Big Spender

A bit of a frenetic day which opens with the early train to County Hall in Lewes for the quarterly Voluntary Sector County Council liaison group in wich we cover issues like the Health and Social Care Agenda, Consultation, Supporting People Inspection, It is a mixture of Councils for Voluntary Service and the larger County Wide Voluntary Organisations. There is a real will to forge better working arrangements but hell it is really complex with so much uncertainty over the framwework within which it will all take place (LAA, funding, future of local government reform).

I make my way back to the station via 2 charity shops which net me a Divine Comedy album and an obscure mid-90’s work by Monday Michiru who is big on the “trip-hop” scene in Japan and parts of Europe. Although what a japanese import of her 1995 album Jazz Brat is doing in the hospice shop in Lewes High Street I know not.

Back to the office and dealing with the urgent and generally catching up. I learn that I am wanted/needed at a Hate Crime meeting tomorrow morning so that might mean another trek. I then pick up a lease from a local firm of solicitors which I have agreed to review for a local group to avoid being a victim of the postal strike. Arrive home to catch the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement - exciting life we lead isn't it. It will take a while to work out what it will mean for the sector and for places like Hastings

I catch up with Fran our community network development worker who craves more updates to the blog which I haven’t got round to since last Thursday. I am told that it is the best way for HVA staff members to know what I have been doing but - oh the problems of meeting the needs of an insatiable fan base! I am reminded of my favourite story about Charles Dickens. Many of Dickens novels were serialised in a journal called Household Words which was published each week Dickens literally wrote each instalment week by week. Anyway he was in a stationers shop waiting to buy pens ink and some paper to write the next instalment. Anyway the women in front of him in the stationers asks to buy the latest copy of Household Words to catch up with the latest instalment of the Old Curiosity Shop. She is given the latest edition which she says she already has. At this point Dickens realises that she is trying to buy the next instalment which is not even written yet and, indeed, he has gone to the stationers to buy the pen to write it with!!

Anyway tonight we have the Hastings Achievers awards which is a celebration of the unsung heroes of Hastings. Hastings Voluntary Action have been on the panel of judges for the past two years – although, as I was on holiday Chris the Chair of our trustee board stood in for me this year. It is usually a good evening and an opportunity to catch up with some folk I haven’t seen for a while.

Anyway what else can I say. I am listening to Incunabula an album by a band called Autechre. Not sure what musical genre to place it in – and some would strongly argue whether the Autechre sound is music at all. An album which I now really rate but took some work (this might give you a flavour of why http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPEcjQXIHX0 ). It took me a few tries of listening to it on the ipod whilst running over the country park to get into it - but then again that is the good thing about an acquired taste - you don't have to acquire it!!

Lyric today? - in the hope that the the Chancellors Comprehensive Spending Review brings good news and much needed resources for the sector. Over to you Dame Shirley... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0MZXWKEkIE