On my doorstep...

I've been thinking about how i can combine my interests and make a difference locally by volunteering my time. i.e i get to do some things i enjoy and do good at the same time.

I thought mentoring might be one way to do this - so i had a little search and came across Digitall which is for young people (18-25yrs) to mentor people over 45 to sort out their digital needs. For once i find myself wishing i was young again or curiously old again. I miss out on this cos i am slap bang in between 25 and 45 but i will be telling everyone i know who falls either side of this so they can reap the benefits.

Ever since i was a kid, and throughout school and university, i loved writing and receiving letters (and postcards) and notes and i also wrote tons of thank you notes after birthdays and christmasses for presents i got and for presents my siblings got (my brother in particular hated writing letters and used to go to the shops for me in return for me writing his thank you letters - i hate shopping). I also like birdwatching and do the RSPB bird watch weekend every year (i also like identifying, collecting and counting). Browsing the RSPB bird watch website, i came across a way to volunteer to be a letter writer to help them on their campaigns.

One thing i want to get involved in and need to get to grips with is the Greater Manchester future transport consultation. Sounds really boring right? Well if i think about how to make it more interesting i.e. something to do with something i enjoy, then it might not be so boring after all.... i actually like going on buses and trams and trains, especially after a good day at work like after an event or conference or doing facilitation work - the journey home can be a reflective one - looking out the window and thinking about the day - what i've learned, the people i met, what went wrong, what went right, what was confusing or frustrating, what else i might do with what i learned.... So i was thinking what if i turn the journey home or to a meeting or wherever into a documentation of that public transport journey? That could be evidence of what works, doesn't work in terms of public transport and give me a better idea of identifying my actual transport needs and where the gaps are. One gap i can see is in terms of provision for bikes and bike riders. There is, as far as i can see, nothing on offer.

One thing that might be good so far is that they want to issue a Smartcard which hopefully will be a bit like the oyster card that landan ta'n has. It could however be another way for 'the people' to keep track of us but maybe i am just being paranoid android on that one?!

Things i need to find sort out to make these things happen: find camera charger for digital camera, think about how to disseminate the evidence i collect from my transport narratives and find out when the local meeting in Eccles is happening - i think its in July and at the local supermarket, Morrisons. I would have chosen Netto actually they have some pretty good bargains.