Now I’m in my early seventies, the perspective shifts a little. I have just a single mentoring client remaining, and all my ‘work’ is pro bono now, or voluntary to be less posh about it. I have expanded my Pro Bono page to reflect this.
It might be noticed that it’s all in the Health sector, and that’s because it’s where my interests and incentives lay. Volunteering is a two-way street where the volunteer gains something too; it might just be the satisfaction of contributing to the common good, or it might be knowledge relating to oneself.
In preparation for a mentoring conversation I thought about what are the big things that are important to me now, and I came up with the ‘three Fs’: Family; Fitness; Philanthropy. (Yes, I know, but it sounds like an ‘F’ :-). Family always comes first, and I imagine that’s true for most people. Maintenance of Fitness, mental and physical, is important at my age in order to do anything else. When in my 40s I would have had ‘make a difference in the world’ on this list; now through Philanthropy I try to help other people make a difference – locally through donations to Plymouth foodbank and energybank, and nationally through donations to homelessness and my work in the various health charities.
Tag Archives: pro bono
General notes on Major change
I think yesterday’s reported coup in Myanmar must have inspired that heading. My major changes are in location, lifestyle and work patterns.
In May 2020 my wife and I upped sticks from Greenwich (the acceptable face of inner London) and moved to Plymouth, way down in the South-West, where we knew no-one. I hear a cry of why? We stumbled upon the perfect house with a view across Plymouth Sound, 5 minutes walk to the beach and the same to the marina where our yacht is now ensconced. The decision was easy, and Plymouth is an excellent city with lots of culture, activities and hostelries on offer … once Covid-19 is controlled. It’s also as maritime as Greenwich – Devonport is the largest naval base in Europe, and there are always ships to watch.
The lifestyle change is one of being outdoors a lot more, enjoying the fresh air and the coastal scenery – it’s our thing.
The work pattern has continued to shift to more voluntary work, and there are updates on the pro bono page. The mentoring continues and of course we’re all very good at working remotely. Meanwhile the scribbling is blossoming – modestly in publications and a little more so in personal effort – do check out my activities on the writing page.