Friday 20th September 2019 - things to do before October

Posted 1:50pm

We are almost three weeks into September. It has flown by.
August was quiet due to people on holidays, and then we got the bad news on the lottery bid.
This month saw some hope on the lottery, but we need to put some things in place first.
Then it has seen illness (In am 53 and think I am falling apart!!) and frustration with other organisations that seem to take an age to reply or set up meetings.

All that can lead to feelings of "is this ever going to bloody happen?" This obviously has a knock on mental health and confidence.

But then I take a breath, re-focus, and sit down and renegotiate the to-do list.  And that is what I have been doing so I can make sure the urgent stuff is down by the end of this month.

We have our two upcoming interventions with Peabody Kensington and Chelsea, so Luke, Dean and I will be sitting down to discuss making them as fantastic and professional as possible. I already know a couple of new things I want to introduce - more fun around the body and health, but a terrific way to learn and remember.  We cannot wing these. The potential for future work with Peabody and others might rest on just how well we perform here.

This weekend I will finish off our Camden Giving Funding Application for 10 one day events between January 1st and March 31st 2020 in Camden.  Really hopeful that that can happen. Together with our completed and posted Islington Giving Funding Application for 8 one day events in Islington during the same period, that can be productive for us.

Next week I am desperately trying to establish a meeting with Haringey Giving for a further 10 day events in that Borough too. We can then take that information to the lottery to show we have the capacity to do multiple work in multiple boroughs and therefore lower the risk on our bid!!!

I have to get accounts print outs to our Accountant so that we can get last year's accounts printed and online with Companies House. Then we would have two years of accounts!! This is great for future funders.

I have to re-establish our links with Hackney - as I want to do some events with them in the new year too.  People may ask - why are you doing one day events?  Well, we know we have a great ongoing program, and if people want we can actually join up four of the one day events into a program. But we want to demonstrate we can make a difference in one day too. This can boost our opportunities with Corporate clients, and even Job Centres.

I think the last couple of months have been tough. This links to personal too. Illness, not losing the weight I was trying to do (although I have turned a corner and am back doing well). I have had more issues around my eyes, my knees, my hernia, my acid-reflux (I cannot use most medicines due to other pills I take). Others close to HMHB have also gone through situations - thinking of our wonderful friend Rosemary in Scotland, and my own colleague Luke (both have ended up in Accident and Emergency, but both will be totally fine - even if there are scars).

HMHB is the best work thing I have ever done in my life - but the fact we have already changed people's lives means I don't want this to stop. Please someone somewhere, make this happen for us!!