Reaching out

Working for a homelessness organisation must be a real headache at the moment, with cuts and threats of cuts to money for services coming left, right and centre.

But it seems the staff at Thames Reach are offered a novel way of relieving tension.

Chief executive Jeremy Swain recently tweeted he’d had a ‘relaxing head massage from our regular office masseur’. Lucky staff at Thames Reach. Closed Circuit is thinking of putting in a bid for an office masseur at Inside Housing HQ.

Private equity firm 3i recently wined and dined the heads of housing associations and house builders at a dinner event to discuss opportunities in the housing sector.

This was interpreted by at least one attendee as an indication that the firm is considering investing in social housing. But when Inside Housing contacted it, we were told 3i had no specific interest in investing in the sector. One can only assume 3i decided the chief executives were in need of a good meal ahead of likely cash cuts in the recent emergency Budget.

It seems the planning world has spawned its own version of Who do you think you are? - the television show in which ‘slebs trace their ancestry and go all misty eyed over their adorably humble beginnings (at least Sarah Jessica Parker did in a recent episode).

The Town and Country Planning Association is to hold an evening of ‘art and music’ to trace the last 30 years of planning history (sic).

‘Our past values which were openly artistic, collectivist and co-operative are now little more than a distant memory. In essence, this event is about remembering and celebrating our origins,’ trills the marketing puff. Who do they think they are indeed?

The government is asking council workers for ideas on how to cut money from their local authority operations - and has set up a new website to do it.

There’s no indication of how much the new ‘spending challenge’ website cost to set up, but it includes a video message and motivational quote from David Cameron, saying: ‘Don’t hold back. Be innovative, be radical, challenge the way things are done.’ What a clever way to spend money.