What’s good, what’s bad, what’s keeping me up nights.

The Regional Funders Conference; Monday 25th September

It feels like an age ago that I went to that conference. It was only on Monday but feels like a month. It was great going to an event in Newcastle, close to home, and even better that it was on a beautiful day.

It was the workshop I worked on with Jill, Clare, Justine and Charlotte. I loved working with these people. All of them are highly capable, used to getting things done — when we were working on it I had confidence that even if we hadn’t absolutely nailed the timings they would pull it out of the bag on the day. One of the best things about the conference for me was making a connection with these women. I really admired each of them with their different styles and approaches. Jill and Clare funny and outgoing, Justine and Charlotte quieter, Charlotte a little more serious, but all of them excelling at what they do.

The workshop we had prepped for was due to be running quite early on in the conference, it was good to get it out of the way. I had a huge anxiety dream the night before, convinced I wouldn’t get there on time and that we would run out of things to say and be left with a deathly silence during the workshop. In fact I arrived very early. We stood outside for half an hour basking in the sunshine before it started.

My workshop co-hosts were just as good in person as online, (although I didn’t recognise them all in the flesh when they arrived). We ran the workshop like we did the prep meetings; fast, fluid, relaxed, and confident in each others’ skills. My role was to chair the workshop and this event played to my strengths. I felt I did a really effective job of involving people, keeping us from getting stuck on one issue, keeping it light, but focussed. In the end we didn’t get through our prepared presentations, and really they were far too long. As presenters we all felt the workshop went very well; but I wonder what the participants thought?

Afterwards I wondered why I had enjoyed it so much, but it was obvious really; it’s that feeling when you get when do something well and your confidence swells; it makes you feel good.