I was delighted to have been invited to the University of Leicester last week to talk to students about the role of an MP and how Parliament works.
I had a great time and really enjoyed answering their questions. They asked me about the role of an MP, here in Leicester and in Parliament and there were lots of questions about Brexit and how leaving the EU will impact young people.
I look forward to returning soon and hearing more from students at the University!
Today I attended the Leicestershire launch of the new Children’s Air Ambulance.
The new Children’s Air Ambulance will make such a difference to the lives of children and their families right across the country. The Children’s Air Ambulance has now launched two new helicopters, one will be based in Doncaster and the other in Oxford. This means that they will now be able to transport more really poorly children to and from hospital.
The Children’s Air Ambulance does not receive any government funding, they have been able to purchase these new ambulances from the donations of businesses and supporters. It is a remarkable achievement and I know that the staff and volunteers are rightly proud of what they have achieved.
On Friday I visited Beaumont Ley’s Children’s Centre to meet with mums who are receiving help and support from Leicester Mammas.
Leicester Mammas support local mums who are pregnant, new mums and parents from across the city and who want to breastfeed their babies.
The mums told me how vital the one-to-one support has been in helping them to breastfeed their babies and overcome some of the myths associated with breastfeeding.
On 12 September, I met survivors of the Holocaust and genocide at the Parliamentary launch of Holocaust Memorial Day 2019. Hearing the experiences of survivors like Joan and Martin was a reminder of the importance of marking Holocaust Memorial Day – a day when we remember the millions of people who were affected by the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
I want to encourage people in Leicester West to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2019. You can read more about the event and access guides and education resources from the Holocaust Memorial Trust here.
On 11 September, I met council workers and staff from trade union Unison to discuss the impact of Government funding cuts on local authority services. Research from Unison found less than 10% of council workers think local residents get the help and support they need from their council at the right time, while eight in 10 are not confident about the future of local services.
The Government needs to make new money available to fund council services properly and end this crisis. I am supporting Unison’s Save Our Local Services campaign to demand more money is given to local government in November’s Budget. Read more about the campaign here.
I’m campaigning for more affordable housing in Leicester West – including building more social housing – and a fair deal for people who are private renters.
I’m campaigning for better services and support for older people, carers and their families, and a sustainable system for funding our NHS and social care in future.
I’m working to help your family by pressing for faster progress in local schools, more improvements in our NHS, and continued investment in children’s early years.
