Thursday 7 February 2008
Gimme Shelter
The morning is spent visiting the new community bridgebuilder premises in central st leonards and discussing the induction of the 3 new workers we have appointed. It is an exciting period to see the small project we started all those years ago expand into a team with its own manager and 3 year funding. Onwards to a less positive meeting with a group who are in financial difficulty to say the least the next three months cashflow is going to be absolutely crucial and I try and help where I can. We identify some possible ways forward. Then it is an employment issue with a group followed by a quick visit to the office to submit comments to the Borough Councils draft ec0nomic inclusion strategy. Home for a brief break and then to a meeting of local churches where I have been invited to discussing homelessness, poverty and the moral agenda. It is actually rather a well attended meeting with lots of people involved in work with rough sleepers and asylum seekers. I give an analysis of the homelessness picture since Cathy come home and the current deficiencies of our housing and support system. It is followed by a highly intelligent debate which is wide-ranging. I would find the Rolling Stones video for our song lyric but as I am a bit knackered you will have to take my word for it it is a great song.
Tuesday 5 February 2008
One Hit Wonder
I am reminded by Jan - a loyal reader of the Blog - that I have been lax in keeping it up to date. It really has been a bit busy in the world of the CVS with much to report so here goes.
The saga of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund rolls on at todays Executive Delivery Group with some general recognition that the logistics are going to be difficult. Introducing a new funding regime with sufficient time to make it robust but in a way which can also make best use of the NRF projects which contribute significantly to the local agenda. It is a circle that simply cannot be squared in the time the Council have left and they are very much seeing it as "their show" reminding everyone that they are the controller of the cash rather than the partnership of previous. It is also all mired in a HUGE political row which is becoming more acrimonious with each passing week. The politicians have taken to copying the whole world into their e-mails as the accuse and counter accuse accross the internet. I advocate for transitional money to apply so that we can make some real sense of this out of the heat of the current situation and after the election issue - for we have local elections looming - is settled.
I have also been bid writing like crazy as Monday was a key deadline for 2 proposals one to support an enhanced county wide Hate crime reporting service and the other to continue our community cohesion work. It is an all day Saturday job with some early work being done to the budget in Eastbourne on Monday morning. This is then whisked up to London by hand to meet their 5pm deadline. We cross fingers and wait and see.
I have also been asking for money in two key respects. Firstly it is marathon time again and I am running for the Saxon Mt Youth project and secondly I am tapping all the rich people in Hastings to start a fund for small grants. Can't say too much yet but it is generating the kind of interest I had hoped and I am optomistic about this project. Anyway the title of todays blog entry is based on my playlist for this evenings run. I put together a list of one hit wonders - bands who had one hit only. My personal favourtite of all time (I know not why) is the 1978 "Uptown Top Ranking" reached number one in February, 1978, after much early championing by John Peel. Ironically I am just finishing his autobiography - which is more than he did as he died without completing nthe manuscript. It is finished by his wife who writes well and affectionately of him, the music and his radio work.
A piece of trivia Althea & Donna became the youngest female duo to reach the pinnacle of the UK chart. There you didn't know that but if it comes up in next years inter-agency quiz we are prepared. Peter - we can't bank on it being prefrab sprout every year. Over to you girls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcz_YjR3LKQ
The saga of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund rolls on at todays Executive Delivery Group with some general recognition that the logistics are going to be difficult. Introducing a new funding regime with sufficient time to make it robust but in a way which can also make best use of the NRF projects which contribute significantly to the local agenda. It is a circle that simply cannot be squared in the time the Council have left and they are very much seeing it as "their show" reminding everyone that they are the controller of the cash rather than the partnership of previous. It is also all mired in a HUGE political row which is becoming more acrimonious with each passing week. The politicians have taken to copying the whole world into their e-mails as the accuse and counter accuse accross the internet. I advocate for transitional money to apply so that we can make some real sense of this out of the heat of the current situation and after the election issue - for we have local elections looming - is settled.
I have also been bid writing like crazy as Monday was a key deadline for 2 proposals one to support an enhanced county wide Hate crime reporting service and the other to continue our community cohesion work. It is an all day Saturday job with some early work being done to the budget in Eastbourne on Monday morning. This is then whisked up to London by hand to meet their 5pm deadline. We cross fingers and wait and see.
I have also been asking for money in two key respects. Firstly it is marathon time again and I am running for the Saxon Mt Youth project and secondly I am tapping all the rich people in Hastings to start a fund for small grants. Can't say too much yet but it is generating the kind of interest I had hoped and I am optomistic about this project. Anyway the title of todays blog entry is based on my playlist for this evenings run. I put together a list of one hit wonders - bands who had one hit only. My personal favourtite of all time (I know not why) is the 1978 "Uptown Top Ranking" reached number one in February, 1978, after much early championing by John Peel. Ironically I am just finishing his autobiography - which is more than he did as he died without completing nthe manuscript. It is finished by his wife who writes well and affectionately of him, the music and his radio work.
A piece of trivia Althea & Donna became the youngest female duo to reach the pinnacle of the UK chart. There you didn't know that but if it comes up in next years inter-agency quiz we are prepared. Peter - we can't bank on it being prefrab sprout every year. Over to you girls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcz_YjR3LKQ
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