Ken Livingstone

I've spent today at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the John Moores Foundation.

Many in Liverpool, and elsewhere, will be familiar with the name John Moores. They'll think of Liverpool John Moores University or the biennial John Moores Painting Prize which, since 1957, has been won by all manner of great contemporary painters including David Hockney, Peter Doig and, this year, Rose Wylie who won at the age of 80. A fact which inspires me to hope that my best years may yet be ahead of me!

The John Moores after whom these institutions are named was the working class lad who founded Littlewoods shops and the Littlewoods Pools, here in Liverpool, and became very wealthy indeed! But he and his family always sought to share their wealth with the people of Merseyside in a variety of ways and, crucially, to promote equality through all their endeavours.

It was Moores' son, John Moores Jnr, who established the John Moores Foundation back in 1964 to provide funding to grassroots community organisations across Merseyside and Northern Ireland. Over the years the Foundation has helped thousands of community groups to become established, to thrive and to innovate. I spent a few years as Community Groups Development Worker for the Foundation back in the early 2000s and I can speak at first hand about the real difference its made and continues to make.

Today was a chance to celebrate with the Moores family, former colleagues, scores of community organisations/grant recipients and special guests including the former Mayor of London, former MP and former leader of the GLC (back in the day!) - Ken Livingstone.

Ken addressed the assembled throng on the ongoing need to wrestle power away from Whitehall and central government and devolve it to communities as well as to invest substantially more of our GDP in local and national infrastructure, education, health and social care. He also spoke of the importance of the voluntary and community sector in making sure that money is spent where it makes the most impact.

Here he is waiting to be introduced just prior to his speech.

Funnily enough, Ken lives a couple of streets away from my dad down in Cricklewood and I'll be back down there again myself on Friday night. I may yet bump into him twice this week!

Thanks to Leejohnaire for his suggestion of the perfect song!!