Downturn and Crunch

Oh what a week it has been! The recession is really starting to bite; judging by the number of casework issues coming my way. They include how to manage a redundancy how to manage a reduction in hours and a rather complex employment matter which will take some thinking about. We have done a piece in the Newsletter asking groups to record for us how the downturn is affecting them and what support they need and I review the responses so far. Not good.

I get a couple of phone calls from colleagues saying that they read about some comments I had made in Third Sector magazine. Then I went in search of said magazine to see what I had actually been quoted as saying. It is on the issue of small grants and their importance - an issue I have been working on with Kevin (Chief Exec of NAVCA). Onwards to a liaison meeting with the District Council - who I had just criticised in Third Sector magazine. It is a good exchange of views which I hope sets the tone for the future. There is a bit of a gap between us on one issue which I hope we can narrow soon.

Well, in these economically depressed (and depressing) times and to those Local Government colleagues with whom we work and liaise I dedicate the following http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU

The Point of No Return (I wish)

In the Chinese calender there is a a sumbol signifying particular points in the calender (the year of the rat, year of the monkey etc). In our world too certain week assume the same symbolic importance and this week had been designated as the week of the Monitoring return. The more funders you have the more reports you have to submit describing the work you do. These have lots of internal uses and help us to review progress but sometimes you never know if anyone reads them. So this week seems heavy on the admin. We are also in AGM mode (16th February @ Horntye Sports Centre) and the need to issue papers and produce an annual report has occupied our collective minds. Oh and a little milestone was achieved last week the planning application for Jackson Hall - HVA's new home after 2010 was approved at last weeks Planning Committee. There were a couple of routine conditions, to do with construction timings, disabled access & parking, and prior approval of external materials to be used. This is obviously a key milestone, and it looks like, after years of effort, a long term home for HVA and the sector is going to be created. That's all I have to report really apart from to say that "Slumdog Millionaire" is a fine, fine film and probably deserving of everything it is tipped for. Go see - nice soundtrack too sort of a fusion between Bollywood, Bhangra and late 90's dance music.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cwdnwsg-Ow0

Grants and Funding

Maddy the dog and I did an excellent impression of Torville and Dean as we braved the freeze on our morning run accross Hastings Country Park. I go into work later today as last night I was attending a meeting of the Hastings Borough Council Cabinet which was considering a report on the support to the voluntary sector including a recommendation to cut the small grants element which has been a resource (some would say a 'lifeline') to a range of small community groups for years. There is talk of efficiency savings in the air but the only reason advanced by the Council for cutting the scheme was the cost of administering it being disproportionate to the amount of money involved. We put in a last minute offer to administer the scheme for free for the next 2 years thus reducing the Councils costs to nil. Strangely this was not taken up. Other puzzling features of the report include a bewildering approach to Full Cost Recovery which was advanced by the Council as its new funding approach. In reality, this has meant that the Council have failed to include even an inflationary increase for groups in the second year of funding. Makes you wonder sometimes. All in all it has been a weird old process the transition towards the commissioning process which has arrived at virtually the same results as the old grant aid regime. As one of Chrisopher Colombus's crew might have asked at the end of their journey in 1492 "Did we really have to go all the way round just to end up where we started?"

Step It Up

It’s been a good old while since the last blog entry so I will attempt a catch up – although I can’t guarantee this is in any kind of chronological order. About a year and a half ago when I started on this health and fitness malarkey I said to a number of family members and friends that I would run a marathon before my 50th birthday. Friends and family proceeded to virtually wet themselves with laughter but on the 15th December I did it! 26 miles 385 yards and raised almost £1,000 for charity into the bargain.

In my original game plan I had visions of maybe running the London marathon in 2010 or 2011 when I would reach the half century. But then out of nowhere came an event which changed all my plans. In 1908 a marathon was run in Hastings as part of the interest created by the Olympic Games. Eric Hardwick tireless organiser of the Hastings half marathon had a dream to recreate the event. So I had the prospect of competing in a race, in my home town, that would only be run once in every 100 years. That seemed to good to miss so I accelerated my training, ate loads of pasta and took part. It was a really interesting experience which is kind of difficult to describe in words as I write this. Tough certainly, but a real sense of solidarity with other participants and an enormous sense of relief/achievement when it was all over. What struck me was the fact that marathon running is as much a mental as a physical challenge. When it was all done I had a long bath and then it was off to the Jenny Lind pub to take part in a charity quiz night Lorna had organised as part of the fundraising effort. Unfortunately I had peaked early and our team came nearly last but there you go.

What else, the bid writing tailed off just before Xmas I missed the team Christmas meal which was a shame. Coldplay at the O2 arena were excellent and I managed to avoid the viruses and flu bugs which everyone seemed to be coming down with.

Oh and a happy new year to all our readers and as for the video link – this song is the one I associate with running more than any other – it is the first song of the marathon play-list I run to on my ipod and will forever be associated in my mind with pounding the streets of Hastings, Battle Ninfield, Catsfield, Tenterden, Bexhill St Leonards and back to Hastings…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9R4FsV1qLCE