As part of our lobbying before the general election, we have organised a free seminar for members at 10.30am on 3rd March, at cdfa's offices in London. The renowned public affairs expert Wendy Deller - previously the Public Affairs Director for Barclays, and now an independent consultant - will be joining us to discuss how you can make your voice heard in the election. You can book your place at the seminar here.
To help shape the agenda for the seminar we are holding a webchat at 11am next Friday (12th) on our social networking website, www.cdfamembers.org.uk. Watch out for more details from us very shortly.
Earlier this week I was a part of a roundtable with the Conservative party discussing banking reform. It is clear that the Tories like what we do as it appeals to their wish to support enterprise, encourage people off benefits and improve the impact of public finances by making them stretch further. We just all need to work together to promote the same message to the different political parties. Our lobbying seminar will help us do just that.
I recently went to Scotland and met up with our members, Scotcash, DSL and Social Investment Scotland. In the case of SIS, I made a presentation to their board about cdfa and its work. I love meeting boards: lots of new people with different backgrounds and perspectives, all firing questions at me! The sort of thing I thrive on. If any members want me to meet their boards as well, I would be only too happy to oblige. Just let me know.
In Sheffield recently I also met up with Key Fund Yorkshire and Donbac, our work with Yorkshire Forward has moved on recently and we hope to be able to announce something concrete soon.
I have also been to Brussels to present the cdfa’s Code of Practice to the European Commission. It seems we are the only country in Europe that has such a code and the Commission was very impressed by it. Once again the cdfa leads the international field! I am incredibly proud of all our work and the fact that it has such international recognition.
Readers of this post will see a key theme here: I have been travelling a lot in the last couple of weeks (mustn’t moan – I did get one night out of seven in the homestead. Just time to cook a meal, wash up, unpack, do some washing, re-pack, jump into bed and get up early the next day for the Sheffield trip!). But it’s not all glamour, you know. In my Glasgow hotel I was awake all night due to rowdy football crowds. In Brussels, I got to my hotel room to find it occupied by an elderly, rather portly, American gentleman (he didn’t seem surprised to see me and invited me in!!). Returning to London the next day, I just got into my hotel in time to watch the late night edition of Eastenders, only to find the TV didn’t work. Life!
On the theme of travel, I am going to India this coming week with RBS global Microfinance Advisory Board, of which I am a member. I hope the travelling will be less eventful than recently and know I will come back with loads of good ideas. Watch this space.
On the homefront.
My reign as a domestic goddess is well and truly over. I decided to clean the oven last weekend. A long overdue job, it was filthy. But somehow I broke it. So now it is lovely and clean but completely useless. In the normal course of events, I won’t be using it until next Christmas, so I am not too bothered!
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