The Publishers Association held an event in Parliament on 21 June 2023 to celebrate the success of the publishing world. The Chief Executive of the Institute of Publishers said this was the most successful of the creative industries. This year the author highlighted was Bonnie Garmus.Bonnie Garmus (left) spoke about how she had a stutter when she was young and visited the library and met a librarian who encouraged her to read books. She found her voice in writing. The Publishers Association presented her book "Lessons in Chemistry". 

Kim Leadbeater MP and Kim and Jo's parents Jean and Gordon with me (above) to continue the work of the Jo Cox campaign to promote the good work to keep people meeting and talking over tea and biscuits donated by Fox's who are based in Kim's constituency, Batley and Spen.

I am pictured with my colleagues Tan Deshi MP, Ruth Cadbury MP  and Kim Leadbeater MP, Kim and Jo’s parents Jean and Gordon and Maureen and Peter in the Jubilee Room to celebrate the great get together to promote a day when people can meet and  talk to each other. 

I was asked to take part in an online seminar for teachers on 20 June 2023 organised by the Education Service and the Political Studies Association in the Commons. The title of the seminar was "Theories of Representation and How They Work in Practice". Professor Oliver Heath from Royal Holloway, Bedford New College, and the University of London opened the session. I joined the session following a vote and started by saying I was there to give an insight on the practice of Representation. I covered my work as an MP including from election to the tools we can use to help our constituents as frontbenchers and backbenchers. 

David Carr, Senior Teacher Training Specialist, organised the event, which I could see via Zoom was attended by many people who I hope will take the message back that education about our democracy must start early in schools.     

I was one of the named co -sponsors of a Bill presented by Sir Oliver Heald MP on Tuesday 20 June 2023 which requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the merits of providing financial support for parents of children receiving care in hospital for extended periods. 

Sir Oliver  said that his constituent Ceri Menai-Davis contacted him after the loss of his six-year-old son Hugh to a rare cancer on 18 September 2021. They had a terrible ordeal for more than 10 months, attending hospital and at times commuting daily, as they watched their son rapidly decline over a number of months in hospital from a sporty youngster to his sad passing. Mr and Mrs Menai-Davies had set up a charity called It’s Never You, which are the words that Mrs Menai-Davis said to her husband when they got the diagnosis. They wanted to help parents of very ill children in hospital with mental and physical support and to call for some financial help.

Through the charity parents or guardians of sick children benefit by connecting with a community of peers, finding support, including moral support, sharing experiences, and getting professionally sourced and reliable information via a social network. That is done not by the statutory authorities but through the Children’s Cancer Platform, which is the UK’s only platform built exclusively to support parents in this difficult situation. The charity has started to put wellbeing bags into hospitals such as Addenbrooke’s and Great Ormond Street; they are about to go into Oxford University Hospitals as well. The bags are well received. The charity is also present in Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds and many more places. It has partnered with several charities across the UK and aims to form an umbrella, whereby all relevant charities can be found in one place.

The aspect of this ten-minute rule Bill raised by Sir Oliver's constituents is the financial impact on parents of having to spend months in hospital supporting sick young children. My constituent is self-employed, and it cost him a lot to put his child first. He was able to manage only because of his strong personal position economically, but he feared for others who were less fortunate and found themselves in the same position. He gave me examples of people his charity is helping.

These are the sponsors of the Bill : Sir Oliver Heald, Dr Caroline Johnson, Dame Margaret Beckett, Sir Robert Syms, Valerie Vaz, Sir Paul Beresford, Gareth Thomas, Mrs Flick Drummond, Clive Efford, Selaine Saxby, Stephen McPartland and Jackie Doyle-Price. 

The Bill was read the First time and will be read a Second time on Friday 24 November 2023. I was pleased to be able to support this important Bill.

 

Darlaston FC put out a call for volunteers to help get the ground ready for the start of the new season.  I answered the call on Saturday 17 June 2023.  Chairman Neil Chambers was there to help organise the volunteers. Former councillor Keith Chambers was also there to help  The picture above shows me at the start of painting the yellow lines at the new stand.

And this picture (right) shows the end! There is much more to be done and volunteers are needed over the next 2 Saturdays. While we worked, the team was practising. Other volunteers helped to put up the new rolling goals.