Pace, faith & future

Hi everyone,

I attended the funeral of Patience, Lady Baden- Powell on Monday at a packed church in Albury her village. She was our President and a very special lady who managed to reconcile a long colonial experience, love of tradition and faith with complete modernity especially regarding young people. It was a very positive celebration of a full life of service.  She will be much missed.

Well the Year has started at a fast pace, and everyone I talk to in the voluntary sector seems to be setting a deficit budget for 2011/12, unless they have fixed contracts, and there are widespread concerns.

BUT there are opportunities……

I am delighted that Surrey CC have seconded two people to us from their Policy Team – Saba Hussain and Ben Skipp to work with us and member organizations in developing project proposals for social impact bonds. I am meeting the Chief Executive of Surrey CC about these on 9 February…there are stacks of really good ideas around and I want to suggest to David McNulty that we set up an Innovations Group (Police, PCT, Surrey CC , voluntary, community and faith sector ) to open up a channel of communication about possible projects, and then discern whether or not they are runners. For example, I had a meeting on Tuesday with a PCT colleague about the need to develop parenting skills OF teenage parents and of parents WITH teenagers…there being little support for either group, and secondly developing a peer mentoring scheme for mainstream young people who become at risk because of some “critical life episode “ – bereavement, family breakdown, parent’s loss of job etc. Useful website on this is www.c4eo.org

There is also an interesting government website (central and local) that has been drawn to my attention assisting public authorities in making spin off services ( co-operatives, mutuals, social enterprises) and with the prospect of Big Bank funding. Their recently announced focus is on….youth services.  The site is www.localpartnerships.org.

I have been lobbying Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in support of the Scots about the closure of the swimming pool at Banstead.

We have an Interfaith event for young people (free) on 23 February in Leatherhead – booking details on website – with food and entertainments. Funded by a Faiths in Action grant.

Yesterday, I ran a business planning session with the Trustees of the Park Barn Youth project to develop their future direction. One full time youth worker and a part – timer do fantastic work – they have 250 young people on their books and regularly have 50 young people to their sessions. Voluntary organizations just do amazing work!

Personal disclosure:  I have banged in my third set of assignments for my part/time MA Theology, so I’m feeling…virtuous… won’t last long..

Trivial pursuits:
a) Last week: About the cricket records in winning the Test Matches in Australia ….  too many to mention so here is a link - www.birminghampost.net/...birmingham.../the-ashes-the-records-that-fell-and -the-milestones-passed-65233-27948627/

b)  This week: Which famous website celebrates its 10th anniversary next week? (not ours by the way!)

Enjoy the week-end
Mike