Month: July 2014

Hungary For More

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picture - f1 jbAre decisions made under extreme time constraints easier or harder? If you had to give an instant answer to whether your favourite colour was red or blue it would be easy – subconsciously you would have worked this out over your life and anyway there would be no consequences if you get it wrong. So what makes a team decide to put wet tyres onto Jenson Button’s car instead of the slicks that is on everyone elses? A safety car in the Hungarian Grand Prix gave Jenson the opportunity to grab a huge advantage. The first decision – come in and change tyres or not – was made in an instant … come in – CORRECT.

From entering the pit lane to reaching his pit box would take about 15 seconds – so dry or wet tyres …. wets – INCORRECT. Of course it’s easy to be wise after the event but unfortunately for the person making the decision there is more time to analyse its correctness than there was to make it. Why does this justify a post? Well before you make any decision you gather background information – even in an instant decision like this there is a huge amount of ‘inherent’ knowledge.

Jenson had won twice at this track before – in very similar conditions – by being quickest on a drying track – on slicks. Everyone said that ‘twinkle toes’ Jenson’s best chance of a good result was if it rained and then dried. The track had dried sufficiently to be on slicks. The radar of 10 of the 11 teams said no more rain. The answer to question, slicks or wets, was obviously slicks so why did McLaren convince themselves to go for wets and effectively write-off any chance of a good result?

No idea …. unless they want to get rid of JB at the end of the season and don’t want him to outperform / score his team-mate. F1 loves a good conspiracy!

The race was full of incident with crucial decisions being made up and down the pit lane. Cars were crashing into barriers and each other, drivers ignored team orders, there were different tyre strategies, huge variances in lap times and as a result the finishing order was in doubt until the last corner. Fantastic …… unless you had made the decision to put wet tyres on Jenson’s car!

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Helping The Kids

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This was the last in the series of Anglian Radio Kids Trusts grant meetings.  Below are 2 of the requests (de-personalised) – one where we were able to give a little more and one where we could only contribute to a fund.

The Financial Inclusion Officer with SCC’s FAST (Family Assessment and Support) Team has asked the charity for help with a single mum who is supporting four children (aged 6 to 16).  The family is facing a number of problems which leaves the children disadvantaged and vulnerable. Both mum and the oldest child have mental health problems while another child has autism and is struggling at school. Mum is not able to work and is surviving only on tax credits and child benefit. Consequently, the condition of their home has deteriorated as mum has neither had the money nor the motivation to improve things. Social Care has become increasingly worried for the well-being of the children.

The Officer has applied to Local Welfare Assistance for furniture but would be grateful if the charity would consider further assisting the family with a grant of £300 to improve the condition of the home. He would like to purchase a skip to remove waste from the garden allowing the children to play safely, a mattress, paint and brushes, duvet cover sets and fitted bed sheets. He feels that a grant would not only benefit the children but would also help mum to feel more positive about herself and, in turn, better able to meet the children’s needs going forward and maybe return to work in the coming months.

We were pleased to make a grant of £500

 

A’s daughter is fifteen months old and has Cystic Fibrosis. The family is saving to buy her an airway clearance vest that will help with her lungs and enable her to live a longer life.  Her daughter has regular physiotherapy to keep her clear of the mucus which makes it so difficult for her to breathe, the vest is a wonderful piece of physio equipment that shakes the mucus enabling her to breathe better. The total cost of the vest is £7,000 and, to date, the family has raised £1,000 through charity events and sponsorship.  They would be grateful for any donation towards the shortfall.

Unfortunately we do not have sufficient funds to buy the vest but we have added £1,000 to the pot and promised another £1,000 when they get to £6,000.

If you would like to help financially or in another way then please click onto the logo or contact me. Thanks

Civic Reception

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Amazing – how can you drive passed a place thousands of times and not know what is behind the hedge? Priory Hall on Benton Street in Hadleigh is that place. We were there for Babergh District Council’s new chairman’s reception and before anyone asks, yes we had to pay for the tickets + we raised £800 for his charities.

James Long, the new Chairman, is certainly a natural orator – he could talk for England – giving an interesting ‘presentation’ on the wines being served ….. well he is in the wine trade!

Enjoy your year James.

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Hot Air

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It is bad enough having to sit and listen to the best part of 80 councillors yack on and on in the County Council meetings but when the Council Chamber is airless with temperatures nudging 90 it really is unbearable. Do the conditions affect the decisions made – unlikely as they have all been ‘cooked’ up in political group meetings that precede Full Council.

When does consultation mean selling a decision already made and when does it mean listening to views that could / should affect the decision? Well consultation on whether to keep Monks Eleigh school open obviously fell into the former category as despite 120 people being against the closure it will close. So when you hear that the Council are conducting a consultation exercise on its 42 children’s centres it must be a worrying time for parents, children and workers alike – especially where the ‘C’ word has already been discussed. I will be keeping a close eye on this ‘consultation’.

Norfolk Mystery Tour

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Logo - North NorfolkWhat is 200 miles from Ipswich, with me driving, but only 60 in a straight line? Most of the people who know me would say anywhere, but in this case it is the home of the North Norfolk radio station in Stody. Note to myself – when you know one way there and another way back don’t try to reverse the route!

However it was worth a day driving around the wilds of Norfolk and Suffolk as we were deciding on the grants to be made from the North Norfolk Radio Kids Trust – these are my favourite days. Whether its providing a computer for a refuge where women and children arrive with just the clothes on their backs or providing portable goals to a nomadic youth football club its a good thing to do.

If you get the chance to help the Kids Trust or one of the organisations that come to us for funds – Leeway, YESU, Crazee Kidz Club, Young Eyes – then please be generous.

South Suffolk’s Next MP?

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pitucre LibDem PCCOn Saturday the Babergh Liberal Democrats took the very easy decision to appoint Grace Weaver as their Parliamentary Candidate for next year’s general election. Her press release says …

Having lived in East Bergholt for the first 20 years of her life, Grace has a strong knowledge of local issues including housing, education and transport.

Her priorities for the campaign include engaging more young people with the Liberal Democrats, and highlighting the party’s achievements in Government.

Commenting on her selection, Grace said: “I’m overjoyed to represent the Liberal Democrats in the area where I grew up.  It’s going to be a tough fight, but I think we can be proud of what we’ve achieved in Government.  By listening to local people and working with them to find solutions to local problems, I think we can show voters that we are the best party to represent them in local and national Government.”

Cllr Sue Carpendale, Liberal Democrat Leader on Babergh District Council, said: “We are delighted to have Grace as our PPC for South Suffolk .  She’s young, a woman, local to the area, and is a breath of fresh air.  She understands the issues facing us in this constituency, and is keen to engage with young people, to encourage their aspirations, and to convince them of the importance of politics to their futures.”

After attending local schools, Grace went on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.  Having worked for two cancer charities, she now acts as a public affairs and campaigns consultant to health charities and companies.

For more information about Grace Weaver and the South Suffolk Liberal Democrats, please go to http://www.facebook.com/gracesouthsuffolk or http://www.southsuffolklibdems.org.uk.  You can also follow Grace on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gracelibdem, or email gracesouthsuffolk@gmail.com.

Parishes – Copdock

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Popped into St Peter’s Church in Copdock – celebrating their 800th year – for a bit of campanology – just as well it wasn’t me ringing the bells as they are 400 years old. To celebrate they had a floral display inside and cream tea stall outside. Very surreal, fighting a huge piece of strawberry flan whilst being serenaded by the church bells.

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