Leadership Academy 2020 Vision

An interesting first day of the second session of the leadership academy, looking at a whole host of issues around improving who councillors carry out their leadership role.

As posted on Monday one of the sessions was around looking at the future of local government in 2020, with the approach on the course been to split us into two groups and hold a short competition to produce a five minutes presentation on our visions.

My group floated the idea of 'super authorities' essentially covering all services in a particular area with enhanced powers for local councillors and a short fun PowerPoint / role play presentation to put that across, winning the day.

How old should you be for a school reunion and do reunions matter now there's Facebook ?

At the recent bonfire I was talking to one of the folk I was at school with, and after exchanging the usual greetings etc, the talk moved on to discussion around the idea of a school reunion.

In my mind I'd not really considered the idea of a reunion, partly because I'd not wanted to give much thought to how long it is since leaving school, (which after consideration is two years short of twenty years) but also because reunions seem the sought of thing you shouldn't really be considering until you are in you're 40's (apologies to any folk already in their 40's - or older).

Finally I considered that to a certain extent with the advent of Facebook do you really need reunions anyway ? Because to a certain extent the folk you'd want to see at a reunion are probably already the folk that you're either still friends with in real life or the folk you're friends with on Facebook - so do you still need reunions ?

NaBloPoMo

For November, I will once again be trying to complete NaBloPoMo which is an initative aimed at encouraging bloggers to post every day for a month.

Whilst this first post is a bit light over the next few days and weeks there will be a range of posts covering things such as older people's housing to recycling and possibly various things in between.

There's also potential for requests - so if there's a topic you'd like to see covered please get in touch via the option above or the comments

Ties that can bind

Sunday morning was spent in the company of the in law and out laws at the Church hall on Gamesley for the third local reading of the banns for my brother Rob and his other half Sarah’s forth coming wedding.

Now I don’t flag this up for the obvious family ‘tie’ I flag it up for the more general community tie in part for the fact that this year the Church of England Church on Gamesley run from the Geoffrey Allen Centre is celebrating it’s 40^th anniversary this year, and whilst the ‘ties’ that the church provide may not be as direct as for example family ties, but at least locally the work of the church has supported and helped develop a number of community ties such as the former Jericho café.

Throughout the year there will be a number of events to celebrate the first 40 years of things done by the Church of  England locally, and hopefully there will be many more over the next 40 years to come, with I hope some of the other churches locally joining some of the wider community work that has been done.

NaBloPoMo

Blogging every day for a month, whilst sounding easy only lasted 19 days last month, before the events of the month other took me.

Now whilst it didn't quite work last month I'll try again for February where the theme for the month is 'ties' which may well be an easier theme to base a daily post on than 'best'.

Best tips for an interview

Just a short post tonight, as I have another interview in the morning, along with efforts to get ready and get out the various bits of paperwork for the current parliamentary selection process that is running in the High Peak.

In a sense I'm as hopeful tommorow as I have been for the other interviews I had recently and when I'm eventually successful, I should have a good number of tips for interviews that hopeful I won't need for as long as I was at my previous employer.

But to fit within the theme of best what's your best tips for interviews ?

Best bit of stuff to loose

The section of the BBC News website for Derbyshire, is highlighting a story that advises that the Derby City PCT has lost some 60,000 pieces of equipment worth £1.5 million pounds including wheelchairs, crutches, hoists and beds, that have been loaned to patients and not been returned.

What the best thing you've lost ?

Best film of the year so far

I’ve had a day away from things today with a trip off to the cinema to see a few recent releases.

First up was St Trinians 2, the legend of Fittons gold, which whilst it won’t win any Oscar’s was quite funny and fairly watchable, although in my view not as good as the first of the new films, which made a better use of the huge cast of characters and to be honest had a better story than this one.

Next up was Avatar, which on the other hand I am sure will win a number of Oscar’s with very good special effects, a compelling if not original story and plenty of scope for a follow up in the future. I would heartily recommend this film, in addition I was also recommend that if you do go and see it, take the time to go and see it in 3D if you can, as the effects are amazing.

Finally last up was Daybreakers, the latest in a long line of films containing Vampires, this time with a story set around almost all of the human population becoming infected with a virus that makes them vampires, with the bulk of the remaining human population ending up in farms for there blood. A fairly straight forward story, plenty of blood and guts gore effects, all in all good clean exploding vampire fun.

In my view of the three, Avatar was by far and away the best so far this year, but from the trailers been played before all three, there is much to look forward to in the cinema this year, not least amongst them a new take on Alice in Wonderland which looked very weird but very impressive in the trailer.

Best place for a blue plaque

The Hyde Colliery Explosion
Originally uploaded by Smabs Sputzer.
Do you know of a local person, or building that should be recognised with a blue plaque ?

The reason for asking is that Derbyshire County Council is introducing (like the example above from nearby Tameside) a blue plaque scheme to recognise people, buildings or sites within Derbyshire, and to identify the sites to be considered they are asking for suggestions from local people.

A maximum of 12 plaques will be awarded and nominations are asked for from the following themes : war heroes and memorials, local heroes and famous people, cultural and heritage connections, philanthropists and entrepreneurs and buildings of historic or architectural importance.

Nominations are open from now until the 31st January, and local’s will then get the chance to vote in March on the short-list, with the winners being published in the County Council newspaper in June.

Anyone suggested for a Blue Plaque must have been deceased for at least 20 years and owners of nominated properties must agree to the nomination.

For further information and / or to make a nomination goto : http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/blue_plaques/

Many thanks to Smsbs Sputzer on flickr for the photo of the Blue Plaque commemorating the Hyde Colliery Explosion.

Best Questions to the candidates

Following on from the annoucement that Tom Levitt MP was standing down the local Labour Party has being going through the process to look for our replacement candidate.

We're part way through that process, and coming up in the next few week's there will be a number of opportunities to speak too and question the candidates looking to replace Tom, and from that find out there views on a whole range of issues prior to local members making there decision to vote for there candidate of there choice.

Now whilst I have a few issues I may wish to raise with them, what would you want to know from our potential candidates and what would be your best question be ?

Youth unemployment – Today’s Sun

Today’s Sun newspaper carries a special centre page spread investigating the extent of youth unemployment across the UK.

It includes such statements as 94% of school leavers think it will be hard to get job matching qualifications, along with the figure of 925,000 young people across the UK being unemployed, reported as the second highest in Europe.

The article makes little mention of the government’s plans to tackle this, with just a single line about the future jobs funds instead preferring to give greater sway to Conservative Shadow Works and Pensions Secretary Theresa May, who comments that the “Conservatives have pledged more help for all young people unemployed for six months or more, backed up by hundreds of thousands of new apprenticeships and training opportunities”.

Fine words you might say, but consider that against local action in the High Peak where the Conservatives are in charge of the borough council, where there bid to the future jobs fund will create just 2 new apprentices, as opposed to nearby Labour controlled Bolsover whose bid will employ 105 people in apprenticeships across the Council and in public and voluntary sector organisations - fine words and neat sound bytes but very little action.

Best - follow up to an earlier story

A quick BaBloPoMo post today, just following up on a link to an earlier story.

A few days ago I mentioned about the recent book by Peter Watt former general secretary of the labour party, well in response to that labour blogger Hopi Sen wrote a reply based on the book : http://hopisen.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/my-book-deal/

Spot on, in my view and a far more humerous take on the issue, that I can put together.

Best Scheme So Far - Free computers and broadband access

Earlier today Labour’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has announced that 270,000 low income families will receive a free computer along with free broadband access for a year.

The scheme know as Home Access is a new government drive which helps low income families get access to a computer and the internet to get online at home.

If you’re a low income family, you could qualify for a grant to buy a computer and/or at least one years’ internet access to help your child learn at home. The programme is aimed at those that need it most and targets families that do not have access to a computer or the internet at home.

Children who have access to technology at home tend to do better in school exams, learn and achieve more, and have fun while they’re doing it.

In fact according to details on the home access website evidence shows that by using technology to support learning at home, learners could achieve a 2 grade improvement in one GCSE subject, engage more in their learning and achieve more.

The programme is being rolled out across England from January 2010, with eligible families able to apply for a Home Access Grant to pay for a computer and/or internet package.

To qualify, families must have a child in school years 3 – 9 who is entitled to receive Free School Meals (which normally means the household having an annual income of less than £16,040). (full details on access to the scheme on there website)

If you think you qualify for a Home Access Grant please call 0333 200 1004 for an application pack or goto www.homeaccess.org.uk for more details.

Best way to do damage ?

In a week when certain Bitterites (as John Prescott called them) were seeking to do damage to the Labour Party and it’s electoral fortunes, has Peter Watt (or Peter something sounding like Watt here), the former general secretary of the Labour Party shown them how to do more ?

I say that because, whilst in a sense the damage done by the bitterites has essentially been passed, the damage done by someone who should know better, may be of greater and longer lasting impact.

I say ‘know better’ because when he took over the post all the talk at the time was around the privilege and pride in taking on the job, and all about the challenge of renewal for the party, where as now the approach seems to have been about how much damage can be done.

But perhaps (as some who know him better) it’s right the Peter Watt has his say and the opportunity to restore the damage to his reputation from the issues over party funding, I just wish he’d picked his time better than in the run up to the general election.

Best - Church Cartoon's

As it's almost Sunday, I thought today's NaBLoPoMo post could have a hint of a religious theme. 

One of the various blogs that I view on a fairly regular basis, is the Cartoon Church blog / we blog cartoon's blog, which contains as the title suggest cartons about church life.

Whilst the perspective that the cartons are based on is from a Church of England view, if you've had any experience of 'church life' or if you've attended a 'church school' you'll will appreciate the cartoon's and most likely be able to recognize some of the characters portrayed within them.

The cartoon above is a recent release from the site and in the current snowy weather, seems to fit things ideally.

Best way to let you know - no thanks

Other the last few months since being made redundant, one things that's quite often being a source of annoyance is that many of the people that apply to don't have the curtsey to let you know you've been unsuccessful, and the few that do quite often don't give you that many pointers on where you've gone wrong and what to try in the future to be more successful.


Now whilst I realise with the number of people currently unemployed and the time and cost of writing to people my expectation may be a little high, surely with all of the advance of email and so on it should be possible to at least acknowledge even if you can go into to level of detail I like to see.


Any how in sticking with the theme of 'best' for NaBloPoMo, I thought I'd highlight one group that whilst they may not be able to feed back to each of the 60 + unsuccessful applicants, they've made a strong effort to give anyone unsuccessful feedback on where they went wrong, and give them pointers for the future.


The group in question is Gallomanor a 'communication's' firm who specialise in citizen engagement campaigns and e-democracy, and the feedback (which is viewable at http://www.gallomanor.com/2010/01/workgallomanor-thank-you.html) flags up just short of half a dozen pointers on where some folk had gone wrong including basic's such as get the name of the person your contacting right, to practical but quite often overlooked concerns like make sure you email address is a sensible one.


Now whilst I appreciate the time pressures that may prevent such a reply the above example shows a quick way of making people who've spent time on an application feel that even if it was unsuccessful it wasn't wasted time. 

Best of links - comedy

In light of elements of brain deadness for spending too long on other things today, I thought for today NaBloPoMo post, I would share of the few of the blogs from the comedy section of this months bloglist that I've been reading over the last few days.

First up is a fork in the socket mainly for the great title but also a good read so far, next up is fear and lothing, which had a brilliantly named but very much geek themed post with the title of You Haven't Seen My Drawer Of Inappropriate Starches? and finishing off for now with one for teachers who rock called its not all flowers and sausages

There's a whole range of topics to go through and I expect to find a few more over the coming month to add to the read when I can list.

The best and worst of the snow

Whilst the snow is not good for everyone, there have been some good bits to the snow.

Over on Riber, there has been an impressive snow man built, all good except for the City flag which spoils it just a little !

Even more local has been an igloo built just outside on the square near the house, and possibly offers a future solution to the housing shortage should the weather stay as bad as at current.

On the bad side I’ve flagged up a few examples over the last few days and there is more examples on the facebook group highlighting issues over the lack of gritting, and a whole load of photo’s from around Gamesley on my flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/anthonymck.

However following my visit to Glossop today I thought it would be worth mentioning one or two particular bits.

Considering that the Borough has apparently been doing street gritting since Monday, the steps up to the Co-op (as pictured left) were still treacherous with much snow still left on the steps, which given it is used as access from the main bus stops to the train station and post office it should have received more attention.

 

Also the main high street (pictured left ), seemed very dubious under foot, with a number of people looking unsteady on there feet due in part to the seemingly poor level of treatment given to the path, along with the ever more dubious stone surface which didn't seem to helping.

Best News Story So Far This Year – Are mobility scooters a menace?

An article on the BBC news website yesterday has flagged up concerns following a number of high profile accidents involving mobility scooters.

The accidents which have caused at least one death and several injuries have raised concerns with police as the scooters are exempt from the Road Traffic Act and the police have been powerless to act against the driver’s.

The level of concerns is such that in February a committee of MP’s will begin an inquiry looking into to the concerns around the scotters and whether the legal setup needs changing.

Locally there have been one or two issues with riders of scotters that I am aware, but these have been around speeding concerns and were dealt with quickly by a quiet word in the right ear.

Perhaps there is a need to follow the example in the article that Norfolk Police have been doing by putting in place a training scheme for mobility scooter riders.

What do you think are they a cause for concerns or are the incidents highlighted in the news freak occurrences with no actions needed to stop them ?

What’s the best way to consult ?

At the recent pre Christmas full council meeting, one of the reports considered and approved by the council was the Joint Consultation and Engagement Strategy.

Within the document it details the plans for a review of the area forums which I commented was much needed with the last meeting in Glossopdale seeing 2 or 3 real member of the public and in excess of more than 20 officers, councillor’s, police and assorted other ‘official’s in attendance.

My comments were picked up by the Buxton Advertiser and reported here : http://bit.ly/7oUUSM and I hope to see details of the review been firmed up in the next few weeks.

As such I would be interested to hear your views on what would make the ‘area forum’ system work – is it more powers to make decisions ?, better topics, venues or something else – any views please let me know.