Respite care row drags in social enterprise

Yesterday Chris Smith from Swarm Communications wrote a really good piece in the Guardian  on the desperate need for social enterprise to communicate to those outside our cosy tent, what we are and why we matter. I would say that as he generously quotes me, and other than the rather challenging photo of me in what I now regard as dodgy earrings, I come off rather well as do SEL members Fifteen, Belu, Greenworks, Divine and our old friend Rob Greenland the man behind the fantastic Social Business Blog.

SEL staff have had some fun with the above photo today with an impromptu caption competition, front runners at the moment are "How big!?" and "This big". Feel free to join in, you can only do better.

The point Chris makes, that the wider public need to get what we do in order to join us, you might think is self evident in its urgency. He goes on to say that our recent association with the Big Society might have got us out to a wider audience but that could be tricky as the Big Society remains rather ill defined itself. Getting stories out about the smaller, newer, cutting edge social enterprises like Bikeworks or Responsible IT is the job of agencies like SEL and I hope we are doing our job well but I agree we need to do more and fast. Worth a read.

This morning the row over cuts to respite care for families of disabled children is a case in point. On BBC Breakfast the manager of the Watford MENCAP centre for respite care was interviewed and was angry at the cuts, and angry about "all this talk about social enterprise". "What was it?" she asked. "Where are the models for us to follow? How will it help us with these cuts?" she went on to say. These are all good questions and just as Government talks enthusiastically about social enterprise they must offer people support to explore the model. It is the screaming absence of specifics or resource to access expertise that leads to people getting angry, and angry with us. As Chris Smith says, social enterprise needs to communicate its story, we need to do this so that folk in Watford can make an informed decision about whether its right for them.  

Ready, Steady, time to Go home

Its been a wonderful holiday, dodgy weather not withstanding, and we are ending on a high note. Today was the Port Gaverne to Port Isaac swim in aid of the Port Isaac Gig Club. The gigs are the local sport round these parts, with teams competing from each village, each taking responsibility for the up keep and maintenance of their own boat. The gigs themselves are retired eight oar lifeboats and peculiar in design to North Cornwall. Today’s race has not been run for thirty years but local organisers Clare and Steve were hoping it becomes popular enough to raise money for the Isaac gig and become an annual event. Worried about the rocky sea yesterday, Clare told me she didn’t sleep a wink last night.

I had been talking about joining in as I have been swimming in the bay for the last 12 years. But I don’t go out if the sea is too choppy and I have never been further than the headland. This race is over a mile of open sea, against the tide most of the way, and the weather has been so rough there was talk yesterday of cancelling the race altogether. That explains why hubby and I were in The Harbour Restaurant with our lovely friend, restaurateur and chef, Emily and her delightful new beaux, Jason, until the wee hours. Jason is front of house at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Newquay and so no stranger to social enterprise or, isn't it a small world, my friend Liam Black.

After a splendid evening at Emily’s 15th century gem of a bang up to date eaterie, where I had the monkfish and scallops washed down with at least one bottle of New Zealand, Dog Point, too many, I sat out to count shooting stars and bats. The last few nights we have had a comet over head but last night was our first clear sky to view the last of the shooting stars. More Cornish magic. It was for this reason I found my bed rather late.

Oh dear. This morning brought a lovely sunny day, relatively calm seas and Jon Cleave, famous for his Gully Children's Stories, membership of the local and now Internationally famous singing sensation Fisherman's Friends armed with a public address system positioned under my bedroom window, announcing the race was on. So armed with a cup of tea and 2 paracetaomol I tottered down to the beach, signed up and gave my money to the Gig Club. In the end there were 49 swimmers, of which I finished 44th, in as many minutes. It was hard going at times but at least I did it, and avoided the humiliation of being rescued, although my friend Andy, helmsman of the Lifeboat did keep offering to rescue me for most of the journey. Commenting on my less than professional style, Andy felt some of my strokes were not recognisably Olympic ones, although I think he had no difficulty interpreting my hand gestures. Andy told me later that the Lifeboat crew and bet against me making it but his money was on me. Thanks mate!

As a postscript Andy Cameron is a legend, especially to our children who he has taught to surf at his Wavehunters Animal Surf Academy (he's the bloke in shirt and tie standing on the desk in the sea) based in Polzeath. You may have seen him on the telly recently as he had the difficult task of teaching Jeremy Clarkson and team to surf on a Top Gear episode a few weeks ago. Apparently they filmed for 2 days but if you blinked you missed the 20 seconds Andy was trying to get Clarkeson to pull himself together. Andy has got some of the most famous people into the water to sample North Cornwall’s fabulous surf including Kate Moss, Jude Law and even our own Prime Minister, David Cameron (no relation) who was in the papers yesterday encouraging people to holiday at home, giving Cornish surf a special mention.

Oh and I have not forgotten to tell you all about the radio frequency thermal energy laser treatment I was booked in for. I went ahead with it yesterday, remembering to take photos of before and straight after the treatment. I’ll do a full post when the swelling goes down and you can see the final results. I went out last night feeling (and looking) like elephant woman, (although worryingly Emily said I looked no different!?) but have high hopes of a great outcome, thanks Penny Pudd, practice nurse and Veinwave Therapist.

Despite the energetic start to the day we all feel really sad packing up, but as I keep telling my troops we will be back soon enough. On Andy's website it says, leave the office, walk away from your desk and come for a surf. You never have to ask us twice.

Bringing up the rear

Are we there yet?

Sponsored sea swim..Done!