It was great to be back at St Joseph’s Catholic College here in South Swindon last Thursday, to help out with Mock Interviews for Year 10 and Year 11 students. This is a brilliant way for young people to gain confidence with the interviewing process, and to give them a taste of what it is like to be interviewed for a job, apprenticeship, or university place. I met some inspirational young people at St Joseph’s, who have real potential and talent, and I know they will go on to succeed in their chosen careers. This was a great experience for the students, and also great for the volunteers involved in the process. I came away feeling inspired and enthused by our younger generation; We’ve got a great future ahead here in Swindon.
It was also good to be back at Swindon Fire Station last Sunday, where I spent an enjoyable few hours seeing Spectra course students from Swindon Down’s Syndrome Group being put through their paces by Firefighters from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. It was a pleasure to present the much-deserved certificates at the end of the course, alongside Deputy Lieutenant Angus Macpherson. A huge well done to all involved!
As many of you may know from reading my previous columns, I was pleased to have helped secure £100,000 from the Government’s Town Fund, which has been used to fund our town centre market. This is part of an over £19m package of direct support for our town that is being used on a range of regeneration projects. I have been working closely with InSwindon town centre BID and Swindon Borough Council to support our market, and I was pleased that following my suggestion, the market was moved close to the Fountain area, where footfall is higher.
It is great to see our market is now growing each week, with new stalls offering local residents a range of goods from a selection of small local independent businesses. These include Flamingo Prints, a fantastic local business offering a range of handprinted designs on goods including mugs and coasters, and also taking orders for personalised goods, which can be printed on almost anything. Another excellent new stall is Denny’s Delights, offering a range of luxury handmade wax melts. Another local business has a stall selling homemade pickles and jams, as well as a selection of plants, handmade face creams, and hand creams. There are also regular weekly stalls where residents can purchase good quality meats and fruit and veg, as well as delicious baked treats. It is also great to see local charities such as The Open Door taking up the offer of a stall, and selling delicious homemade cakes, as well as a selection of other goods. These are just a few examples of what is on offer at the town centre market, so why not pop down and see for yourself, and join me in supporting our excellent local independent businesses here in Swindon.
Finally, after witnessing the hard work, skill, and dedication of the Spectra students at Swindon Fire Station last Sunday, I have been inspired to select Swindon Down’s Syndrome Group as my Local Charity of the Week. This excellent local charity has been supporting people with Down’s syndrome, their families, and carers since the group was founded in 1984. The charity’s vision is to help people with Down’s syndrome to have the same opportunities as everyone else and raise awareness of Down’s syndrome in our local community - and they do an excellent job of this. The charity hosts regular events for those with Down’s syndrome and their families, including stay and play coffee mornings, youth clubs, sporting activities, and family events and trips. There are many ways that you can support this wonderful local charity, including hosting fundraising events and purchasing goods from their online shop. For more information on Swindon Down’s Syndrome Group, please visit https://www.swindondownsgroup.org.uk/
