Derrick Johnstone was a member of Inspire East’s Enabling Panel between 2008 and 2010, providing IE’s Enabling Service. This offered independent advice and guidance to sustainable communities projects to help them overcome difficult issues and improve results, especially through involvement at critical early stages in project lifecycles. Enablers were drawn from a range of professional backgrounds with specialist expertise to offer. 
Their role was, for example, to assist local partners in developing a project brief; advising on procurement or project set-up, or providing guidance and help where a project may have stalled. Enablers were expected to help the local ‘client’ progress the project, rather than actually undertaking those tasks on their behalf. One assignment involved Derrick working with Richard King to assist Southend partners take stock of their aspirations for a regeneration project near the town centre, their requirements, discuss and agree actions needed deliver a mutually acceptable and affordable scheme.
Their role was, for example, to assist local partners in developing a project brief; advising on procurement or project set-up, or providing guidance and help where a project may have stalled. Enablers were expected to help the local ‘client’ progress the project, rather than actually undertaking those tasks on their behalf. One assignment involved Derrick working with Richard King to assist Southend partners take stock of their aspirations for a regeneration project near the town centre, their requirements, discuss and agree actions needed deliver a mutually acceptable and affordable scheme.Inspire East published a legacy document which illustrates the number and range of schemes that have received help from these services and capture what has been learned by those who have been involved, the experience of panel members and the feedback from users.