Off to Infinity

We had our AGM this week at Guildford FE College (partner members) who both hosted us and contributed the refreshments. It went well with a '5 minute shout-out' by 4 member organisations about their work followed up a break out session and then two excellent presentations from funding advisers.

We also launched our “Young Surrey – strategic review 2012” at the AGM. This highlights issues of homelessness, mental health and youth unemployment, and is being well received. I have been invited to the launch on 27 Nov.of a Surrey CC homelessness service for young people. We are hoping that copies of the Strategic Review will be printed by a corporate for us, and we will then be sending paper copies to our Patrons, members and stakeholders. Meanwhile all this material can be accessed on our website.

We met this week with an Apprenticeship Adviser from Guildford FE College with the aim of us taking on a young Apprentice so that we demonstrate that even a small organisation like us can take on an Apprentice.

The Armed Forces Community Covenant bid has now gone in to the MoD with the full support of the Surrey Panel which is very gratifying.

Our own Community interest Company (CiC) is being registered at present and we expect to be starting up in January. Meanwhile we are doing the project planning for the first of our Surrey Youth Enterprise workshops (funded by Wates). These are aimed at NEET young people and provide advice and support on how to set up in self-employment and business.

Last week, I mentioned that BT Infinity were about to install superfast Broadband – well they came and installed a new router, but failed to make the connection to our server, so initially it didn’t work, so we had to contact our IT support company who then did a good job in making the connections so that it worked. BT’s operative was useless, and the router then installed as standard is inadequate for a small “business” like us, with a server, so the advice is we need a new, bigger router at a cost of £295. BT knew our set up in advance but failed to explain any of this. Not impressed.

Meanwhile many of you are asking me for my views as the Alternative England Manager about last week’s win against Fiji ( good points score but England didn’t play that well). Australia tomorrow. England are still weak at 7 (open side flanker which Robson is not – he’s a 6) and at 8(Waldron not good enough). My preference is to coach up Courtney Lawes as an 8 – or quickly promote the Wasps 8. We’ll see – England to win though!

Mike