The Kids Aren't Alright!

The youth project in the community centre I'm after for my company is pulling out in February claiming cuts as the reason. They're in fact a branch of a huge and wealthy global charity that COULD fund its individual projects if it wanted to. They'd been threatening to go ever since they lost a grant from the local authority last year. The kids aren't happy and are writing unprompted letters to the Council and the papers. I was invited to speak with them yesterday and tried to get them to understand that the council isn't responsible. The council has to find cuts of £250m and central government wants all local authorities to pay for themselves with no central funds by 2020.

 I explained that if my company is chosen we will honour a commitment to retain an independent youth project with the same youth leaders and that I believe it will be eminently fundable. I encouraged the kids to spread the word about my plans and at very least, to demand that the council gives prominence to Youth and Community development in the decision about to whom the building should be assigned.

 I also found out that the tenant organisation I most hoped would leave when I was working there too intend to go next year. I am hoping that will put off some of the four other applicants as it will mean having to find £41K running costs instead of £21K. It is a little frustrating to know what is going on and not be in a position to put plans in place to secure funds, promote the available spaces etc. I suppose I can begin to draft things, but I had a go today and it felt weirdly redundant probably because it will either be totally irrelevant if we're not offered the lease and anything I write is liable to change when the details of the lease are presented.

 All of this is sapping my life essence! I keep depression at bay by keeping busy with largely banal universal credit bullshit: the sort of jobs for which I am applying require a lot more in the way of application than it appears they anticipate. A couple of times I have found myself halfway through the Work and Education experience bit and lose the will to live: I KNOW I don't want the job. I've got an interview in Sheffield next week, I hope I get the job just to give myself some stability.

 I'm heading to Co Durham next week to meet with some new and positive people who seem to have replaced the obstructive old guard. It is a real pleasure to correspond with them and their enthusiasm for the project is heartening. They see the same potential for the building that drove the work we did last year, perhaps the owner will respond to them better than she did to me. I said I would happily help with admin and fund-raising but I will not lead on the project after being warned off before.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bon Voyage, Mon Enfant!

Image
It's hard dealing with the lack of communication let alone discussion of my Godson's immediate future. Its hard not to view my part in his recent past as a failure. The point is that it is over and I need to move on whilst there is still some relationship left between us. I'm getting quite 'Zen' in covering my frustrations with calm.  My Godson has always been unwaveringly CERTAIN of any decision concerning his learning that was opposed to mine. He was SURE that the scant attention he gave to his studies would at least yield passes. He dismissed my protestations that higher grades offered greater prospects as irrelevant. In exasperation I finally  reminded him and his father that he was here to go to school and that when that ended he would leave my home. His school career recently ended when he did not secure the grades to enrol into the final year.  My Godson is and always has been capable of cruising through a standard UK education, but it wasn't impo
Read more

Waiting!

Image
I love working with other people and I absolutely hate it too! I love it when I get people together who agree to do stuff but I get twitchy when they're late and I remember that everyone's doing everything "at risk" unless I'm fortunate-enough to have cash with which to bribe them! Yesterday I completed my proposal for our new proposed Main Project- I'm really pleased with it and very excited to submit it, but it would be a mistake not to share it with my colleagues- they're a great bunch when I can get their attention! I have always to remember that they're not as committed to the company as I am: they joined as a favour to me initially and though they've all benefited from it at some time in the last five years... except Wayne who we all forgot was on the Board -including him lol I can't expect anything from them really. So, I get into waiting for responses and starting other things and forgetting that I'm waiting (I'd get annoyed
Read more

Gyre

Image
From time to time I notice the patterns I make in my life; the recurring themes, the 'deja vu and 'Oh, not again!' moments... I don't spend much time on self-reflective introspection out of a combination of embarrassment and fear. It hasn't stopped me unloading onto one or two toking-buddies on a regular basis, but I try not to be one of those who becomes so intimate with their own navels that they're end up being dull or even toxic. The fear is also about having to focus on the things in plain sight that I choose not to see or wrongly ascribe to factors out of my control. When I was a (sole black) first year drama student at university I was ever-so-gently cornered by all three of the lecturers and asked what I thought about playing Othello. I was surprised enough to think it was a joke and quipped that I couldn't play Othello (I was 18 and seven or eight weeks into a degree course) and that they were only asking me to save on make up (or something li
Read more