After many months and a tremendous effort with Cllr Suresh Gattapur and local residents, I was delighted to officially open the new West Swindon Post Office last Friday.
A lot of local residents struggled when the old branch closed, particularly the elderly and those with mobility issues, so it was very important to me and Cllr Suresh Gattapur that we campaigned hard for a new Post Office at the West Swindon Centre. It has taken us a long time to get to this point and a lot of work, but we were determined to battle on, and finally, we have secured a new improved premises for local residents, with banking facilities as well, which is a real boom for a lot of residents who feel left behind by digitalisation. Further details about all of the services available at the new branch can be found by visiting https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder/2475480/west-swindon-centre
Since first becoming your MP in 2010, I have worked very closely with Swindon Carers Centre, so I was very pleased to attend the Carers Rights Day Event again this year, along with Justin Tomlinson MP at Swindon Town Football Club.
Carers Rights Day is a national day to ensure unpaid carers are aware of their rights, where to get help and support and to raise awareness of the needs of carers. The focus of this year’s Carers Rights Day Event was parent carers.
Parents who care for children with additional needs often do not see themselves as ‘carers.’ Registering as a parent carer with Swindon Carers Centre opens up opportunities for further support, such as financial benefits or attending activities to have a break, so that parents can live a healthy, fulfilling life alongside their caring role.
I am regularly campaigning in Westminster on carers issues, raising them with the Government, and working closely with our carers organisation, so I was very pleased to take part in the event again this year. If you are an adult carer, parent carer, older carer, or younger carer here in Swindon, and you have not already done so, I would urge you to register with Swindon Carers Centre because they can offer you a wealth of information and advice to support you in your caring role.
Over the past few months, I have been working hard to support all of the local residents here in South Swindon who have been affected by flooding, so I was very pleased to spend the morning at Westlea Fire Station last Saturday. I spoke to the Watch about the current challenges facing our dedicated fire officers. As a local resident, I rely on this service to keep my family safe and with the recent floods, pressures have been very much on the fire and rescue service in terms of delivering a response.
It was a real pleasure to talk to the team at Westlea Fire Station about their challenges, to support the work of our fire officers, and to thank them as well for their tireless service to the people of our town. We owe a lot to our fire service; they are one of the essential services that keep us safe.
Last week in Westminster was all about the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, which is offering real help to twenty-seven million hardworking people in our country, by cutting national insurance from twelve percent to ten percent and abolishing some classes of national insurance for self-employed workers. That comes on top of relief and help for the hospitality sector, the freezing of alcohol duty, and the maintenance of important business rate concessions to support small businesses here in Swindon and elsewhere. I thought it was an Autumn Statement that offered real hope for investment and growth. Whilst driving down on inflation and making sure that we keep that debt under control. It is a balanced statement, and I warmly welcome it.
I am delighted to have been elected unopposed as Chair of Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee. I am a strong Unionist but believe in working with all communities and as there is no functioning government at Stormont, the Committee’s work is particularly important. This work is all part of my active and visible contribution to Parliamentary life, talking about Swindon and wider issues on the national stage.
Finally, my Charity of the Week is Campaign Against Miserably (CALM), who are taking a stand against suicide. That means standing against feeling hopeless, standing up to stereotypes and standing together to show life is always worth living.
CALM has been shouting about suicide prevention since 1997 when their life-saving helpline launched. Originally set up as an NHS pilot, the helpline started in Merseyside. CALM became a national charity in 2006, meaning they could support people who needed them across the country. You can find out more about CALM as well as accessing a whole range of helpful resources and advice by visiting www.thecalmzone.net You can also find out how you can support CALM and their work by visiting www.thecalmzone.net/donate
