Happy Easter

Hey there,

Matters are as hectic as always...off to the jail tomorrow as well....just for the day though, thank goodness..well...I got another one on Wednesday. We are presenting to some prisoners to entice them onto some courses...one of which is the John Muir Award which I am running. I have been in there before just to overcome the initial "oh my goodness!!!..I am in jail!!!" feeling. On the one hand I am looking forward to it as it is a pioneering Project but I also feel quite claustrophobic...I guess everyone thinks it is only the prisoners that are incarcerated...and this is true as they can't leave..but I felt hemmed in as well..the guards can only work in one section at a time and need to wait for relief before they can move on...and they seem to work in two's at the most...the light is all artificial and low as well...we went onto the pre wing wing where new inmates are housed before introduction to the main wing..we were shown the suicide room and a normal room...man..they were tiny...but then they are there as punishment. i saw 2 guards in their office outside this big door to the main wing...they looked minuscule in comparison to their surroundings...but then i am sure they have a response squad as well. Why would anyone mess about anyway...they are all on short term sentences...why spoil it?

Anyhoo..this is just one of the projects i have on the go...and can, indeed, move forward with any confidence due to funding (more later). I..or should I say...we are proud to confirm the client from the psychiatric hospital has progressed so much over the past year that he has applied for and won (against 6 others) a place in supported housing. This has been put down, in part, to my intervention and involvement with the client and the one to one work we have done. I find it hard to accept the praise and highlight the fact the client drove the initiative and kept going...although part of the success was my relationship management and chivvying along withing a supportive infrastructure..so it is all good and I am very proud of his achievement...now we move on to more challenges..with more freedom comes more opportunities for crises..but then..I think we would all rather have that than no discharge at all. More to the point though, I have been asked by the leading psychologist to present..alongside the client..to doctors and nursing staff in the hospital...woop woop....so that is next week and I will have to pre record another Wednesday show for that..just like I did for this Wednesday's show.

Oh, I could go on and one about all the other stuff...crazy when I think back to Aviva..wondering how the current situation has been affecting them...and how I set out on this road to work in the countryside..and indeed did do for a while..would I have It any other way?...nae chance ken.

Anyhoo...managed to get everyone around the table..literally...to discuss what is needed from whom..in terms of agreements, etc. Everyone knows what is expected of them but, as usual, Mr Criminal Justice system has been aloof and off on hols....but we are all moving on trusting him..he better not feck it up.

So, we have extended the contract until May..the full extension goes to Committee in May..if that goes well we will extend the current contract until the end of August. You never had to submit a business plan for contract extensions...just come up with the dosh...apparently this has changed.

In the meantime..the Heritage Lottery Fund application was sent last week..we should receive a response from them by June...just in time for the Committee hearing for the new post..if we don't get the funding then the job will terminate in August and that will be that..if we do get the funding and the Committee hearing goes well...management will carry out a "recruitment exercise" which will hopefully end up with me in post ASAP. It is likely that this will be after August so will need to look for an interim job..hey ho. Thing is...the HLF was supposed to be for 2 years but we can't go past FCS funding...so it will only be until March 2011...1 and a half years...so pressure is on immediately to look for more funding!!!! Bu hey...you gotta be in it to win it!!!

Everything else is going fine and dandy...me and the missus are still together...yes...I can't believe it either..but we work well together and enjoy each others company. I spend a few nights here at the hoose and the rest over there in the suburbs...a lot less than before though as this was a contributory factor...no time on my own and too much running about. Good to see the landlady now and again as well...you know. Just seen some of the pics the missus took when in Fife...gonna try and get one of them and upload...it is a cracker...Castle Campbell at Dollar.

She is losing weight while I am not..the cheeky mare....need to do something about that pronto!!!

Got my tax return to do as well...not looking forward to my Capital Gains tax...hopefully the high valuation on the mortgage papers and relatively low selling price will mean a low tax demand...otherwise it will use up the money for the replacement of my boiler in Glasgow...and I still have to find out if the fella is going to stay or go....especially due to the jiggery pokery from Scottish Gas...gits!!!..having said that they are refunding one charge of £164 and discounted the standing order....still do not trust them though.

Next month sees me taking 2 days off and hiring a car overnight to go to Fife and take dad to his gallery showing. I am so proud of him...he is showing a set of his paintings in a community arts centre in Lochgelly and there is a private viewing for artistes...so I am going down to give him a lift and see how things go. I think I will have to look out my suit as well...crivens...but I am looking forward to it.

Tara for now.