Building Futures East’s Chief Executive Anthony Woods-Waters is currently in Little Rock, USA, visiting community projects. Read the 5th Day of his blog here… 

“Early meeting with the Executive Director , Head of Programme Services and Programme liaison of ’New Futures for Youth’ – agreement to develop a formal knowledge sharing partnership that will add value to the activity of both organisations and provide direct opportunities for staff and students with respective organisations to share experience and practice. The mechanics and detail of the agreement will be worked up on my return home.”

“Meeting with Downtown Little Rock Partnership, SoMa and Little Rock Community Development Corporation. A very informative and sharing discussion with Sharon, Hillis and Scott on urban core commercial and mixed use regeneration in an important part of the city. Striking similarities between the direction of travel for LRCDC and our own social enterprise development.”

“Followed by a visit to the Little Rock Job Corps Centre. This was an interesting project funded through central government – Department of Labour, but delivered through competitive tender. The programmes provides career technical and academic training within for the most part a residential setting. The project benefits from significant federal funding on a student per capita basis but also in terms of capital investment in an extensive and well resourced facility.”

“The evening offered us a chance to reflect on the very positive and immensely enjoyable visit and an opportunity to look forward and to consider our future strategy.”