World Blogging Day 2021 

Hi colleagues and a happy world bloggers day to my fellow bloggers and just as importantly those who read our words.   

I wrote my first blog for the NWG network in May 2016, previously I had never written a blog and to be fair I had not even considered writing one! However, all that changed after some gentle cajoling from Cheryl and Sheila I wrote my first blog. Since then, I have written many, but I would not count myself as a prolific blogger but one who writes at certain times of the year but also when the need dictates such as when a subject arises in the media such as today or an important issue is brought to our attention, so I would describe myself as a reactive blogger.  

In my latest blog found  HERE I have written about the concept of marginal gains from a sports perspective and could we embrace this method of improvement and deliver marginal gains in children’s services, I have set a challenge to our colleagues and readers to reflect on this and consider how they may go about this, indeed I have also set myself the same challenge and I aim to be more prolific in writing blogs rather than be reactive responding to issue that have come to our attention, I also have more thoughts in mind with my “marginal gains “ journey so watch this space! 

In the digital world that we have all embraced so well following the first national lockdown, we have all adapted to our new way of working remotely via our laptops, mobile phones and computers, indeed I have also embraced this technology by recording short videos to help promote our new Safe to Play campaign across social media to help our campaign partners in Southend on Sea, Surrey and South Tyneside, this has been great to promote across social media with short snappy bursts of enthusiasm and a “call to arms” and we must keep embracing technology as it does have its place in our new armory of information sharing. 

However and it is a big however, I do like to read and write, I have a Kindle full of books that I read for pleasure, mainly about Romans or anything to do with the Napoleonic wars, these are my go to books to wind down after a busy day, but I do prefer to buy books for academic reading that help to keep me up to speed with the latest developments in the fields that I work in. I have just finished Professor Amos Guioras book called “Armies of Enablers” which I fully recommend that examines  how institutions across America failed children by enabling and covering up abuse, such an important book to read that is relevant everywhere, the second book that I am re-reading is Steve Silbermans book called “Neurotribes”, if you are interested in anything to do with Autism this is a must read book and my final book that I have nearly finished is by Dr Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey called “What happened to you” again another book that I cannot praise enough and if you are interested in trauma and helping children and families then this is also a must read book. 

So colleagues, please do keep reading but also keep writing blogs as reading another perspective on any given issue can be incredibly helpful, I have my favourite subject areas that I will always read blogs about but occasionally do dip into subjects that I have little or no knowledge in, some are fascinating insights into another unknown world and some are just daft and abusive, I never go back to these ones as my waking hours are too important to me!  

So lets keep blogging and reading and we at the NWG network would be delighted to share your blogs across our networks particularly with regard to the subject area that we work in so lets get writing your blogs so we can share them! 

Kev Murphy 

Safeguarding in Sport Lead 

NWG Network 

01332 585371 

07399 449045 

[email protected] 

[email protected]