Link4Change - Chris Ogle

I speak with a lot of people and often I get into enthusiastic discussion about 'the way things are' and how can we 'bring about change'. I totally get that people are worried and especially about what we have now. It appears that the democratic system has failed us. Once again an external instrument that has been wielded against us and to which we have fallen 'Victim'. Many that hitherto have defended Democracy to the hilt are dumbfounded after the events of 2016, and now doubt has been cast on its efficacy. You could be forgiven for thinking that we have gone backwards. Full circle... discontented people, the rise of a charismatic leader promising to change things and make it better for all, fascism, nationalism on the rise. Another more terrifying way of looking at it... A widening gap between people once friends, now, through nothing more than a difference of opinion, on a supposed different side. A desire to not speak to the 'enemy', which amo

Early picture of the kitchen circa May 2015 The monthly Link4Help 'working lunch' was hosted once again at  +The Kitchen Croxley  on the 27th January last week. So what is Link4Help? Link4Help is a monthly (at the moment) 2 hour session which is open to anyone who would like to get some help. Help with what? ... well absolutely anything really. At the moment most people taking advantage of this are stuck with moving things forward in their business. There is a lot to running a business these days and we can't know everything... so Link4Help acts as a kind of 'Surgery' with no obligation to get a bit of signposting, advice, guidance, connections, ideas... whatever you need really. An example of how it helped a couple of people... last week? So this week a couple of people wanted some specific help... 'fresh out' of setting up social media accounts and learning how to post and now excited and raring to go... but what to talk about? ... How to r

I have watched with interest once again the inauguration of the 45th president as it has unfurled. It has been particularly interesting in the wake of Brexit something much closer to home. I believe that we are now simultaneously at the most exciting and yet the most terrifying time in human history. What a time for those that want to make a difference... when everything is out on the table? But don't you think that the false media coverage, the lies, the deceit, the corruption... and now the ever so blatant rhetoric of division (all of which we are party too by the way) is ugly? What dumbfounds me is that did we actually think all of this polarisation 'hate' as some describe it just happened? Do we not think that this was just under the surface anyway? The thin veneer of political correctness just keeping people in check long enough until someone came along to say it's ok... be yourself... don't let others tell you what you can or can't say, what you can

"If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep getting what we're getting" And as Einstein once allegedly said "the first sign of madness is doing the same things and then expecting different results." Both of these statements are highly relevant in today's world. Both from a community perspective and the business world we can see very clear signs the cracks are appearing. Not tiny gaps either, huge great fissures. The time for change is definitely upon us, but to what? The problem is that we are betwixt and between with completely different models. From a community perspective we have still largely abdicated responsibility to those that we believe are being paid to 'fix' the problems in our society; Governments , whilst we, focus our attention on amassing as much material wealth as we can. From a business perspective it is still the capitalistic model where money and profit is king at all costs and let's just do what it take