Monday 21st July 2008, 11:23Washington Trade MissionSpent a couple of days in Washington with some leading business people from the Public Service Industry, John Hutton from BERR and Richard Lambert from the CBI, promoting UK export and expertise in public services. It was interesting to get a sense of where the US market (and the US population to an extent) is in a broader context.
I guess it's inevitable that there is the sense of a nation waiting. With the Presedential elections looming, everyone gave me an impression of seeking some form of closure (means something different to everyone) and reinvigoration and a new beginning. T..Mark LovellView Complete Post Sunday 20th July 2008, 23:09The Secret behind the Dinner SuitMany years ago I was invited to an awards ceremony in Kirby, Liverpool. At the event I was asked to make the presentations to the successful NVQ students who had achieved their qualification.
As I arrived at the council hall on a very run down estate on a cold wet and windy November evening I was greeted by a smiling man in his fifties wearing a full dinner jacket and bow tie. The man opened the door and showed me to the hall where the presentations would take place. I must admit I was a little taken aback as on my many visits to Kirby I had not been greeted by a man in a dinner su..Roy NeweyView Complete Post Friday 18th July 2008, 22:21Feed BackI gets lots of feedback to the blogs, thank you to everyone who sends me some feedback or an idea, and I thought it would be good to share this email I had today from Michael Burger who is doing some amazing stuff in our Offender Management Team.
Many thanks Michael for doing what you do everyday and for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights. Any more budding bloggers out there?
Thanks Roy
Dear Roy
Following your most recent Blog entry, I just thought I’d tell you about an event I attended the other evening.
I was invited by Lo.. Roy NeweyView Complete Post Friday 18th July 2008, 15:44Downing Street is a magical place for children (and adults!)
A few weeks ago - Jim and I received an invitation to have dinner with The UK Chancellor Alistair Darling and his wife Maggie. We had a great evening. Very informal, friendly and warm.
They mentioned coming back for tea sometime soon. This week we did just that with our four kids in tow!
Can you imagine the questioning the kids have had to endure from their teachers - when the obligatory - 'what are you doing in your summer holidays?' question was asked. Our middle daughter was told that she must be mistaken about going for tea o.. eharrisonView Complete Post Thursday 17th July 2008, 14:18Its in Our HandsLast week my family and I (Sam, Olivia and Tom) had a most amazing experience. We were very lucky to get tickets to attend the 90th Birthday Party for Nelson Mandela in Hyde Park London. Dashing home from school we packed ourselves into our car and attacked the M6 traffic with determination. Following a few comfort breaks we managed to arrive in Hyde Park as the concert was starting. Shuffling to the front we staked our claim to a patch of grass 18 inches by 10 inches. Each act came and went with increasing momentum, the sound system pushing every bass note through your chest walls and out thr..Roy NeweyView Complete Post Monday 14th July 2008, 11:56Love and respectBeen doing alot of thinking - some things have become very clear - it seems to me that the days when people respected large institutions because of their name and brand are nearly over. The days when these brands demanded respect just because they were who they were is over.
These brands need to change their behaviours - they now need people to love and respect them. To do this their language has to change, their behaviours have to change and in some cases their soul!
Some organisations have achieved this - in Satchi and Satchi (Marketing gu.. eharrisonView Complete Post Monday 14th July 2008, 11:37Lovely weekendJust thought i would tell all of my lovely weekend.
What happened? Nothing. What did i do? nothing special. What did i watch on tv? nothing.
All my 4 kids have finished school for the holidays - and for one precious weekend I spotted that my diary did not have any fixed appointments - there were no lunches, school sportsdays, weddings, mates having a drink, no taxi rides needed to get the kids to parties - nothing.
It was a weekend without plans.
It was wonderful - jim, i and our gang of four spent time together. Just us. We had lazy lunches and teas. .. eharrisonView Complete Post Monday 14th July 2008, 11:21What've I been up to?As anyone who looks at my Blogs will know, I'm not one for too regular postings. So, what's my reason this time? Usual - been out and about working on a range of interesting things.
Over the last few months I've spent some time working on inputs to the UK Green Paper on Welfare Reform. I've spoken at a couple of events with Stephen Timms and Terry Rooney, mainly sharing two themes:
- expereince from international work
- the need to join up front line services
I've had a few meetings with ministers, looking at creative solutions to tackle poverty, inequ..Mark LovellView Complete Post Thursday 19th June 2008, 22:27Feeling Worth LessLast week I had the chance to visit Johannesburg and work with some amazing people who are seeking solutions to some very difficult community issues facing South Africa. I met up with Lesley Ann from Khulisa who manages to inspire me each time I meet her. We worked on developing new partnerships to tackle exclusion in Australia.
I also met Patrick a taxi driver who took me to visit his people in the Alexandra Township, where there has been an outbreak of xenophobic violence during the last month. He took me to the place where people live with one toilet between 15 houses, no privac..Roy NeweyView Complete Post Monday 9th June 2008, 11:21Gave me hope - what do you think?I am notorious for actually not knowing (or wanting to know) much about the whole wannabee celebrity thing. I really, really don't like the day time telly screaming matches either.
I must be getting old - I find it all really sad. I am well known amongst my mates - (especially those who read Hello etc. for being blind to it all) - I have sat next to 'stars' and been oblivious.
Reading the newspaper this weekend - I came across a small article that summed up the way i have been feeling - and gave me hope.
The article proposed that there was a subtle shift taking .. eharrisonView Complete Post Monday 9th June 2008, 10:22What do you think of this idea? Social Purpose CompanySo difficult in the world today - people always trying to put you in boxes. Very uncomfortable when the box they attempt to shove you into does not fit, smells wrong, feels wrong and appears to be filled up with other people that look very comfortable there.
I am actually talking about organisations - I suppose companies specifically - and A4e very specifically.
When I am asked to describe us in conventional terms - the only labels available are public company, private company, charity, voluntary, social enterprise.
Ummmmmm.
Social enterprise - is .. eharrisonView Complete Post Saturday 7th June 2008, 08:39Read and get involved - its yours - all yours - tell me a storyTell me your story - everyone loves stories - please tell me yours - let everyone hear your story.
On the front page of the mega hit A4e website - there are four blog spots - me, mark, roy and an unloved one that everyone ignores.
Its yours - its official - its all yours. Please please send your stories to the unloved spot. It needs to feel wanted. Its waiting for you.
Your story has the potential to inspire another human being - it does not get much better than that.
So - anything - everything - why you do what you do - something that you have done - someth.. eharrisonView Complete Post Saturday 7th June 2008, 08:18Got the bug - can't sit still - a story that will make you cry - did me...He he he
In my last blog way back in May - I talked about getting out and about - well... I carried on getting out and about - and as a result did not update my blog!
So back at my desk for the first time in ages (and thinking that I really must ask some techno wizard how I can update my blog on the run!) I have got buckets to share with my demanding readers.
First off - thanks to the loads and loads of people who drop me a line re. the blogs - ( including those who harrass me when I don't do one for a while!) - and thanks to the very smart people who are joinin.. eharrisonView Complete Post Tuesday 6th May 2008, 11:12Lessons learnt from getting out and aboutHowever comfy it is sitting behind your desk - with your screen in front of you - thinking that all the answers are there - STOP.
I was on the road last week - and learnt so much that my head was buzzing - my brain a little fried and I was so excited by the ideas I found that I could hardly swallow my food!
Now that would not have happened sitting behind my desk - never has - never will.
Just imagine - I was invited to the Gherkin Building in London - to listen to Lord Foster who designed it and John Major (ex prime minister) talk about globalisation. I arrived aroun.. eharrisonView Complete Post Wednesday 30th April 2008, 21:56Three Women Improving Peoples LivesThree Women Improving Peoples Lives
A few weeks ago I had the honour of being able to travel to Rajgarh which is in the Rajasthan region of India. Sidharth Misra and I had been invited to visit the Mittal Community Centre and meet the team who have set up this centre to deliver services to the community of Rajgarh. Our host was Mr. Vishwanath the Secretary of the , Gita Mittal Foundation..
The Mittal Community Centre is committed to making an impact on the Millennium Development Goals. In particular I was shown a project that is reducing infant mortality rates and reduc..Roy NeweyView Complete Post Tuesday 1st April 2008, 14:57Talking about the things that you do - and get paid to do it!I get asked all the time how I got started in Business - and how I manage to keep growing a business. There are so many things - having a powerful vision and superb people are key.
There is something else... The public/customers/ the local community have to know what you do. There is no magic to this - a simple way is to get yourself in the papers on the radio and on TV.
Another way is to be active in your local community - meet loads of people and promote what you do.
The other day - the age old question of why A4e has not done a UK wide TV promotion came up at a ge.. eharrisonView Complete Post Monday 17th March 2008, 13:11Ann Woods an unlikely pioneer ................
I was first contacted by Ann Woods almost two years ago. Ann had watched a late night viewing of a TV programme about Emma Harrison and A4e. Ann was inspired by the vision of Improving Peoples Lives and was moved to find our web site and contact me through the Blog pages. Ann enquired if A4e was operating in Australia and if not, why not and what were our plans for setting up ASAP.
I agreed to meet Ann in Sydney early last year to give her a greater insight into A4e and also to gain an insight into the need she had identified for A4e in Australia.
Ann is best desc..Roy NeweyView Complete Post Wednesday 12th March 2008, 15:05Budget, Child Poverty and World Call Public ServicesInteresting to see the Budget today and the indicators government sees/sets for the UK economy and our society. Whilst there is economic slowdown, there is still much growth potential and A4e’s experience endorses the view outlined by the Chancellor that there is significant opportunity for exports, particularly service providers. Our international business has shown us that many UK businesses have fantastic potential in overseas market. We need to encourage businesses to explore, identify and take up these opportunities and we will aim to promote this through our business support ser.. Mark LovellView Complete Post Friday 7th March 2008, 09:53Paul Potts
I was thinking of Paul Potts And his rise to fame and I was thinking about what an ordinary humble man he was and totally unassuming. I watched his You Tube first audition and watched in wonder at the faces of the judges as he took his place on the stage in front of an audience and panel of experts who had already judged him if not a loser then certainly not a winner.
And there he stood, anxious, lacking in confidence and self esteem. Bare to the judgements of strangers.
And then he sang.
And boy could he sing. The judges moved to tears, the audience s..Roy NeweyView Complete Post Friday 7th March 2008, 09:47Trust
In all our work trust is a critical component. When we are commissioned to deliver a service on behalf of one of the governments with which we work, they have indicated a level of trust in our ability to honour the contractual and spirit of the contract signed by both parties.
When entering into a community for the first time we seek to earn a level of trust so that members of this community have the confidence to entrust us with their future aspirations. In many of these communities trust is something that has broken with many of the agencies charged with delivering services..Roy NeweyView Complete Post |
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