Author: Deborah Castellanos
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Getting a Social Care Assessment
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall three years ago, listening to a woman named Margaret try to explain why her husband couldn’t stay home alone anymore. She was clutching a stack of glossy, confusing brochures that promised “holistic… Continue reading
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Keeping the Day to Time
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall back in ’94, surrounded by half-empty tea mugs and a group of well-meaning volunteers who were all shouting different instructions at once. We had the funding and the passion, but we had… Continue reading
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Finding Childcare and the Funding for It
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall during my final years in local government, listening to a young mother cry because she’d spent three months scouring glossy websites only to find every nursery in the postcode had a two-year… Continue reading
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Producing a Booklet That Sells Out
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall three years ago, surrounded by a mountain of faded black-and-white photographs and a group of neighbors who were all terrified of the word ‘publishing.’ One gentleman was convinced that learning how to… Continue reading
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Appealing a School Admission Decision
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall last autumn, listening to a mother describe the absolute heartbreak of receiving that rejection letter. She’d been told by a “consultant” that she needed a mountain of expensive legal briefs to stand… Continue reading
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Event Photographs and Permission
I remember standing in the middle of a rain-soaked community garden launch ten years ago, clutching a heavy, professional camera I’d borrowed from a nephew, feeling utterly useless. I was so worried about the “correct” lighting and aperture settings that… Continue reading
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Citing an Archive Document Correctly
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall back in ’94, watching a lovely woman try to explain a new playground proposal to the council. She had all the passion in the world, but when the chairman asked where her… Continue reading
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Minutes That Record Decisions
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall in 1994, watching a lovely lady try to explain why the community garden project had collapsed. It wasn’t for lack of passion or a lack of funds; it was because the previous… Continue reading
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The Treasurer’s First Three Months
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall back in ’94, watching a lovely woman try to explain a three-page spreadsheet to five confused neighbors who just wanted to buy some new flowerbeds. She had all the fancy software, but… Continue reading
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A Poster Readable From Across the Road
I remember standing in a drafty church hall back in ’94, staring at a beautifully printed, glossy flyer for our neighbourhood clean-up day. It was a work of art, truly, but it was completely useless. The font was a swirling,… Continue reading
