Open For Business

We signed off an agreement with Surrey County Council last Friday lunchtime whereby we have undertaken to administer the SCC Youth Small Grants Scheme for them . The grant scheme is a pot of £220,000 that is available for small organisations (like sports clubs, scouts, guides etc ) that have a turnover of less than £100,000 and are NOT contracted to deliver youth work to SCC . Grants are available for between £500 and £5,000 max. Details are on our website.

SO having signed on Friday , we were open for business with the Small Grants scheme on Tuesday morning! Fast track implementation!

Kate Peters and I are visiting nearly every Local Committee of Surrey CC (ie 11) and went to the Mole Valley one on Wednesday. (In a former life I co - wrote the original terms of reference for SCC’s Local C’tees, and have been to all 11 Committees many  times).  A sense of deja vu crept over me in the Pipprook Council Chamber….the cost of democracy as petitions were heard and good citizens pleaded for parking restrictions and so on. LOTS of process..little product. Why aren’t issues resolved by talking to local people at ground level earlier?

We are very busy with our new website due to be launched next week, with a much more contemporary look and feel.

Met with YES+ yesterday, being an organisation that works with young offenders, using reformed, trained, ex criminals as the facilitators doing the work. Point of meeting was to start building a grant bid for the Consortium to train up voluntary sector youth workers in identifying/assisting young people at risk, and then to work with those young people directly in one specific borough – probably Spelthorne. Very encouraging.  Also met with someone who is keen to come and work with us, and a possible new Chairman to succeed David Hypher. Lots of possibilities.

Grandchildren staying with us tonight and Saturday night (aged 5 and 3) so back to work for a rest next Monday! Enjoy the rugby on Saturday evening- great first half against Argentina last week – my man is Kvesic(7) ..makes all the difference to the team…to have…… a bridgebuilder/connector.

Mike