Minor Setbacks

I had been looking forward to reviewing and submitting to the Council the Expression of Interest form I'd shared with my Co Directors before going to Featherstone. Unfortunately; they'd sent me the wrong version of the form so I have had to cut paste and rejiggle and write some new stuff which all has to go back to the Directors before I can submit it. Having said that; I think that the submission gets better and better each time I've had to redraft it and I am increasingly confident of the business principles beneath the operating plans and the potential for real success. Getting the building would give us the opportunity to revive Intercultural Arts (though I'd expect some resistance from the old guard), it would give SLAP! headquarters, we'd be able to support the Newcastle Alevi Cultural Centre project, there's scope to revive NEST (though it would be a LOT smaller than it had been before) and opportunities for a load of creative groups to head to the estate. Hopefully; the guys will make their comments and respond by Friday.

I am definitely getting better! Last night's coughing nearly killed me! It was just the discomfort of "stuff" in my airways. It is amazing to me the amount of "stuff" coming out of my nose!

I am going around whispering "passport, passport" to myself because I can't believe it is anywhere outside this house, but I can't think WHERE! It may be time for a systematic deep clean of the house as an excuse for a really good hunt. Losing it meant my claim for Universal Credit didn't go through and I had to make another one. Interestingly' after being told my Driving License wouldn't work, it did perfectly but they can't process my bank card. When I inquired why they said they don't accept cards from my bank! This is a government site and its not as if my bank is "local".

Did you know that 0.8% of benefits are fraudulently claimed in UK.  I can't find the number as a percentage but around £16bn of benefits are unclaimed each year. I am confident that the unclaimed amount is significantly bigger than the amount obtained by fraud. I expect to have an income by the time the universal credit kicks in! I am not looking forward to visiting the job centre. When I was last there I found the average workers inefficient and intellectually challenged. NOW they have even more power and I may find myself having to deal with bureaucratic bullshit. I shall take a folder full of applications and business plans with me to show that I'm not wasting my time, though I expect them not to accept that and to force me to take some job washing dishes etc. I have tracked down four jobs and will apply for them tomorrow.

I shared on facebook some info about a £150K funding opportunity that really excited Garry. I got one of his enthusiastic phone calls later during which he told me all the people he'd already contacted to be involved in a 2 minute promotional film and the ideas he had etc. I asked him exactly what he wanted to use the money for. He talked about the roof, paths, access road, catering etc. I had to stop him and remind him that the building's owner said she didn't want anything from CHN. Garry's Bridge House project has NO independent status. Any application to that fund would have to be on Bridge House;s behalf by another organisation. I tried to make it clear to him that whilst I will do everything I can to support him, Chris, Connor, the bees etc, I would not put energy into preserving the building. In any case we can only apply once as an organisation and I can see how we could tap into that to support our core development as CHN. I reminded him that there IS money for the Food Wall and that it would be sensible to get that project up and running before launching into a major structural project when it is by no means certain that the owner would allow it to be completed. "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

I did some research for the faeries about getting a marquee for next year's Global Gathering. It looks like anything from £1,300 to £2,000 so far. It shouldn't be too difficult to get a Big Lottery grant to support that.