Tuesday 11 December 2012

Don’t put off till tomorrow...



 




Don’t put off till tomorrow...

With that in mind, I have decided I need to update the blog or it will be 2013 and my fledgling writing career will be somewhat stillborn!

When I began this secondment, I had a brief on what the role was and an area in which to work. Past that there really have not been that many ground rules, which at first I thought was really emancipating but quickly realised I was more of a creature of habit than I may have proclaimed.

Having a sense of purpose and direction is so very important and that is probably why so many of us crave belonging. For some it will be a sports club, choir, book club etc, but for most of us it is our workplace that provides so much. The sense of community I have been lucky enough to enjoy in several locations and the connections that develop, many of which are sustained for decades help us all complete the picture of who we are. This focus is something we all take for granted and it’s this that I would like to take a little time to consider.

Our education system is focused on trying to ensure that all our young people attain 5 A-C GCSE’s, which for most makes sense and allows them to continue education or enter the workplace with at least a basic grounding which will serve them well in the future. The conundrum comes where we have young people whose learning style is not typically Maths and English. So they may not get the GCSE’s; feel disenfranchised and fall out of the future pool of potential employees.

Ok, you say, but that is the system and so you do your best. Well in part I agree, I was never the best student but my parents and grandparents imbued a sense of purpose in my siblings and I and a strong work ethic that got me through the difficult periods. Now I hope I have passed this on to my children and seek to support others were appropriate. The difficulty comes when there isn’t a role model or a reason to do the homework, maybe no history of employment or possibly there are long term “other” issues within the family.

So what can we do? Well over the past four months I have met some amazing people, who are seeking to support various groups in our communities (and yes some communities are better at helping themselves than others) but can we utilise your skills and capabilities to greater effect? 

Well for those of you that are Lloyds Bank employees you may want to circle May 17th in your diaries, as that is the “Give and Gain Day” for the Group. If your local team resources allow, you may be able to spread that time across a number of different activities not just one 8 hour slot. If you are planning to take advantage of the time provided, yet don’t have a charity or community organisation to work with then let me know and I will connect groups who will really benefit from your time and expertise. 

Better still let me have the names of three businesses that we can get involved in our wider community. By the way, don’t worry if it is outside Leeds (many of the recipients will be) as there are connectors springing up in more and more places.

Parish Notice!

I wanted to say a few thank you’s to people who are looking to make a real difference.

Firstly, The Turnaround Foundation, supported by Endless have agreed to support a Talent ID programme based at the David Young Community Academy, as well as getting involved mentoring some of the students and staff to help support continued professional development. This is a huge outcome for all at DYCA and the result of many months of discussions and the kind indulgence of Chris Clegg.

Secondly, I won’t name him, but wish to thank the MD of a very well known Yorkshire based business who has agreed to support a project called OIL (Opportunities Inspiring Learning). They will seek to guide the people running the project, help with destinations for those going through the programme and allow students of the project to visits their sites.

Last but by no means least; I have been seeking support with the provision of school shoes. One of our business community has come forward to help and we are now working out how best to do this, so that the appropriate primary schools can be helped and that it is handled in the most delicate manner.

Thank you to you all.

The Big Lottery

The Business Connector programme is supported by a grant of up to £4.8m over the next 5 years and last week, I got the opportunity to talk to a wider audience about the programme and what the connectors are involved in.
There were presentations from a broad range of charities including one that I felt deserved mention. It is called “Pub is the Hub” http://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/ . Their vision is about matching community priorities to new services which can be provided by great licensees in their pubs. It’s about bringing interested groups and organisations together, often for the first time, to meet common goals and help local initiatives take place.

In Kind Direct (IKD)

I mentioned this a little while ago briefly and the dynamo of an MD Robin rang me to ask if I could say a little more and really help you all understand what working with them can mean. 

Well here goes. IKD work with an increasing number of manufacturers and retailers were they enable to redistribution of slow moving or discontinued lines. They only charge an administration fee for providing them. Have a look at this video as they operate nationwide. http://www.inkinddirect.org/IKDvideo_3m57s

If you are a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer then why not think about clearing that valuable warehouse space and letting In Kind Direct help lots of people.

Thanks for reading and remember don’t wait to get it done!

Shaun

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