Happy St David's Day

First of all, congratulations to the Lib Dems on winning Eastleigh. A very good result.  Ooooooh, politics. Controversial!

Attended a training session at the LGF last night on "talking to strangers". It was mostly about good communication techniques and strategies and so didn't tell me anything terribly new.  Was good fun though and met some new people (i.e. I talked to some strangers!). Job done. It also allowed me to sign up for some helpline sessions in March so I'm now officially back on the rota which I'm really pleased about. There was a guy on the helpline whilst I was signing on the rota who I'd helped train months and months ago (of course I had no recollection and so it was like talking to another stranger!). He reminded me that we'd discussed where he was going with his life and I'd encouraged him to apply to university to follow his dream of getting a qualification (and thereby a career) in mental health nursing (which was the field he was already working in). And guess what?  He did so and has been accepted on a degree course at Salford University. I am over the moon about that and was able to hide my disappointment that the university is in Salford... Good for him. Really pleased.

Have also decided that the LGF needs to raise its game a bit.  They talk about "fighting homophobia" as their raison d'être and yet appear to be doing no work in the football community, the catholic community or the black community.  All communities where homophobia is particularly visible.  I suspect this is because they are seen as difficult areas to tackle but that's no reason not to try.  My mission now is to get the organisation involved in these areas.  I'll let you know how I get on.

And talking of activism, I've also been contacted by the Macmillan cancer charity about the "Cancer Voices" initiative I signed up for.  I'm now getting involved in a project shaping the delivery of cancer services in Manchester (primary care - GPs, secondary care - hospitals, and community care - social services and local councils and including palliative care). Quite excited about this and it sounds like there's a big budget and its high profile. I'm going to a conference at Old Trafford cricket ground next week involving all sorts of high profile people. In fact, this is so high profile that I have to attend a pre-meeting meeting at Wythenshawe hospital on 06/03! Good job I'm now able to talk to strangers. No idea yet what I'm going to wear though.... suit? jeans? onesie? We didn't cover what to wear when talking to strangers at my training. Something else I'll need to sort out clearly...

Also now learned what the programme for the Manchester International Festival will be in July and so trying to arrange dates and events to attend.  Not easy at all.... But I have a clear day today so need to crack on with this and also start to tackle the mound of paperwork I have.  May have chance to blog later but given the length of this entry you should all have enough to be getting on with :-) That's all. J x