Direction

Hi everyone,

I am beginning to see my way through the wintry fog at last.

We had a really helpful sub committee of Trustees meeting early in the week, about the Business Plan and Budget for 2011/12 and have a clear direction to recommend to the main meeting of Trustees next week. It feels to me as a dinghy sailor like a trimming of sails to face the tough wind, but I am sure Surrey Youth Focus will develop further. For example our membership is going up again, and we are nearly at exactly 80. I have been busy drafting the Business Plan and other reports for Trustees.

Also busy promoting our multifaith Faiths in Action event for young people and adults about topical faith issues – on 23 Feb – details on our website, and being advertised on Eagle Radio.

It is great having two Surrey CC secondees to work with me on the social finance front, helping our member organizations to develop projects and at the same time to enable County Council managers to identify the unit costs of their corresponding services. This is tricky work both in content and in office politics. The work is preparatory to my meeting with David McNulty (Surrey CC CX) next week when we’ll be setting out the areas of possible projects that will achieve cost savings/benefits, but need external funding.

I am in close touch with colleagues at the Community Foundation, Surrey and attended a photographic exhibition in Guildford cathedral of the schemes they have supported that was preceded by choral Evensong. Both the Evensong and the exhibition were very inspiring. Social finance – that is the contribution of the corporate sector -  is going to be crucial in filling the gap caused by the decline in government spending. I note the media headline of Surrey CC losing 650 jobs over the next 4 years, which is not as bad as some places – Hampshire 1,200, and CABs in Birmingham being closed, but is always tough.  I do discern a growing objection in some quarters  to The Big Society; my own view is entirely pragmatic – there will be a gap and the voluntary sector is well placed to fill it.

Personal disclosure: I’ll be glued to the TV this evening watching Wales v England (rugby, obviously). I stand in front of the TV for the first 10 minute or so until know the lads have settled down…it does help you know …telepathy to Cardiff….my wife leaves the room!

Trivial pursuit:
a)      Last week’s answer: Rupert Murdoch was cheesed off last week because the News of the World phone tapping scandal looks likely to scupper his bid to takeover all of BSKyB.
b)      This week: Who has scored the most tries ever playing for England (rugby, obviously) in a single game and in total ?

Enjoy the matches!
Mike