It was fantastic to see a total of 56 delegates, guest speakers and sponsors gathered in the Mercure Holland House Hotel for this year’s SDF Spring Conference!

The conference managed to successfully deliver a packed programme of workshops and plenaries, along with opportunities for networking and the traditional Conference Dinner.

The conference sessions were brilliantly recorded by graphic artist Nick Payne who created two remarkable murals that captured the themes and character of the conference: we hope to have a record of these murals available here shortly.

Although it is the delegates who ultimately make these events work, the “hygiene” factors also play a critical role: the venue, refreshments, meals, bedrooms, hotel staff and facilities were, for the most part, spot-on. A full evaluation of the conference will be carried out over the next couple of weeks.

Some of my own memorable moments of the two days include: enjoying a liquid café; pearls of wisdom about Paris Hilton’s dog; an energising walk through Bristol’s old city; Kellie Cox’s laid-back conference dinner entertainment; clarity about customer valence; Daleks; body-percussion; and a rousing Gilbert & Sullivan style song about being a staff developer! You had to be there really…

Presentations and other materials, where available, can be downloaded under the heading of each session. The full programme is also reproduced here.

Clive Betts (Conference Organiser)

I’m delighted to let you know that following a highly competitive recruitment and selection process, SDF has appointed Becky Robson as its first National Coordinator.

Becky’s drive and commitment to both SDF and its goals as an organisation impressed the appointments panel, in addition to the quality of her ideas for driving SDF’s agenda, working closely with colleagues in order to ‘get things done’.

I believe that Becky’s appointment gives SDF a real opportunity to more fully realise its ambitions for staff development, not least because she’s well placed to pick up on all the energetic groundwork that colleagues on the Exec and Council have put in over the years. Commenting on her appointment, Becky said

“I’m delighted to be given this opportunity to work at a strategic level and support SDF in achieving its goals and aspirations. It’s important to me that SDF gains a higher national profile and supports its community as effectively as possible. Our expanding CPD programme as well as the forthcoming Accredited Framework evidences the excellent service that SDF is providing to the wider community of development practitioners. I’m really looking forward to this new challenge and helping to drive the SDF forward.”

I'm sure you will want to join me in congratulating Becky as we look forward to developing an even more productive profile for SDF and to consolidating our working relationship with, and support for, colleagues in the sector.

With kind regards
Sue

‘Update’ is the twice-yearly newsletter from the SDF. The latest edition contains creative ideas for ice-breaker activities, a report on an innovative grant writing programme for researchers, a review of a ‘must have’ organisational change and development book, further particulars about this year’s Spring Conference, and details of past and coming events on the SDF’s Continuing Professional Development programme amongst many other things.

SDF Update (January 2010)