With Parliament on Summer Recess, I have had a busy month here in Luton South and South Bedfordshire! It has been wonderful to attend so many lovely events across the constituency, so keep reading for a snippet of what I have been up to!
Launch of Luton’s Central Best Start Family Hub!
It was an honour to officially open Luton’s new Best Start Family Hub this month, alongside Luton’s Mayor Councillor Amy Nicholls.
The new family hub is on the ground floor of the Central Library building and will be an amazing facility for families across Luton. The wonderful staff and volunteers offer a welcoming and safe space for families, and provide support in a huge range of areas including infant feeding, early language and development, SEND, nutrition, housing, mental health, and many more! You can see more of the launch day event and the family hub itself here.
A huge thank you to all of the staff who have put so much hard work into getting the hub up and running ready for families in our community, and I can’t wait to continue to be involved in the great work they do there.
Attending Foxdell Primary Careers Fair
Just before the Summer holidays, I had the pleasure of joining the brilliant Year 5 and 6 at Foxdell Primary School for their Careers Fair!
Lots of interesting questions about my role as their Member of Parliament and all the different jobs I’ve done along the way!
I always love visiting schools across Luton South and South Bedfordshire and meeting our future generation to talk about their aspirations and dreams – and perhaps even meet a future political leader!
Ride along with Community First Responders
Recently I got the opportunity to join Community First Responders Richard and Kath on a ride along to see the incredible work they do.
Community First Responders are volunteers who are trained to attend certain emergency calls before an ambulance crew arrives. They stabilise patients and provide crucial initial care that can make a huge difference to patient outcomes.
The Luton CFR car is supported by the East of England Ambulance Service Charity, thanks to a generous grant from NHS Charities Together. But to keep these cars on the road responding to emergencies and reaching patients when every second counts, they need your help! If you’re interested in donating or fundraising for a CFR car you can get in touch with them by emailing [email protected].
Or if you think you could even volunteer yourself, visit their website for more information.
A huge thank you to Richard and Kath for allowing me to join!
Expanding opportunities for young people in Luton South and South Bedfordshire
I am very pleased to see the government’s expansion of youth services, backed by £88 million of investment. In Luton South and South Bedfordshire we know how important it is to invest in our young people, and this new funding will do just that!
These measures will support our young people by giving them better access to safe spaces and more opportunities to be active, connect with one another, and develop important skills. This will include:
- £22.5 million for extracurricular activities in up to 400 schools
- Launch of Better Youth Spaces programme to improve youth club infrastructure
- £7.5 million for the Uniformed Youth Fund, creating thousands of new places in organisations like Scouts, Guides, and Volunteer Police Cadets
Read more on these plans here.
Visiting Stepping Stones
I had the pleasure of being invited to Stepping Stones this month.
It was great to meet Charlie, Susan and the whole team to learn more about the vitally important work the organisation does to support survivors of domestic abuse. We also discussed the work being done by the government to achieve their ambition of halving violence against women and girls over the next decade.
They offer a variety of programmes and support services to help women rebuild their life, as well as offering childcare and support for their children.
They also rely heavily on donations, so if you are able to provide any support with supplies for their food bank, toiletries, women and children’s clothes or shoes – get in touch with them! Every donation is appreciated.
Meeting with Stockwood Rugby Football Club
It was great to visit Stockwood Park Rugby Football Club and and meet with Steve, Alistair and Darren (and the lovely Peggy!)
It was very interesting to hear more about the charitable work the club is doing, with an initiative to deliver free rugby programmes across our Luton schools and encourage more children to get involved in the sport . They know that the cost of boots and kits can be a barrier for families so they are committed to providing all this for free to ensure children can follow their passion worry free!
I look forward to seeing this develop further and the club continue to thrive!
New measures to transform military housing into family homes
I was very pleased to see an announcement from the government this month that Armed Forces personnel no longer need permission to keep up to two dogs, cats, or other small animals in service accommodation. This is another step to put Armed Forces families at the centre of defence housing reform.
They serve with extraordinary dedication and courage to keep us safe, so it’s only right that the government are better serving them by bringing 36,000 military homes back into public ownership and introducing greater freedoms including in pet ownership and decorating.
In the East of England 4,688 military homes have already been brought into public ownership, and all are set to be protected by the new Consumer Charter. Read more on this here.
Marking the 20th anniversary of the Kevin Duggan Golf Academy
It was a pleasure to attend the 20th Anniversary celebration for the Kevin Duggan Golf Academy in Stockwood Park this month.
The academy was founded by Declan Duggan in memory of his son Kevin, who was tragically killed in a car accident. Declan successfully campaigned for a change in the law to allow blood samples to be taken from suspected drunk drivers even if unconscious, helping to secure justice for other victims.
He continues to keep Kevin’s memory alive through the Golf Academy, and it was wonderful to see so much support including from Robert Maxfield, Chief Executive of the Professional Golfers Association, and former Ryder Cup player Ken Brown.
The facilities continue to be supported by Luton Borough Council and Active Luton, and I’m so glad they continue to provide amazing opportunities for young people across Luton to socialise and be active.
Attending CaSE Community Trust Summer Party
It was lovely to pop in to Caddington & Slip End Community Trust (CaSE) summer party earlier this month!
There was lots of fun activities going on and some brilliant music from Tom Speight.
CaSE run the Lyons Community Centre in Caddington Woods, a brilliant community venue with plenty of activities on throughout the year. Find out more about what’s on and the work CaSE do here.
Extreme flooding in Pakistan and Kashmir
My thoughts are with everyone impacted by the tragic flooding and landslides across Pakistan and Kashmir in recent weeks.
I know many in Luton South and South Bedfordshire have strong ties to the region and news of this extreme weather, which has resulted in fatalities and significant structural damage, is deeply worrying.
Earlier this month, I wrote to the relevant Foreign Office Minister regarding the humanitarian situation on the ground and to find out more about how the UK government will work with partners to support this crisis. Read the letter in full here.
Visit to Abbot Print
Recently I had the chance to visit Abbot Print in Dallow Road and meet with Director Alasdair and the team.
It was great to get an insight into the work they do and learn more about the print industry and the contribution it makes to our economy ever year, as well as challenges facing small businesses such as theirs.
Thank you to Alasdair and the team for showing me around!
Cricket for CALM charity match
It was great to pop into the Cricket for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) charity match held earlier this month.
There was a lovely atmosphere, despite a few rain drops, and a few well-known faces! And importantly, it was all for a great cause – supporting men’s mental health.
A fantastic event and which has so far raised over £35,000! A big thank you to all the organisers who worked so hard to pull it together.
Visit to the Spark by Hilton hotel
It was great to meet with Ali and Vasyl on a recent visit to the Spark by Hilton hotel in Luton.
We had a productive discussion about tackling issues facing the hospitality sector, including dealing with antisocial behaviour and how to combat the rise of unlicensed Airbnbs, but also about how rewarding a career in hotels and hospitality can be.
It’s always great to hear directly from local businesses about the kind of issues they face or support they need. If you run a local business that you’d like me to visit or have any issues to discuss please get in touch with me via [email protected]
