BT or not 2B

Well today is the day when BT should be coming to install our superfast Broadband, so let’s hope it happens! Report next week.

We had our AGM last night and launched our “Young Surrey – strategic review 2012” document which identifies issues and trends affecting the voluntary youth sector and young people. The theme is a concern that it may be becoming increasingly difficult for marginalized young people to het back on track- 11% increase in CAMHS referrals in one year, and increases in homelessness, so far as we can judge. There is also a challenge to the sector to do more to help with apprenticeships.  It’ll be on our website next week.

The AGM was held at Guildford FE College (Partner members). The College’s Deputy – Principal welcomed us and described her very inspirational personal story of being a young teenager from Iran and inadvertently alone in London (because her family was trapped in the Teheran revolution) and how she starting selling fruit and vegetables on the streets, and then from a stall, and then a shop, and eventually ran 8 shops. An inspirational and unexpected story about youth triumphing over adversity.  The AGM also featured a 5 minute “shout out” slot for member organisations that worked well, and then excellent presentations from the Big Lottery and an independent fundraising consultant. These will also be up on the website next week.

I met with various colleagues in the military this week to improve and tweak our Armed Forces Community Covenant bid before its final submission to the MoD next week. The bid is strongly supported by the Surrey Panel but is decided by the MoD. Fingers crossed.

Also had an excellent meeting with the Principal of NESCOT (FE College, Epsom – “Surrey Connects Youth Enterprise and Employability Working Group”) at which we have identified various actions to which we are contributing because of our work on social enterprise.

Finally, a reminder that the international rugby starts on Saturday (England v. Fiji). I regret to say that as the Alternative England Manager several of the team selections are wrong, and I predict a disappointing, albeit winning performance. I await the call to be the Manager…..

Mike