On Monday, our nation came together and did its very best to remember and thank our late Queen, Elizabeth II. This was the first state funeral in our country since the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, and was an unforgettable experience for everyone who took part or who watched it at home or together with friends.
Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her entire life to the service of the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and, indeed, the world, uniting us and providing us with her constant and reassuring presence for a remarkable seventy years.
The day before the funeral, I was at Buckingham Palace, where I helped to welcome representatives from nearly two hundred countries across the world. I was able to speak with representatives from dozens of nations. Queen Elizabeth II was very much an international figure, and many of the people whom I met with from all of those different countries said that they felt in many ways that she was "their" Queen as well, which was an incredible compliment.
Many of us felt a huge degree of responsibility as the funeral took place, we all wanted to do our very best for our Queen and our country, and that deep sense of pride in the nation was felt by us all. I attended the funeral as Secretary of State, but I also felt deeply that I was representing fellow local residents here in Swindon, as well as representing our country.
I am deeply proud that so many people came together here in our town, in both public places, as well as at home, in what was very much the spirit of the day, as we united in thanks remembering the remarkable service and dedication of our late Queen.
Over the past month or so, I have been working closely with the InSwindon town centre BID and Swindon Borough Council to support our market in the town centre. The market, which began in April. has been launched with £100,000 from the Government’s Towns Fund, and I am keen for it to grow and to provide residents with a good range of stalls and goods from a selection of local businesses.
I am pleased that following my suggestion, a trial is now taking place with market stalls situated close to the Fountain area, where footfall is higher. Other interventions to support both stall holders and customers are also currently being considered. I will continue to do all I can to support local residents and traders, as well as encouraging new traders. If you have a comment or suggestion about our town centre market that you would like me to raise with InSwindon town centre BID or Swindon Borough Council, or you are a local business owner and you are interested in a stall, please get in touch with me by emailing [email protected]
Finally, my Local Charity of the Week is Swindon Town FC Community Foundation, an excellent charity, which was founded in 1991, and delivers a wide range of multi-sports-based programmes for all ages within the local community.
These programmes are delivered with the aim of encouraging engagement, participation, and achievement. The charity aims to achieve this by meeting the themes, aims, and objectives of the Premier League and EFL Trust, including sports participation, education, social inclusion, and health. You can find out more about what’s on offer within the community for local residents by visiting https://www.stfcfoundation.com/programmes or ringing 01793 421303.
