Derrick Armstrong, Author at Armstrong Cameron

Barnsley Museums

Evaluation support to the Barnsley Museums NPO programme

Armstrong Cameron was appointed in January 2019 to support Barnsley Museums in developing an evaluation framework for its ambitious NPO programme. Amongst our responsibilities are the development and delivery of development and training sessions to enhance the capacity of the team to develop and manage evaluation; the development of fit for purpose evaluation tools for each aspect of the NPO programme; and ongoing individualised support to team members.

Being Well

By Derrick Armstrong

‘You … never send me any of the new phrases of the town… Pray what is meant by wellness and unwellness?’ (from a 1655 letter from Dorothy Osborne to her husband, Sir William Temple)

Debate about what exactly constitutes health, wellness and wellbeing has been around for centuries.

As part of our evaluation work with Barnsley Museums, we facilitated a session with the team to interrogate what notions of wellbeing mean in their specific context: what interventions contribute to wellbeing and how can we measure their impact? The outcomes were thought – provoking and stimulating and we look forward to continuing to work with the team in demonstrating the impact of the excellent work that they do across their sites.

Heritage matters in Barnsley

By Derrick Armstrong

We’re just embarking on what promises to be an ambitious, multi – layered evaluation of Barnsley MBC’s engagement programmes across its heritage sites. Over the course of two years, we’ll be working alongside programme leads, visitor assistants, learning assistants and volunteers to develop and implement a robust framework which captures the value of the work with schools, communities, families and others.

It’s great to work with clients who understand and appreciate the value of using evaluation as an opportunity for critical reflection, professional development and forward planning.

Path Yorkshire Trustee Recruitment

By Derrick Armstrong

PATH Yorkshire: Trustee Recruitment

Would you like to use your talents and energy to enable communities and individuals to achieve their full potential? If so, here’s an opportunity to join the Board of England’s longest established positive action training and employment provider.

PATH Yorkshire is an independent charity established in 1985 in Leeds. Since then we have worked with black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals and migrants to enable them to enter and progress in training, learning and employment. Specifically, we have:

Developed a range of graduate traineeships which have enabled talented graduates to access managerial positions
Developed and delivered English and ESOL classes for Leeds residents
Enabled hundreds of individuals to access meaningful employment in the private, public and third sectors through our PATH traineeships
Campaigned and lobbied locally, regionally and nationally, opening the doors to opportunities for training, employment and learning

In 2017, we were recognised by the Festival for Learning, receiving the President’s Award. However, we’re not resting on our laurels and we want to continue to ensure that the communities and individuals we serve benefit from Leeds’ growing economy.

With this in mind, we’ve worked through a process of refining our vision and are now working with consultancy, Armstrong Cameron to identify and attract talented and committed individuals who can help us to navigate a changing landscape. Specifically, we are interested in recruiting three new trustees to join our Board. We’re particularly keen to attract people with one or more of the following skills: Finance; Marketing and communication

Please don’t be deterred if you don’t have these specific skills. We’d still like to hear from you if you feel you have something to offer.

Please follow this link to a short Expression of Interest form and we’ll mail you an application pack. If you require information in another format, please contact Armstrong Cameron directly at info@armstrongcameron.com

Closing date for completed applications is Monday 4 March 2019 at 1700.

Last Night Has Given me Something to Think About

By Derrick Armstrong

We’ve been working with Rommi Smith for the past several months, supporting her with raising investment for her multi – tiered performance piece focused on the lives of historical blues and jazz women and subsequently working with Rommi and her team to evaluate the project.The piece has been performed in New York and most recently at Leeds Art Gallery where Rommi was accompanied by brilliant musicians, Kenny Higgins and Dave Evans and directed by Jason Hird.

For us, it’s been a pleasure to work with a talented team unpicking critical success factors, impactful moments and identifying learning that can be taken forward.

By Derrick Armstrong

We worked with Dawn and Derrick over a year on Square Peg – a complex evaluation project – and their interest, enthusiasm and insight were invaluable to us getting the most learning out of the process.

Kenn Taylor, Creative Director, Artlink Hull

Leeds West Indian Carnival trustee recruitment

By Derrick Armstrong

Leeds West Indian Carnival

Do you want to play a part in leading one of the North’s favourite outdoor events?

Please note that the recruitment process is managed and administered by Armstrong Cameron on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Leeds West Indian Carnival. Selection decisions will be made by the Board of Trustees.

Leeds West Indian Carnival is a charity responsible for delivering Europe’s oldest authentic Caribbean carnival. Established in 1967, the charity is seeking to recruit three new Board members.

Held annually on the last Monday in August every year, Leeds West Indian Carnival presents and showcases the best of Caribbean carnival culture.The Carnival is governed by a Board of Trustees which oversees every aspect of its operations and strategy. Delivery of the annual carnival and other activities is supported by volunteers and freelance specialists.

The Carnival is currently recipient of an annual grant from Leeds City Council and over the past several years has fundraised significant investment from Arts Council England, Leeds BID and Heritage Lottery Fund as well as attracting commercial sponsorship for its annual activities.

We are seeking talented and committed individuals who share our passion for Caribbean Carnival arts and heritage. Specifically, we are interested in recruiting people with one or more of the following skills:

Finance, safeguarding, health and safety and risk assessment, legal, marketing and communication

If you’d like to join us, please follow this link to a very short Expression of Interest form and one of our trustees will get back to you for an informal chat about how to apply: https://form.jotformeu.com/82904307414352

Closing date for completed applications is Friday 16 November at 1700.

Sameness and difference

By Derrick Armstrong

We spent an unseasonally warm day in London on Wednesday with Stella Kanu – Exec Producer at Ovalhouse – and her colleagues. We’d been asked to deliver a training session on unconscious bias as part of a comprehensive development programme for staff at the theatre.

It was a pleasure to spend time with an interesting group of colleagues, working through how an understanding of unconscious bias can be used as one of the ways to tackle unfairness and inequalities in the workplace. Interesting, too, to think about its limitations and how it fits into the panoply of approaches to equality and diversity that have come in and out of favour over the years.

We are of the view that unconscious bias has its place in helping us to understand and conceptualise inequalities; there have been many such terms over the years. What matters and what can bring about real and lasting change is action driven by conviction.

We closed the session with this quote from the consistent and colourful social commentator, James Baldwin:

I’m not interested in anybody’s guilt. Guilt is a luxury that we can no longer afford. I know you didn’t do it, and I didn’t do it either, but I’m responsible for it because I am a man and a citizen of this country and you are responsible for it, for the very same reason.

Thanks to Stella and her colleagues for a stimulating afternoon and excellent food.

Yorkshire Sound Women Network launch

By Derrick Armstrong

We’ve been pleased to support the organisational development of Yorkshire Sound Women Network over the past few months and spent an enjoyable evening at DINA in Sheffield last Friday, celebrating the launch of the Network as a CIC. Board members, supported by Heidi Johnson – the Network’s Development Manager – have done a great job of securing additional funds to enable the Network’s valuable work to continue and expand and we wish them all the best for the future. For more details and to get involved, visit the Network’s newly revamped website at www.yorkshiresoundwomen.com

By Derrick Armstrong

Armstrong Cameron bring with them a massive amount of expertise in the area of organisational development; they have a wide range of tools and resources at their disposal which can help focus your thinking and prioritise your goals. They also inherently understand audience development and can help not only with evaluating current audiences but also with creating new ones. On top of that Dawn and Derrick are lovely people; they come highly recommended!

Katherine Axel – Project Manager, Yorkshire Sound Women Network R&D Project