Some days just escalate in to madness.

Picture this - I spring from my bed (hardly!) - overcook my porridge (blows up in the microwave) - spend ten minutes looking for the lost school shoes of my eight year old daughter and then open the door to a film crew.

The film crew from Studio Lambert are making a documnetary for Channel Four about the Benefit System in the UK and the people who run it, the people who are supported by it and the people that support them.

They had been told that I was going to pay one of my surprise visits to an A4e office in the UK. They ..View Complete Post

I just wanted to share with you the utter pleasure of putting on my scruffy comfy jeans - three jumpers and chunky sheepskin slippers and mooching up to the local pub for some banter with the locals.

I live in a rural area - the locals are a mixture of farmers, builders, land owners, carers, small business owners, big business owners, retired people, retail assistants, cooks, mums and dads and kids. Everyone and anyone gathers together in the local - fires blazing - huddled up in a few small rooms - telling stories - poking fun at eachother - putting the world to rights - finis..View Complete Post

So - a challenge - there is so much talk about using the web - and so many people talk a good talk - all the theories - but i challenge you to find me someone who actually knows how to harness it - continually develop the use of it - all in a way that feels easy to use by ordinary people like me.

In response to my previous request for help I got a couple of replies - mostly saying that the answer lies in the web community - so thank you for pointing me in the right direction. So hello web community - anyone want to have some fun and develop our use of the web such that the web actua..View Complete Post

Stories are powerful things - why do i love to tell stories?

Because life is messy and does not always fit the theories.

Because a story can make people do things.

The other day someone told me how to make my story telling better - these were their tips

TIP ONE

Always include a moment of no return - and what happens after  the moment - when things can never be the same again. (Like in the openiing scene of Jaws - when the girl was eaten by the shark)

TIP TWO

The story must be bigger than the story. The implications are far reachin..View Complete Post

As I sit here exploring the web - and i hear of the amazing things that people are doing on the web (including my children!) - I realise that I am way out of date I also realise that my company A4e is out of date. There is so much more we could be doing to use the web to share and learn - to link up with others - to have more fun as we work.

There is more A4e could do to make sure its message of Improving people's lives is heard by the individuals we are committed to support - and by the governments that want to do stuff to improve the lives of the people.

So,..View Complete Post

Stories are powerful things - why do i tell stories?

Because life is messy and does not always fit the theories

Because a story can make people do things

The other day someone told me how to make my story telling better - these were their tips

TIP ONE

Always include a moment of no return - and what happens after - the moment when things can never be the same again. ( Like in the opening sequence of JAWS when the girl was eaten by the shark!)

TIP TWO

The story must be bigger than the story. The implications are far r..View Complete Post

I have spent the last few weeks out and about - hardly been at home. My trusty suitcase trundled along behind me. ( Actually I have now got one with four wheels on the bottom - it is great - and I am often seen dancing down a street with my suitcase waltzing around me!)

I have learnt loads on my travels - all by listening to people of course.

A couple of weeks ago I was part of an extraordinary get-together of people who have built large organisations, companies and ventures that all have a driving social purpose at their heart. I heard of the remarkable work being done..View Complete Post