What should have been an excellent day was marred by two major issues. It was ridiculously hot. And the organisers mucked up the provision of water. So, I finished the race in 5hrs 5 mins rather than the 4:30 I had hoped for. I have written the following note to the race director: “Dear Neil
Bupa London 10k
Much less wet than last year, this was a really wonderful run – even if I did only manage a time of 56 minutes. The route took us past the Palace of Westminster, along the embankment, into the City, through Leadenhall Market, past St Paul’s Cathedral and then back to Horseguards, Trafalgar Square and the
Getting down with the kids…
I wouldn’t normally choose to attend a ‘Girls Aloud’ concert, but I was invited by colleagues at Olswang, the media lawyers, to join them in their corporate box last night and I wasn’t going to turn down the invitation. Actually, the truth of the matter is that a few weeks ago I heard that Rhiannon
Dinner out
A delightful dinner last night with a Scout friend who had worked in my team at the Jamboree. Carine is Belgian and is teaching French in a school outside Göteborg. We went to Soho, a restaurant my guide book told me was the hip place to be. The food was excellent and it was lovely
The Göteborg Half-Marathon
This was a truly brilliant race. Not an easy course. Up hills, over bridges, up and down streets. But wonderfully fun and not at all boring. Lots of music – though perhaps there are too many accordian bands in Göteborg for my personal taste. Lots of crowds clapping, though not cheering. Cheering would be impolite
A day in Göteborg
Stansted airport at 6:30am on a Friday morning is not the Stansted airport I know and love. I’m used to relative quiet, a sensible queue at Starbucks and a sea of people dressed pretty much the same way as me in dark suits, carrying laptopc ases and reading The Times (or if they’re very, very
The Times features Career Academies UK
A tremendous article today in The Times about Career Academies. I am delighted. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6244285.ece
Nearly 500 young people graduate from Career Academies
I felt incredibly proud this afternoon when nearly 500 students from Career Academies all over the country came together at Westminster Central Hall for their graduation ceremony. The Career Academies UK staff team, led by Martyn and Yvonne, had put together a terrific event. Great set. Superb opening video. Faultless and efficient certificate presentations. And
I have always found John to be a person of passion and inspiration in the area of maximising potential. He is friendly, a strong communicator yet has a steely determination for achieving what is right for the development of others.
John has a great grasp of the current challenges in education and articulates these well and persuasively...
John is an outstanding personality, full of energy, enthusiasm and wit, who sets extremely high standards and always delivers on his promises. His passion for lifelong learning and long experience of working with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds make him a skilled and sensitive coach and manager. John is a natural and visionary leader who inspires others and helps them achieve their full potential.
John is an exceptional person. I never stop being surprised with his energy, vitality and determination with which he carries his massive responsibility. I am honoured to be associated with the Award Program and it gives me a great satisfaction to be able to work with John as its leader.
Successful not-for-profit organizations run themselves in a businesslike way, planning strategically, and making themselves properly accountable for their actions and impact. John May is just the sort of person a good not-for-profit needs. I have worked with him for the last five years and greatly value his passion for helping young people succeed, his strategic and management skills and his ability to get disparate groups of people to work in partnership. John May makes things happen.
Having worked with John on various charitable causes I cannot speak highly enough of the work he does...
John has a fantastic sense of humour and was such a great person to work for! He is a great leader, communicator and networker and I learned a lot from him. His passion, enthusiasm and commitment to his work with young people is really inspiring and first rate. He is incredibly generous both with his experience and knowledge and always has time for people.
John is adept with people--able to understand issues quickly and apply his highly positive attitude towards solving them. His leadership style is collaborative and open but he is also very clear about what needs to happen and why. A creative and entrepreneurial person, he brings new and refreshing ideas to the table...
John is a great person to work with. He is inspiring, knows non-profit management and campaigning. John communicates well with all different kinds of people. He is a true connector and makes people smile a lot! He knows the difference between being serious and acting seriously!
John has been great at developing cross sectoral relationships between business, public and voluntary sectors. This understanding of balancing the needs and aspirations of all partners is one of the reason he has been so successful in developing campaigns and organisations.
John is great to work with. His sense of humour and engaging personality should not mask the fact that he is fundamantally a high achiever who has the confidence to tackle big challenges...
John is quite simply an inspiration. He has been responsible for improving the life chances of a vast number of young people who might otherwise have missed out on the chance to build a career for themselves. He is affable, committed and always positive and enthused about his role which makes working with him a very rewarding partnership.
John is committed to making a difference for young people and he lives this as well as talks this. Moreover, my experience is that an organisation he runs will be highly professional, hard-working, and demand the same quality from their customers and partners as they will provide themselves. I moved into teaching to provide opportunities for pupils they wouldn't have had otherwise. Because of John, it has not been a wasted move...
I have worked with John over a number of years on a variety of projects that require tact, diplomacy, cooperative working and just good old fashioned passion. John is engaging, positive and has a great desire to get things done. 
John is an adept strategic thinker, leader and people manager. His engaging and conscientious work ethic is exemplary.
John is an inspiring colleague and leader. In 1995, Scouting and Guiding together took more young people to an overseas event than ever before (World Scout Jamboree). Working with him for 2 years in the run-up was an exceptional experience for me - although Guiding sent fewer girls, I felt equally valued and included in all the planning. Balancing the needs of the young people and leaders was achieved with great finesse and the event was a huge success for all the UK particpants.
John is an exceptional and inspiring leader and a major authority on youth education and development in this country and around the world. In addition to his track record of transformational leadership in a number of significant organisations, John is well known and respected as a public speaker. 
Having been one of John's pupils some 25 years ago in primary school, I can say that to this day he has left a memorable impression that will be with me for ever. He is truly a fantastic role model for the next generation.
John May wears his obvious enthusiasm for Youth Development and Organisational Vision on his sleeve when he presents. Listening to John speak at The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Americas Regional AGM in The Bahamas not only brought clarity to how The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Association was going to meet its Vision and Mission, but made the entire room excited to be a part of if all!
During the time in which I have worked with John I have found that, not only is he a hard working and enthusiastic individual, he is also someone who is easy to work with. He is quick to understand the issues involved and then to help formulate responses, sometimes with little or no notice. Although possessing a great sense of humour he does not shy away from being serious and to the point when the occasion demands. He appears to be a great team leader as well as being a team player
I first taught John a very long time ago, which of course therefore makes him very old. He was an argumentative young man, and still is. Focused, driven, able, principled - just we want in an organisation like the DofE.
John is a fabulous speaker who is able to adapt to meet the needs of the group with whom he is working. I have heard John speak in many situations and he never fails to impress and inspire both adults and young people. John is passionate about what he believes in, and as one of the young people whom he has supported I am forever grateful for his time in helping me learn new skills and develop personally.
John is a great organizer, who keeps focus; yet is open to new inputs and ideas. He is sensitive to different cultures and keeps everyone happy while the ball is rolling...