We’ve passed the halfway point in January already yet it feels that things are just starting to return to normal, if there is such a thing. The Christmas break certainly leaves its mark on the calendar. Is it me or is January the worst month? It’s long, it’s dark, it’s cold (very cold) and nothing seems to happen that is fun. If you have your birthday in January, then accept my apologies as it is important to you. Personally I will be glad when it is over.
From a work perspective there is plenty to get my teeth into. There is a lot of planning going on, I’m already thinking about #CyberFest this year in September as well as other events in November yet, as always, it is money that occupies a lot of my thoughts. We may be at the start of a new calendar year but we are rapidly approaching the end of the fiscal year. Making sure you have enough cash going forward but have spent all the grant funding that you said you would, makes for an interesting balance. When it comes to grant funding, underspending can be as bad as overspending and the end of March is only eleven weeks away.
Back to the here and now, as one of my colleagues used to say. Last week saw the first CyberNorth Operational Group meeting for some time. This used to be known as the Steering Group but the introduction of the Strategic Board resulted in a name change. This is all part of the plan to place CyberNorth on a more sustainable footing by making sure that the governance arrangements are sound.
As the name suggests, the Operational Group’s role is to support the team in the day to day activities of the cluster, in particular around events and comms. There are a dozen of us in the group though not all are available all of the time. There is a regular cohort however talking things through with them is an enormous help. This meeting we covered the new governance arrangements, plans for upcoming events as well as #CyberFest, where we are with CyberFirst (the regional girls competition final is very soon) and the new podcast.
That reminds me, I must type up the notes.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 