'Delivering' expectations

I am feeling proud of myself this morning because we have delivered on several targets in one go.

A previous posting highlighted a grant scheme's requirement that we needed to help more people, and a wider range of people, to take an active part in and make decisions about heritage. Another scheme, said that we should celebrate the work of young people.

Last weekend we had a sleepover with a local school. I asked the girls to write or draw something about their favourite objects. Today we will be displaying their comments alongside their favourite objects.

So we can tick the boxes for having:

• Encouraged a wider group of people to take an active part ... in the heritage (I think: what did they really mean by this phrase?)
• Encouraged a wider group of people to make decisions about the heritage
• Encouraged young people to do some creative writing or art
• Celebrated the work of young people
• ... and probably several others that I cannot remember, or be bothered to look up

The reality is that this is the sort of thing we do all the time anyway: it is what we do; it is in our DNA. It does not need some single-issue enthusiast - whose usual habitat is the dinner or cocktail party - to impose their views on us; nor does it need a grant scheme which takes time to complete and runs the risk of rejection by someone too busy to understand what is written.

We do need a grant for our existence but I would not expect bureaucrats to know how to judge an organisation in the round. They are far too prone to takeover by single-issue enthusiasts pressing narrow agendas.