blogging interuptus

This will be my last Blog for a week ....what will my friend Robin Bobb do in the meantime I wonder? I go into hospital for an eye operation tomorrow morning , and am then out of action for a few weeks . One of the sadder aspects of this procedure will be the curtailment of blackberrying and blogging.

I have had problems with my eyes since 2001 when I had a detached retina. A bit like what happened to our dear embattled Prime Minister . I was having dinner with one of my favourite acevo members last night; Andrew Barnett who runs the splendid Gulbenkein Foundation . We were at 15 , the social Enterprise in Hoxton and enjoyed a delicious meal and wine. Highly to be recommended; although we could have done without the large party of Germans who decided to break into song:made listening to Andrew's salacious gossip most difficult. He suggested to me that the time off in recovery was a superb opportunity for reflection , both on the events of the past and how to take work forward .

This is good advice . ACEVO has been moving apace in the last few years. Growing membership , and as important, hugely growing influence. I have a highly talented staff team who are making a real mark across the sector. We have expanded our leadership links internationally and euclid , our European third sector leaders network is growing and developing .Staff are firing on all cylinders. We set a frenetic pace. Its what is needed when the sector faces the challenge of recession . CEOs look to us to articulate their demands and desires and to deliver on their behalf.

But a CEO also has to have a strategic eye . An ability to look beyond the frenetic activity and the detail to where the organisation needs to be in 5 or 10 years ; the alliances and partnerships we need , the international work we do and the relationship with Government in a changing political climate.

This morning I get my official invitation from President Clinton to join the Clinton Global Initiative and attend their 5th Annual gathering in New York. This is an honour , as it is strictly by invitation . And I will be representing the UK third sector. I shall be getting the forms off pronto . I know from reported of previous events how valuable this is , and how useful for putting forward the role and value of the non profit sector. The UK third sector is held in high regard , not least by President Clinton , but this event is an opportunity to share and to learn leadership from global leaders . You get a flavour of the event from the calender . As one of my team point out , I will undoubtedly enjoy the evening at the Museum of Modern Art which is headed networking with Heads of State and Global Leaders.

one of my last duties before packing up for St Thomas's was to chair the Futurebuilders Board . A heavy meeting , we were reviewing our group structure now we have won the various tenders to run the DH social innovation fund , the modernisation fund for the OTS and the potential to run the new community builders scheme for DCLG. its become a bit confusing as to what the Adventure Capital Fund do as opposed to Futurebuilders and we need to have a clearer governance structure . We also had an interesting report from Forsters, the top communications company , about our branding and positioning. And FBE is moving on June 1st. The current London office has just become too small with all the expansion and so we are moving to St Andrew St , just near both the Big Lottery Fund and the Charities Aid Foundation , a veritable Funders corner. I'm sure Jonathan Lewis ,John Low and Peter Wanless will be grabbing coffees together and plotting financial world domination.