I spend time with Fran, Dawn, Tonya and Karen from Cats Protection’s branch in Bolton and Radcliffe to chat about volunteering and what it means to them.
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A splash of red on a grey morning
An early celebration of Lunar New Year took place this morning at , on a day that was about as bleak and rain-soaked as an English February can manage. Grey skies, persistent drizzle, and that particular chill that settles in before lunchtime. And then you stepped inside Cecconi’s Bicester – and everything changed. A sea…
What a Cub Scout needs from their Leader
A friend of mine is about to change roles in Scouting from working with Beavers (6-8 year olds) to working with Cubs (8-10 year olds). She’s nervous about making the shift and asked for some advice. This is what I wrote to her: What would you want from your Leader if you…
A Carol Concert Full of Joy, Laughter and Leaping Lords
Yesterday afternoon brought one of those moments that perfectly captures the spirit of a civic Christmas. I was delighted to be a guest of the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Louise Upton, at her annual Carol Concert at Oxford Town Hall. Over the past few months Louise and I have shared a number of public engagements,…
60 years of equipping young people for life…
“There is more in you than you think” Over the last 60 years the Award has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives. In 2014 more than 1.1 million young people around the world took part in the Award, in 141 countries and territories, equipping them with skills for life. To celebrate this…
Fifteen perfectly normal British habits that leave visitors completely bewildered
I have spent a good part of my working life travelling, working with people from other countries and, from time to time, trying to explain Britain to them. That is not always easy. The country we describe abroad is often tidier than the one in which we actually live. We talk about parliamentary democracy, ancient…
A Rose by Any Other Name – But This One Matters
This evening, some time before the sun dipped behind Wittenham Clumps, I had the quiet privilege of attending one of Oxfordshire’s more unusual and charming civic traditions: the annual rose ceremony hosted by Oxfordshire County Council. Held amidst the ancient hills and nature reserve managed so beautifully by the Earth Trust, the event marks the…
