Michael Bracey is organising a trip to Amsterdam. It all started off so well but now things are getting complicated and there's no turning back

We do lots of things really well here in Southend. But one thing we're not so hot at is organising overseas trips. In fact, we're not even lukewarm at it. In the last three years, we've ventured abroad just the once: a day trip to Calais. Pretty sad, isn't it?

So I jumped at the chance to organise a trip abroad. Leading by example is a big thing to me. And if I can help organise one successful European residential, then there should be no stopping us. Anyway, just how hard can it be to arrange a flight and a few nights away?

Three sessions later and I am starting to think we should have gone to the Travelodge, Basildon. It's turning into a nightmare.

The first problem is to agree dates that everyone can do. Some of the group go to college, some work, some are on training programmes. Some have part-time jobs at the weekends. So it seems weekdays are out as well as weekends. And I thought it was difficult scheduling meetings.

Then we have the question of where to go. I think we've finally agreed this. After discussing where we would each like to go we had a vote. To my relief, Thailand didn't win. But the winner, almost unanimously, was Amsterdam. I should have seen it coming.

So after days logged on to low-cost airline web sites we've managed to start pricing up the trip. This is the next bit of fun. Deposits, instalments, consent forms, receipts. One young person hasn't even got a passport.

If we could turn back now we probably would, but we're in too deep. The bright lights of the sex capital of the world are calling. Now I know why Calais was appealing.

We're negotiating the programme, especially the clubbing and drinking bit. We've agreed to visit the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank's house.

And in the process discovered that half our group has no idea who Frank was: a powerful reminder of the value of doing things like this. I guess this will be another case of no gain without some pain. I'll keep you posted.