Young Trustees!!

I'm about to whizz off to meetings of the Surrey Sports Strategy Board (last meeting for me) and then the Surrey Charity Chief Executives Group. The latter will focus on my favourite theme about the way in which the Public- Private- Third sectors are all blending together. The Cabinet Office is encouraging local authorities to create Mutuals and social enterprises - see Epic - a youth service mutual formed from staff of three London Boroughs- initially in Ken and Chel.

By the same token we are working hard on setting up the social enterprise ("Surrey Youth and Community Property CiC" ) to take over the running of Woking Youth Arts Centre from 1 April. We had a first embryonic board of directors meeting this week, and I am meeting with property  lawyers next week, and taking advice on tax from our accountant. It is brilliant that staff of a major corporate will be coming in to the building on 16 May (BitC's Give and Gain day) to redecorate etc.

Linda is doing a brilliant job on moving CommUniLAB forward as a project ;looking at the value of C'LAB from the perspective of potential  funders, and starting to look at the branding/image we want to convey through the all important new website.

But the high point of the week was a superb focus group discussion with our three young trustees about the issues affecting young people, and about what young people value. This is key input for me in drafting the next "Young Surrey: Strategic Review".  I have written up the draft of what they said, and hopefully they will agree to it going up on our website. There is a link here to the Demos report I keep quoting about "Introducing Generation Citizen"- short version being that young people are interested in global issues, but not traditional party politics about which they are very skeptical.

BUT if they don't vote in the general Election will they exclude themselves from power,  OR by  using their ability to form- disengage re-form in huge numbers using social media, like flocks of swallows swarming,  ...will they change the parliamentary model completely?

Back on form..played squash last night in brand new sports centre, opened this week. Training walk on Saturday - 21 miles- then the rugby showdown on Sunday afternoon!