It was great to be back at Lainesmead Primary School in Southview Avenue in Walcot on Friday, to join staff and children for a special celebration assembly, after the school received their Thrive School of Excellence award.
The Thrive Programme supports children with their emotional health, wellbeing, and social skills, all of which are needed to enable learning to take place, and The School of Excellence award is the highest level of achievement in the Thrive Ambassador Schools programme.
It was great to see the children thoroughly enjoying their learning in classrooms throughout the school during my visit, and to also talk to those children who have received either group or one to one support through the programme and learn more about the positive difference it has made. I would like to congratulate the staff and children at Lainesmead and thank them for a thoroughly enjoyable morning.
Following my visit to Lainesmead Primary School there was cause for further celebration at Threshold Housing here in South Swindon, as I attended a cheque presentation event as part of my Laptops for Local Schools and Charities Scheme. You may have read in my earlier columns that I have been running a scheme here in Swindon since the Covid pandemic, where local people and businesses have donated unwanted or unused laptops, and two excellent local businesses, SP Computers and Excalibur, have then refurbished these devices and they have gone on to be donated to children and charities across the town.
I would like to thank Nationwide Building Society for very generously donating £2,000 to Threshold Housing as part of my Laptops for Local Schools and Charities Scheme. This money will enable the charity to purchase laptops and create a therapeutic intervention area where IT will be a focus. Service users will be able to connect to a wide variety of online training and programmes as part of the charity’s mission to help vulnerable people to create a better life and independence.
As part of my ongoing work to support local businesses, I was very pleased to cut the ribbon and officially launch FEDAI Digital Infrastructure Materials at their new premises in Paddington Drive on Friday afternoon. Founded in Swindon in 2013, this excellent local business supplies telecommunication tools and equipment, boasting a 2000+ strong product portfolio. In line with the Government’s 2019 manifesto commitment to deliver nationwide gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, FEDAI have been helping operators all over the UK to roll out fibre networks by supplying much of their installation equipment from the business here in Swindon.
I was honoured to help open the Swindon Armed Forces Day event at GWR Farringdon Road Park on Saturday. It was great to see so many local families enjoying the event in the glorious sunshine. With thanks to everyone on the organising committee who worked tirelessly to plan this brilliant event, which celebrated the work of our wonderful armed forces.
As part of Armed Forces Week 2023, I was also pleased to join volunteers from the charity Help for Heroes at a collection at the Tesco Extra Store in Ocotal Way on Sunday and, following this, it seems very appropriate to make this wonderful charity, who help the Armed Forces community to live well after service, my charity of the week.
Life can be tough when a military career comes to an end, especially if it has been cut short by illness or injury, and Help for Heroes works to give people the skills, confidence, and knowledge that they need to make a success of life in the civilian world.
Help for Heroes also run sporting and social activities across the country, to combat loneliness and isolation, as well as providing financial grants, to help people overcome challenges from illness and injury. You can find out more about Help for Heroes and how you can support their work by visiting UK Armed Forces and military veterans charity | Help For Heroes
