I was pleased to catch up with Peter Mallinson and the team at the Walcot Community Shop last week. Located at Sussex Place, this fantastic charity has been supporting the people of Swindon for over 20 years. The shop sells quality second-hand clothing and furniture, with profits being used for a fund that helps people in the local community. The Walcot Community Shop welcome donations and they are always on the lookout for members of the local community that they may be able to support. Why not visit them?
Last Saturday I was back in Badbury Park where I held a busy surgery for residents. Lots of residents raised issues relating to traffic, as well as the management of the new estate, and national issues were also raised. I would like to thank all of the residents who attended and my dedicated team for working with me. It is a pleasure to represent this new community and I will be working on the issues that matter to residents there in the weeks and months ahead.
It was a glorious day on Sunday for this year’s Old Town Food Festival. I was pleased to see many friends at the event, which was organised by the Old Town Business Association and supported by local businesses. It was great to see so many local people enjoying the sun and the great food and drinks on offer, all part of Swindon’s unique appeal and a really important part of the calendar here socially. It was brilliant to also see some of the wonderful street art that was being painted around Old Town during the event.
Following a busy Summer Recess here in Swindon, I was back in Westminster on Monday as Parliament sat. I asked questions on the Letby Inquiry, stipulating that open justice must be at the heart of the judicial process. As a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, I asked Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris about the handling of Freedom of Information requests in light of the PSNI Data Breach. Following this, I spoke as part of the debate on the Northern Ireland Budget Bill. Finally, I spoke in the debate on the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill.
As you may have read in my previous columns, I have been campaigning to raise awareness of dementia here in South Swindon and beyond. September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and I will be supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK as a Dementia Research Champion as part of my ongoing work.
You can learn more about my work and watch videos of the questions I ask in Parliament under the news section of my website here https://www.robertbuckland.co.uk/news I also regularly post details about my work on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/robertbucklandofficial on Twitter https://twitter.com/RobertBuckland on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbuckland/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/robert.buckland.qc.mp/
If you have a local or national issue that you would like to raise with me, you can contact me by emailing [email protected] or by ringing 01793 533393.
Finally, my local charity of the week is Swindon Parkinson’s Activity Group. This brilliant group provides information, friendship, and support to local people with Parkinson’s, and their families and carers.
The activity group provides weekly walking football, boxing, tai chi, choir practice music and movement. These activities can help slow down the progression of Parkinson’s and help ease pain. The group also provide support and social gatherings with access to dedicated Parkinson’s nurses. For further information about this fantastic local charity and how you can become involved or support them please visit https://swindonparkinsons.org.uk/
