influence social change and promote community cohesion with one voice, to make a positive difference for the wider community. A little awkward admittedly, but I’ve seen far worse.
The best outcome from the meeting was the goodwill and solidarity that flowed from everyone present.
After the meeting, there was a meal at a local tapas restaurant. Even the good feeling wasn’t enough to overcome my nagging toothache and I returned early to the office to clear some more paperwork, eventually leaving about 8:00.
And I heard from the Charity Evaluation Service that I had finally been accepted onto their forthcoming PQASSO training. I also did more work on some HIC project specifications, and prepared myself for tomorrow’s selection panel for the HCC Advocacy tender we submitted. If anyone can make sense of the jargon in this paragraph, they have my deepest sympathy.
WOW!
At 3:00, we had a planning meeting of the Watford One World forum. Seventeen people attended and Vanessa brilliantly led us through the session.
We reached some key agreements. Our agreed vision is - Watford: a successful community that values togetherness and celebrates diversity. What a lovely thought.
Our mission is to influence social change and promote community cohesion with one voice, to make a positive difference for the wider community. A little awkward admittedly, but I’ve seen far worse.
The best outcome from the meeting was the goodwill and solidarity that flowed from everyone present.
After the meeting, there was a meal at a local tapas restaurant. Even the good feeling wasn’t enough to overcome my nagging toothache and I returned early to the office to clear some more paperwork, eventually leaving about 8:00.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
What Jackie and I needed yesterday at B&Q was a broom and a rake. This morning we went back there and bought a new broom, but none of their rakes were to our liking so we will keep the one we have (even though a third of it is missing). We spent a productive day in the garden planting spring bulbs, raking and weeding the lawn, and turning over the compost heap. Simple pleasures.
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Yesterday’s visit to the dentist proved inconclusive and I endured another disturbed night.
Jackie and I spent the day shopping – groceries for the household, scarves for Jackie, dental supplies for me. At one point we arrived at B&Q but neither of us could remember why we were there – we walked aimlessly up and down the aisles a few times and then left feeling rather embarrassed.
In the evening, we drove to the Watford Palace Theatre for the one and only performance of 200 Years. This is a piece written by Watford’s African Caribbean Writers’ group to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. The writing was, I think, quite brilliantly pieced together by Director Gbolahan Obisesan and performed with energy and passion by a troupe of five actors. Much credit to all concerned.
Jackie and I spent the day shopping – groceries for the household, scarves for Jackie, dental supplies for me. At one point we arrived at B&Q but neither of us could remember why we were there – we walked aimlessly up and down the aisles a few times and then left feeling rather embarrassed.
In the evening, we drove to the Watford Palace Theatre for the one and only performance of 200 Years. This is a piece written by Watford’s African Caribbean Writers’ group to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. The writing was, I think, quite brilliantly pieced together by Director Gbolahan Obisesan and performed with energy and passion by a troupe of five actors. Much credit to all concerned.
Friday, 2 November 2007
One doesn’t like to complain, but for the past ten days I have been suffering with toothache. It hasn’t been very painful but it has been incessant and it has certainly been sufficiently painful to keep me awake at night. This morning, I finally got to visit the dentist.
My dental practice is staffed by a pleasingly international mixture of Danes and Sri Lankans. This morning I saw the Dane. He replaced a filling but warned me it is “on the nerve” and that if the pain persists I will need root canal treatment. He also gave me a humiliating lecture on how to brush my teeth. I use a large toothbrush with hard bristles and I brush with vigorous manly strokes. Apparently this is all wrong. I need to use a small toothbrush with soft bristles and to brush using little girly curlicues. Or all my teeth will drop out. At least he refrained from specifying that I need to use a pink toothbrush.
Back at the office, I finally circulated the final Value and Volume report into Hertfordshire's voluntary and community sector. What a weight that is off my shoulders!
In the evening, Jackie and I visited my Mum, who has recently returned from a trip to Lake Garda.
My dental practice is staffed by a pleasingly international mixture of Danes and Sri Lankans. This morning I saw the Dane. He replaced a filling but warned me it is “on the nerve” and that if the pain persists I will need root canal treatment. He also gave me a humiliating lecture on how to brush my teeth. I use a large toothbrush with hard bristles and I brush with vigorous manly strokes. Apparently this is all wrong. I need to use a small toothbrush with soft bristles and to brush using little girly curlicues. Or all my teeth will drop out. At least he refrained from specifying that I need to use a pink toothbrush.
Back at the office, I finally circulated the final Value and Volume report into Hertfordshire's voluntary and community sector. What a weight that is off my shoulders!
In the evening, Jackie and I visited my Mum, who has recently returned from a trip to Lake Garda.
Thursday, 1 November 2007
After last night’s exertions, I arrived at work about 10:00 am. I discovered that I had omitted to spellcheck at least one of the papers I finished and mailed late last night and it’s riddled with typing errors. I can’t bring myself to check the other papers.
I returned a call from Althea MacLean OBE who is one of my trustees, ex-Chair of WCVS, and one of the Jewels in the Crown of local voluntarism. She was concerned about developments at the Holywell Community Centre, where the African Caribbean Association is expecting to relocate shortly. Watford Borough Council is hoping that local community groups will take over the management of the Centre. This is a laudable aim of course but the transition is painful. The Indian Association are also involved in the Holywell Centre and also have concerns. Althea and I took a trip down to the Centre and she talked me through proposals for the allocation of rooms. Clearly there are difficulties.
While there, the African Caribbean Association’s luncheon club is meeting and Althea and I joined them for a very tasty lunch.
Later, I checked through the minutes of several recent meetings, met with WCVS staff to review our fundraising targets for the year, and with Louise Jones of Connexions to discuss progress on our Connexions contract.
I returned a call from Althea MacLean OBE who is one of my trustees, ex-Chair of WCVS, and one of the Jewels in the Crown of local voluntarism. She was concerned about developments at the Holywell Community Centre, where the African Caribbean Association is expecting to relocate shortly. Watford Borough Council is hoping that local community groups will take over the management of the Centre. This is a laudable aim of course but the transition is painful. The Indian Association are also involved in the Holywell Centre and also have concerns. Althea and I took a trip down to the Centre and she talked me through proposals for the allocation of rooms. Clearly there are difficulties.
While there, the African Caribbean Association’s luncheon club is meeting and Althea and I joined them for a very tasty lunch.
Later, I checked through the minutes of several recent meetings, met with WCVS staff to review our fundraising targets for the year, and with Louise Jones of Connexions to discuss progress on our Connexions contract.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Another long day. I arrived at the office just as the 9:00 pips were sounding which gave me a rather childish pleasure. And there was a little flurry of e-mails following up discussions begun at yesterday’s HIC meeting.
Community networking
At lunchtime, Maria and I travelled to the North Watford Mosque to discuss arrangements for the 3 December community networking lunch. This was my first visit to the Mosque and I found it extremely interesting.
This is the largest purpose-built mosque in Hertfordshire and bears some resemblance to a defensive fort or at least to a stockade. The mosque is surrounded by a tall security fence and a significant proportion of the windows have been shattered - I gave up counting when I reached thirty.
According to the National Audit Office, Watford has a good level of social cohesion, with a high percentage of people believing that people of different backgrounds get on well: the broken windows at the North Watford Mosque tell a different story. What does it say about us as a community, that one of our major faith groups has to meet and worship behind a security fence under a state of siege?
Maria and I were there to promote networking as a way of breaking down barriers and improving communications. Having been the victims of so much violence and vandalism, the Muslim community well understand the need for improved networking and communication. Far from being cowed, or apologetic, or aggressive, the Muslim community leaders we met with were eager to share and communicate with the wider community. I was reminded of Martin Luther’s supposed summary to the Diet of Worms: “Here I stand, I can do no other”.
Maria and I returned to the office by mid-afternoon, having made good progress on arrangements for 3 December. Now we must start promoting the event!
Some jobs jobbed
But meanwhile, I had some major jobs to get out of the way. Maria had prepared a final draft of our October newsletter, and I had to proof this, and then distribute it to our 550-strong mailing list.
I took a short time out to try and implement the e-bulletin format prepared for us by the inestimable Steph at HIC. The format is fine, but it is designed for shorter more regular newsletters, and at present we do not have the systems in place to support this. So meanwhile we will circulate our newsletter as a pdf document.
Three months ago when we last used this mailing list, we found that more than 80 of the 550 e-mail addresses were no longer in use. So I needed to refresh our list. And as we are still waiting for the go-ahead for new software, this had to be done manually. And I also had to add to the list around 40 changed or new e-mail addresses. It was quite late before I finally dispatched the newsletter.
Then I had to prepare and send out papers for next week’s trustees meeting. Although a lot was already prepared (agenda, financial figures, complaints policy), several other papers still had to be written. By the time I had done these, it was really quite late. My timing wasn’t helped by several software failures and crashes - oh for some new hardware! The papers were e-mailed out around midnight.
Then I had to get out papers for the Accommodation working group meeting. This took perhaps another hour.
After a fourteen hour day, I finally left the office at 1:00 in the morning. Aren’t there laws about this sort of thing? Anyway, I actually felt pretty good having ticked off so many tasks, and it was a wonderful cold and foggy Halloween night for the drive home.
Community networking
At lunchtime, Maria and I travelled to the North Watford Mosque to discuss arrangements for the 3 December community networking lunch. This was my first visit to the Mosque and I found it extremely interesting.
This is the largest purpose-built mosque in Hertfordshire and bears some resemblance to a defensive fort or at least to a stockade. The mosque is surrounded by a tall security fence and a significant proportion of the windows have been shattered - I gave up counting when I reached thirty.
According to the National Audit Office, Watford has a good level of social cohesion, with a high percentage of people believing that people of different backgrounds get on well: the broken windows at the North Watford Mosque tell a different story. What does it say about us as a community, that one of our major faith groups has to meet and worship behind a security fence under a state of siege?
Maria and I were there to promote networking as a way of breaking down barriers and improving communications. Having been the victims of so much violence and vandalism, the Muslim community well understand the need for improved networking and communication. Far from being cowed, or apologetic, or aggressive, the Muslim community leaders we met with were eager to share and communicate with the wider community. I was reminded of Martin Luther’s supposed summary to the Diet of Worms: “Here I stand, I can do no other”.
Maria and I returned to the office by mid-afternoon, having made good progress on arrangements for 3 December. Now we must start promoting the event!
Some jobs jobbed
But meanwhile, I had some major jobs to get out of the way. Maria had prepared a final draft of our October newsletter, and I had to proof this, and then distribute it to our 550-strong mailing list.
I took a short time out to try and implement the e-bulletin format prepared for us by the inestimable Steph at HIC. The format is fine, but it is designed for shorter more regular newsletters, and at present we do not have the systems in place to support this. So meanwhile we will circulate our newsletter as a pdf document.
Three months ago when we last used this mailing list, we found that more than 80 of the 550 e-mail addresses were no longer in use. So I needed to refresh our list. And as we are still waiting for the go-ahead for new software, this had to be done manually. And I also had to add to the list around 40 changed or new e-mail addresses. It was quite late before I finally dispatched the newsletter.
Then I had to prepare and send out papers for next week’s trustees meeting. Although a lot was already prepared (agenda, financial figures, complaints policy), several other papers still had to be written. By the time I had done these, it was really quite late. My timing wasn’t helped by several software failures and crashes - oh for some new hardware! The papers were e-mailed out around midnight.
Then I had to get out papers for the Accommodation working group meeting. This took perhaps another hour.
After a fourteen hour day, I finally left the office at 1:00 in the morning. Aren’t there laws about this sort of thing? Anyway, I actually felt pretty good having ticked off so many tasks, and it was a wonderful cold and foggy Halloween night for the drive home.
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Another day out of the office. This morning I was in Stevenage to chair a meeting of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium.
This was a key meeting as the Steering Group reported back on its work to date on the Consortium Development Plan. There was a very good attendance at the meeting, we had good discussions across a wide range of development issues, and there was clear consensus about key themes. In fact, I think it was perhaps the best HIC meeting yet: people obviously felt sufficiently comfortable to question and challenge, were well informed across a range of county-wide, regional and national agenda, and were ready and willing to share and exchange information and views. This was fortuitous as this morning we were joined by regional representatives of the Big Lottery and Capacitybuilders.
In the afternoon and evening, I stayed home preparing papers and policies for next week’s trustees meeting.
This was a key meeting as the Steering Group reported back on its work to date on the Consortium Development Plan. There was a very good attendance at the meeting, we had good discussions across a wide range of development issues, and there was clear consensus about key themes. In fact, I think it was perhaps the best HIC meeting yet: people obviously felt sufficiently comfortable to question and challenge, were well informed across a range of county-wide, regional and national agenda, and were ready and willing to share and exchange information and views. This was fortuitous as this morning we were joined by regional representatives of the Big Lottery and Capacitybuilders.
In the afternoon and evening, I stayed home preparing papers and policies for next week’s trustees meeting.
Monday. 29 October 2007
I attended a meeting at COVER in Great Chesterford for those people in the Eastern Region who are working to produce infrastructure development plans. After the last such meeting, I was confident that the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium was streets ahead of its neighbours. Now I am not so sure as others seem also to be making solid progress.
Richard Weller was present from Capacitybuilders and his key messages were that we have to meet the 31 December deadline, that we have to demonstrate stakeholder engagement in the creation of development plans, and we must move toward some objective measurement of our impact.
I shared with people my plan for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium to be re-launched as Supporting Hertfordshire’s Independent Third Sector. That would keep me amused for hours.
On my way back, I dropped in to see Jacquie Hime and Steph Gallagher at North Herts CVS to discuss Richard Weller’s key messages and some good ideas reported from elsewhere in the East of England Region.
I arrived home late in the afternoon and spent a few hours writing strategies and project plans. By Christmas, I have to draft Watford strategies on accommodation and on community development, and I need to complete Hertfordshire-wide project specifications on ICT and VCS Training, and I need to work with Jacquie and Steph to complete an overall infrastructure development plan for Hertfordshire. My own carelessness I suppose.
Richard Weller was present from Capacitybuilders and his key messages were that we have to meet the 31 December deadline, that we have to demonstrate stakeholder engagement in the creation of development plans, and we must move toward some objective measurement of our impact.
I shared with people my plan for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium to be re-launched as Supporting Hertfordshire’s Independent Third Sector. That would keep me amused for hours.
On my way back, I dropped in to see Jacquie Hime and Steph Gallagher at North Herts CVS to discuss Richard Weller’s key messages and some good ideas reported from elsewhere in the East of England Region.
I arrived home late in the afternoon and spent a few hours writing strategies and project plans. By Christmas, I have to draft Watford strategies on accommodation and on community development, and I need to complete Hertfordshire-wide project specifications on ICT and VCS Training, and I need to work with Jacquie and Steph to complete an overall infrastructure development plan for Hertfordshire. My own carelessness I suppose.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Rather late in the year, Jackie made our Christmas Cake. I helped by grating and peeling and stirring things, which was quite relaxing. And I helped stir the cake and so got to make a wish.
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Jackie and I went shopping. We hate shopping. On the way back, we stopped off at Lessiter’s chocolate shop at Woolmer Green. A very prim elderly lady told me, “You know, they made all the Queen Mother’s chocolates and you can never buy them in the shops, except maybe a stray bar in Waitrose.” I had a wonderful image of immaculately prepared chocolate bars being delivered straight to the country estates of the aristocracy; should a bar be lost or abandoned for any reason, it has been trained to avoid common shops and to head straight for the nearest branch of Waitrose.
Friday, 26 October 2007
I arrived early at the office and tidied up some final points on the newsletter, dealt with some correspondence, and then had a meeting with the senior management team of the newly formed Watford Community Housing Trust. Now I know that the WCHT is based 200 yards away at the Town Hall and I know that they are looking to relocate soon.
Had I trusted to my own knowledge, everything would have been fine. But a little doubt is a dangerous thing. Before leaving I thought I’d just double-check the meeting’s location. I could only get answerphones at WCHT so I popped the WCHT postcode into www.multimap.com which directed me over to Hagden Lane in West Watford, so off I went stupidly trusting to technology. When I eventually arrived at the WCHT offices at the Town Hall I was half an hour late. The senior management team were clearly bemused at how it could take me so long to travel 200 yards and I don’t think they found my explanation convincing. I barely believed it myself.
In the time left available to us we had an extremely helpful discussion and identified many areas of possible future collaboration. This is only the second community gateway trust in the country (after Preston) and it has a marvellous opportunity to help transform Watford for the better. The team seem very capable and very committed to doing just this.
Later, I focused on trying to complete some of the various projects I have on the go. I didn’t actually manage to tick anything off as completed, but I am getting close.
Had I trusted to my own knowledge, everything would have been fine. But a little doubt is a dangerous thing. Before leaving I thought I’d just double-check the meeting’s location. I could only get answerphones at WCHT so I popped the WCHT postcode into www.multimap.com which directed me over to Hagden Lane in West Watford, so off I went stupidly trusting to technology. When I eventually arrived at the WCHT offices at the Town Hall I was half an hour late. The senior management team were clearly bemused at how it could take me so long to travel 200 yards and I don’t think they found my explanation convincing. I barely believed it myself.
In the time left available to us we had an extremely helpful discussion and identified many areas of possible future collaboration. This is only the second community gateway trust in the country (after Preston) and it has a marvellous opportunity to help transform Watford for the better. The team seem very capable and very committed to doing just this.
Later, I focused on trying to complete some of the various projects I have on the go. I didn’t actually manage to tick anything off as completed, but I am getting close.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
I spent today in Cambridge attending a training event on social accounting. This is interesting stuff and of course it is important to demonstrate outcomes and impact. But I don't think funders will take too much interest until we can credibly put a sterling value on our impact and lots of work is still needed to develop properly credible models to measure social returns on investment.
Recent reading
In the evening, I finished reading Charles Nicholl’s fascinating book The Reckoning on the murder of Chrisopher Marlowe. Before this I had re-read H Rider Haggard’s book Allan Quatermain. Now I have started David Edwards’s history Christian England. My edition says it is part one: its story to the reformation but I am not sure that part two was ever published.
Recent reading
In the evening, I finished reading Charles Nicholl’s fascinating book The Reckoning on the murder of Chrisopher Marlowe. Before this I had re-read H Rider Haggard’s book Allan Quatermain. Now I have started David Edwards’s history Christian England. My edition says it is part one: its story to the reformation but I am not sure that part two was ever published.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
I arrived early at the office to finish off the filing from yesterday and by 9:00 my new office looked pretty good. After dealing with some correspondence, I met with Anne Boyd (our Funding Advisor) to draft our half-yearly monitoring report to Watford Borough Council and with Maria to catch up on lots of projects and to prepare papers for the forthcoming trustees meeting.
In the nature of things, I work more closely with Maria than with anyone else in the office: she is young and clever and is a very quick learner. She also knows my weaknesses and foibles and endures them with a good grace that sometimes seems to border on affection. Or it might just be exasperation.
The Mother of all Parliaments
At 4:00 pm, I donned my suit (a rare occasion) for a trip down to Westminster to meet with Phil Hope, the Minister for the Third Sector. This meeting had been arranged by our MP Claire Ward at the suggestion of Mike Smith - the new CEO of the New Hope Trust.
Watford CVS only got involved ten days or so before, helping to make sure that as many Watford groups as possible took advantage of the opportunity.
Apart from myself and Mike Smith, Watford’s delegation comprised Pam Handley (of WCVS, 9 Lives Furniture and Watford Charity Centres Ltd), Anne Gallacher (of the Watford Palace Theatre), David Fitzpatrick (of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation), Lincoln Beckford and two colleagues (from Street Stars), Jane Pattinson and colleague from Watford Mencap, and a good team from the Peace Hospice led by their Chair Stuart Nagler.
Phil Hope talked through the Government’s strategy for the Third Sector and then fielded some well-informed questions on a wide-range of subjects including support for migrant workers, the future of the Compact, taxation for social enterprises, the Quirk report, Audit Commission assessments of local government, the promotion of volunteering, voluntary sector engagement in LSPs, the distribution of funds to regions using statistics from ward and super output levels, and the possibility of there being a standing committee on the Third Sector.
I think everyone was struck with how Phil Hope understood the voluntary sector. Although his CV makes his background clear, I think we all feared that this was just spin and that before becoming a MP he had really spent his life in an one of those Ivory Towers we keep hearing about. But he did understand and he did a good (politician's) job of responding to the points we raised.
After, Claire Ward spoke with us further and took us to the House of Commons chamber. Surely this is one of the most irksome duties for an MP, but Claire Ward conducted the tour with humour and patience.
After returning to Watford and dropping by the office to collect papers and check a few things, it was nearly midnight before I arrived home.
In the nature of things, I work more closely with Maria than with anyone else in the office: she is young and clever and is a very quick learner. She also knows my weaknesses and foibles and endures them with a good grace that sometimes seems to border on affection. Or it might just be exasperation.
The Mother of all Parliaments
At 4:00 pm, I donned my suit (a rare occasion) for a trip down to Westminster to meet with Phil Hope, the Minister for the Third Sector. This meeting had been arranged by our MP Claire Ward at the suggestion of Mike Smith - the new CEO of the New Hope Trust.
Watford CVS only got involved ten days or so before, helping to make sure that as many Watford groups as possible took advantage of the opportunity.
Apart from myself and Mike Smith, Watford’s delegation comprised Pam Handley (of WCVS, 9 Lives Furniture and Watford Charity Centres Ltd), Anne Gallacher (of the Watford Palace Theatre), David Fitzpatrick (of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation), Lincoln Beckford and two colleagues (from Street Stars), Jane Pattinson and colleague from Watford Mencap, and a good team from the Peace Hospice led by their Chair Stuart Nagler.
Phil Hope talked through the Government’s strategy for the Third Sector and then fielded some well-informed questions on a wide-range of subjects including support for migrant workers, the future of the Compact, taxation for social enterprises, the Quirk report, Audit Commission assessments of local government, the promotion of volunteering, voluntary sector engagement in LSPs, the distribution of funds to regions using statistics from ward and super output levels, and the possibility of there being a standing committee on the Third Sector.
I think everyone was struck with how Phil Hope understood the voluntary sector. Although his CV makes his background clear, I think we all feared that this was just spin and that before becoming a MP he had really spent his life in an one of those Ivory Towers we keep hearing about. But he did understand and he did a good (politician's) job of responding to the points we raised.
After, Claire Ward spoke with us further and took us to the House of Commons chamber. Surely this is one of the most irksome duties for an MP, but Claire Ward conducted the tour with humour and patience.
After returning to Watford and dropping by the office to collect papers and check a few things, it was nearly midnight before I arrived home.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
The Big Move
Today we all moved offices, or at least eight of our ten members of staff swapped offices. It was a day of some chaos.
People have an impressive capacity to use physical labour to strengthen social bonds. I’ve noticed this often, but the rigour of this deep-seated impulse always impresses itself on me. Everyone worked really well to get the moves completed, but I particularly noticed the contributions of our three youngest members of staff: Farzana, Maria and Saud.
In the midst of all this, I was liaising with the office of our local MP Claire Ward to make arrangements for a visit tomorrow down to Westminster. I also spoke with Moreen Pascal about some work on equalities she is undertaking for the Herts Infrastructure Consortium. And I enjoyed a long telephone conversation with Paul Ruskin, Cambridgeshire’s IT guru, about IT in Hertfordshire. One of the projects I am working on is to sketch out the major lines of an IT strategy for the voluntary sector in Hertfordshire. And then Angelo (our technical IT chap) arrived to check the PCs and talk about IT strategies. Angelo and I abandoned the work at the office and went off for an early lunch to talk. As ever, Angelo had some excellent ideas and we talked through all sorts of possibilities.
Back at the office, I moved computers to their new locations while Angelo sorted out some trickier IT problems.
By the end of the day, everything looked pretty much back to normal apart from my office. Wonderful Maria had offered to stay and help me sort things out, but I felt I really needed to do it myself to make sure I know what files and papers I had.
Amid all the debris, I met in the evening with Matt Cadman. Matt is the driving force behind Watford's community radio station Fresh FM. He has big ambitions for the future but he needs support and particularly he needs to gather around him the right people with the right skills.
Today we all moved offices, or at least eight of our ten members of staff swapped offices. It was a day of some chaos.
People have an impressive capacity to use physical labour to strengthen social bonds. I’ve noticed this often, but the rigour of this deep-seated impulse always impresses itself on me. Everyone worked really well to get the moves completed, but I particularly noticed the contributions of our three youngest members of staff: Farzana, Maria and Saud.
In the midst of all this, I was liaising with the office of our local MP Claire Ward to make arrangements for a visit tomorrow down to Westminster. I also spoke with Moreen Pascal about some work on equalities she is undertaking for the Herts Infrastructure Consortium. And I enjoyed a long telephone conversation with Paul Ruskin, Cambridgeshire’s IT guru, about IT in Hertfordshire. One of the projects I am working on is to sketch out the major lines of an IT strategy for the voluntary sector in Hertfordshire. And then Angelo (our technical IT chap) arrived to check the PCs and talk about IT strategies. Angelo and I abandoned the work at the office and went off for an early lunch to talk. As ever, Angelo had some excellent ideas and we talked through all sorts of possibilities.
Back at the office, I moved computers to their new locations while Angelo sorted out some trickier IT problems.
By the end of the day, everything looked pretty much back to normal apart from my office. Wonderful Maria had offered to stay and help me sort things out, but I felt I really needed to do it myself to make sure I know what files and papers I had.
Amid all the debris, I met in the evening with Matt Cadman. Matt is the driving force behind Watford's community radio station Fresh FM. He has big ambitions for the future but he needs support and particularly he needs to gather around him the right people with the right skills.
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