This is what I’m doing NOW (September 2023)

(Inspired by Graham Allcott)

• Co-facilitating ACEVO and Association of Chairs 'Dynamic Duo' session for charity chairs and CEOs.

• Planning for a second day Board & senior team Strategy Awayday in November for the Heart of England Forest board and senior team to grow their thinking about all the great things they will do on their way to planting 30,000 acres of forest (7,000 so far).

• I’ve just watched and listened, twice, to the ‘Flowchart for navigating our climate predicament’. With incisive logic and engaging gallows humour Andrew Boyd “sets us off on a quest to learn how to live with the ‘impossible news’ of climate breakdown”. I am inviting anyone who found it as troubling and uplifting as me, to join me in a listening circle which I will convene if there's enough interest - mail me if you are.

• Early stage of supporting the creation of the Tintra Foundation connected to the new Tintra Bank.

• Having delivered a good number of 'Spot the Red Flag - and do something' sessions Jenny Berry, ACEVO and I are now refreshing our offering for third sector CEOs. First session of 'WhatsUp - this is what I'm carrying' will be on10th October.

• With Practical Inspiration Publishing am now rewriting the first draft manuscript to create an even better second manuscript of ‘Wild Waters – wise words for leaders in bad trouble’ to help the civil society leaders who need it (Chairs, trustees, CEOs, senior team). With the brilliant Alison Jones Founder of PIP have created a more accessible structure and have now completed two thirds of the second manuscript - target 50,000.. Working on it with Jenny Berry ACEVO. . Delighted to have already received endorsements from Sir Nick Young, former CEO Macmillan and British Red Cross & Jane Ide CEO, ACEVO, Sarah Vibert CEO NCVO, Ros Oakley CEO Association of Chairs and Jesper Christensen, Consultant BDB Pitmans, Bernd Eiden, Co-founder and Director of the Chiron Centre for Body Psychotherapy, Amanda Falkson, Peter Leigh and more here

• Inviting interest to create a small team to develop the Passing it On podcast which will to pass on advice from senior leaders' time on the civil society front line for those who are there right now. Guests who will be retiring, close to it, or beyond, will be interviewed by Sir Nick Young or me and will also be asked to offer music, a quote or maybe a poem which especially helped them during their time of struggle. Interested? Contact me.

• Now recognised by the International Association of Facilitators as a Certified™ Professional Facilitator | Emeritus ('The IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator ǀ Emeritus is a designation granted to an IAF CPF or IAF CPF ǀ Master when the facilitator demonstrates the senior level of an IAF CPF ǀ M [...] who has made significant contributions to advancing the field of facilitation [and] is meant primarily for those who have retired or are retiring ... Convening a virtual global ‘emerging network of “us” ‘ with other CPF | Emeritus facilitators; fourth meeting happened in November.

• Coaching and supporting of two senior charity leaders through turbulent times ('Wild Waters' indeed)

• With Patricia, Susanne, Ramey and Scott, nourished by our deep sharing in the Live Well, Die Wise deep listening group.

• Coordinating monthly 'R' Word gathering with The Experience Network (R - 'retirement' rejuvenation' 're-directing' 're-tyring' etc etc). Seven of us. Started June 2021; 24th gathering in September. Now proposing a new 'R' Word Gathering for CEOs who are approaching the big transition of retiring.

• Still enjoying memories (which is fading in the rear view mirror) of trips to various European countries over the summer to take it easy, practice languages and enjoy open spaces

• Have discovered audio book several decades after everyone else. Now continuing with Wolf Hall

• Still wild swimming in the Thames and elsewhere. Now warm 22-ish degrees. Now own a red 2nd hand kayak and and am learning how to do it properly with Minima and learning how to capsize without drowning. Also thinking about sea kayaking.

• Still enjoying learning Spanish with Memworld, German and French and am slowly getting closer to my life-long ambition of being conversationally multilingual. One to one virtual Spanish grammar lessons with Paola from Bogota are fun (fun ... grammar, did I really say that!!). Weekly face to face French class restarting in September.

• Continuing on a life long Journey Inwards. The Way Out Is In Meditating most mornings. Finding a long journal conversation (14 conversations over a year) with my father (who died in 2000) and his father (died 1927) to be revealing and discovering how much of their struggle, as Irish diaspora, I have been carrying with me; it is surprising how real our conversation is.

Contact Me