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Jeremy Wright is pictured with Chair of Trustees Viv Morgan in the garden at the Red Balloon centre
Support pledge for Red Balloon centre
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright has pledged his support for the Red Balloon centre at Fiveways near Hatton which provides a full-time recovery programme for children so severely bullied they cannot attend school.
The centre only started taking pupils last summer but already has nine children, mostly of secondary school age, from across the Midlands who receive full-time education on a one-to-one basis.
Mr Wright, who recently toured the school and met staff and volunteers, said: “This is a remarkable project, the brainchild of one of my constituents Viv Morgan, who wanted to find a use for her guest house which would have a lasting positive impact.
“She read about a national charity called Red Balloon and decided she would turn her home into one of its schools.
“What she has achieved is remarkable. Her determination and enthusiasm and the support of her family, friends and volunteers have created a unique facility which is already giving hope to Midlands children who might otherwise have slipped through the net.”
“The crucial work that this charity undertakes is gradually being more widely recognised and I will be doing all I can to further widen that recognition.”
Community Week is a fantastic effort
This week is Scout Community Week. It represents a fantastic effort on the part of the Scout Association to mobilise Scout Groups from across the country to work on projects that will improve and benefit their local communities. The spirit of active voluntary involvement in the community has always been at the core of the Scout Movement, and since the demise of ‘Bob a Job’ week, the Scouts have continued to find modern and proactive ways in which they might help their local area. Scout Community Week is a nationwide event to harness this spirit and make a real difference through a series of community projects.
Since last October, Scout Groups and Districts have been coming up with ideas for projects that will go some way to improving their local area. More than half a million scouts are now set to spend this week working on projects as diverse as renovating open spaces and community centres, building habitats for local wildlife and organising special events to help local groups. It is not only a means of gathering together volunteers to work on community projects, but also an opportunity to fundraise for other community organisations, with many Groups giving a proportion of any money they raise to local charities and good causes. Scout Groups will be working together with councils and local businesses, and using Facebook and Twitter to gain as wide a level of support as possible for the projects that they are working on.
This action to revive the spirit of volunteering and to provide a focus for individuals who wish to improve their communities is hugely commendable and is closely supported by the Government. Last week two new initiatives were launched by the Cabinet Office – one to specifically assist small community fundraising ventures by matching funds that are raised by local good causes, and a second in the form of the Challenge Prizes, which will recognise creative and insightful projects seeking to improve support to the elderly and projects seeking to reduce waste in the local area.
Organisations like the Scout Association, and other individuals working together, mobilise the huge reserves of goodwill and giving that are characteristic of the British people who make a lasting difference to our communities. I congratulate them on the good work that they do and the dedication that they show to their area.
Jeremy Wright is shown around the Age UK shop by manager Tracey Barnes
Positive move in support of charity shops
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright backed this week’s first-ever Choose Charity Shops campaign with deeds as well as words when he made his own donation to Age UK’s shop in Kenilworth’s Warwick Road.
The campaign is calling for extra donations to charity shops to help them continue to raise more than £200 million for UK charities.
Mr Wright said: “People sometimes complain that charity shops are taking over our high streets, but they actually help to keep them alive by making sure that premises are seldom left empty. They also raise fantastic sums for charity as well as providing as many as 17,000 paid jobs. On top of that they provide a process by which millions of items of clothing and household goods can be recycled and lower cost goods can be made available to those who need them.
“Charity shops should be celebrated for their contribution, not just to the high street, but to our communities. They bring people together through their volunteering schemes, help to reduce CO2 emissions through their re-use policies, provide employment and goods and services that people want. And, on top of all that, they put money into the coffers of vital charities.”
Tracey Barnes, who has managed the Age UK shop since it opened three years ago, thanked Mr Wright for his contribution of clothing and household goods and said: “Our shop is fully stocked, but we desperately need more donations. Ideally we need good quality items, but we can raise funds from even unsuitable clothing by selling it on, so nothing is wasted.”
Mr Wright chose Age UK because of his own particular interest and involvement in care for the elderly. He founded the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia and is particularly keen to see improved treatment and care for dementia sufferers.
Jeremy Wright is pictured with paramedic Brad Staples (left), who has been trialling the rapid response vehicle in Kenilworth, and West Midlands Ambulance Service area manager Martyn Scott
Delight as rapid response vehicle sited at Jubilee House
Kenilworth’s MP Jeremy Wright has been quick to find out more about how the rapid response vehicle being based at Jubilee House will operate.
Mr Wright, whose constituency office is also based at the town’s new public service centre, gave a hearty welcome to the new paramedic service, which is expected to be fully functioning by the end of May.
“It is great news for Kenilworth that we will now have an emergency response vehicle, staffed with specially-trained paramedics, just for the town and I am delighted that it will serve to enhance even further the services provided from Jubilee House.”
The rapid response car will be on call for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, manned by a team of five paramedics working ten hour shifts. The paramedics are specially trained, not only to administer emergency aid, but also to decide what further treatment, if any, a patient needs. If urgent hospital admission could be needed, an ambulance will already have been alerted at the Warwick ambulance HQ to provide back-up.
Mr Wright added: “This new service will mean that response to 999 calls will be much faster and treatment more efficient. And there should be much less chance of delay as the rapid response vehicles will not usually leave their area to take people to hospital, as that will only be done by ambulances.
“The technology being used now to monitor and assess calls also means that the service can anticipate when a town or area is likely to have high demand for paramedics and provide cover accordingly. It is great that this all means that Kenilworth, and the rest of my constituency, will get better cover.”
Under the new system, all ambulances covering South Warwickshire will operate from Warwick with five rapid response vehicles based in outlying areas at Kenilworth, Southam, Shipston, Wellesbourne and Henley.
The rapid response vehicle at Wellesbourne will operate 24/7 from a new base at the airfield also from the end of May.
Jeremy Wright with Jackie and Charlie Willacy at The Case is Altered
Stepping up to the bar to help village pub
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright has been stepping up to the bar to find out more about the problems facing local pubs.
On Friday (May 4) he visited The Case is Altered, near Hatton, to hear from its owners Jackie and Charlie Willacy about the challenges they face.
The pub, which used to be run by Mrs Willacy’s grandmother and has been in the family for almost 40 years, has tried to hang on to its traditional style, but is finding it increasingly difficult to survive.
Mr Wright commented: “This is a cosy old-fashioned pub with a loyal core of regulars who enjoy its real ale and a sense of camaraderie. Such pubs, as we know, are a dying breed, but the Government recognises that they are an important local asset and is doing what it can to help them survive.
“We have already offered extra rate relief for small businesses and given local authorities powers to grant discounts to bills. We are also bringing in minimum pricing per unit of alcohol. Not only is this intended to cut down alcohol consumption across the board, but also narrow the gap between the price of supermarket and pub drinks, so people will be more inclined to go to the pub than drink at home.
“Mr and Mrs Willacy are doing their best to diversify, even setting up their own brewery, the Old Pie Factory in Warwick, but I think there may be more the Government can do to help and I shall be forwarding their concerns to Community Pubs Minister Bob Neill.”
We should exercise our right to vote
Today is polling day. Local elections are taking place up and down the country, and in my constituency there is a battle on for council seats in Southam, Harbury, Kineton, Burton Dassett, Wellesbourne and Dunsmore. As such, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to go and vote.
It is somewhat of a shame that in the post-war era voter turnout has steadily fallen election-year on election-year, up until the turn of this century when we have seen a modest increase. In the last General Election voter turnout was 65%, leaving much room for improvement. Given the history of our nation, and the struggles that individuals and groups have endured to secure and preserve our universal suffrage, I believe it is important that when given the opportunity we should each exercise our right to vote. As we have been reminded by recent world events, from news pictures beamed back to us of civil unrest, there are many people around the world who are fighting to attain the same level of political freedom of expression so often taken for granted by us in the UK.
Voter turnout tends to be lower in local elections than in General Elections, perhaps being viewed as less important without Parliamentary seats at stake. However, this Government has devolved more powers to Local Authorities and is giving power back to local communities. As such, these local council elections are more important than ever in determining the political future of our area.
Local Government spending accounts for one quarter of all Government spending, so the importance of the decisions taken at this level are enormous.
I recognise the sacrifices that our Councillors make and thank them for giving up their free-time to improve our local area. I wish them and all candidates for local office well in the election today.
Jeremy Wright is pictured with fellow MP Chris White and charity volunteers at the Parkinson’s UK display.
Support for Parkinson's UK
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright recently visited a special display in the Royal Priors shopping centre organised by the Leamington and District Branch of Parkinson’s UK.
Mr Wright , who is a keen supporter of the charity’s work, chatted to volunteers and helpers and discussed their achievements and the challenges the charity faces.
“Parkinson’s can hit people at any age and there are 127,000 sufferers in the UK,” he explained. “It can be very debilitating. There is no cure at the moment, but Parkinson’s UK is helping to fund work to try to find one, as well as raising money for research into treatments and ways to improve the quality of life for sufferers. The charity also does a great job raising awareness of the condition and supporting sufferers and I have nothing but praise for the staff and volunteers.”
Parkinson’s UK West Midlands will be holding an information day at the Heart of England Conference Centre in Meriden Road in Fillongley on Sunday, May 20 from 2-4pm. There will be local groups taking part, with specialist staff on hand and workshops for sufferers. If you would like to know more call 0844 225 3460. For more information about the local branch, contact branch chairman Peter Jackson on 01926 864234 or email Ramilla Patel at
RPatel@parkinsons.org.uk.
Edgehill Games reflect the best of Britishness and the Olympic ideals
It is just three months now before the starting pistol fires and the London 2012 Olympics are out of the blocks.
As with any event on this scale, and particularly when the country is tightening its belt, there has been a fair bit of rumbling about whether the Games represent value for money and what their legacy will be.
This is hard to quantify, and there is no doubt that the most direct benefits will be in London. However, I do not think we can underestimate the value to this country of being seen across the world to have organised the Games efficiently, effectively and imaginatively.
What we have in spades in this country is creativity and originality. It is reflected not just in our arts and entertainment, but in science and industry too. We are a multi-ethnic and an immensely tolerant and inclusive society, all of which I think the Games will portray. These Games also give us an opportunity to show the world what a great country this is - to live in, visit and do business with.
I am delighted that in my own constituency, people are taking the initiative to display all of these qualities in their tribute to the Games.
The villagers of Kineton, Combroke, Warmington, Shotteswell, Ratley and Radway are taking part in their own version of the Games, with more than 26 events which will include something to suit every age and sporting ability. All proceeds will go to Sport Relief. The Edgehill Games has really taken off, bringing together churches, schools, businesses, sports clubs, pubs and even the munitions base at Kineton. In its own way, it is reflecting both the Olympic ideals and the best of Britishness - co-operation and competition on the one hand but also imagination, initiative, application, enthusiasm and community spirit.
One of our great athletes, former 5,000 metres record holder David Moorcroft, will be opening the Edgehill Games on Sunday (April 29), and the closing ceremony on July 15 will be in the hands of someone of much lesser sporting prowess – me!
I would like to wish the event, its organisers, participants and supporters, every success and encourage people to take part or go along to watch the fun. You can find out more about the games by visiting www.edgehillbenefice.co.uk
Jeremy Wright is pictured at the opening with Mayor and Mayoress Dave and Shirley Shilton and residents Kate Lee and Cyril Taylor
MP opens new dementia unit
Kenilworth MP Jeremy Wright joined mayor Dave Shilton to officially open a new dementia unit in the town on Saturday (April 14).
The 20-bed unit, at Kenilworth Grange Nursing Home in Spring Lane, will have specially trained staff and facilities tailored specifically for dementia sufferers.
Mr Wright, who founded the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, said: “I am delighted to see this new facility opening and to see companies like Care UK, who own Kenilworth Grange, taking the initiative and investing in provision of this kind.
“The number of people suffering from dementia in the UK is likely to reach a million within a decade and we need to prepare the country to be able to treat and care for sufferers in the best way possible.
“I am very pleased that the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, and many others who campaign on the subject, has already had considerable impact and that the Government will be doubling its annual research funding into dementia to £66million by 2015.”
Kenilworth Grange Nursing Home also held an open day to coincide with the official opening. Visitors were able to look around the home, which provides en-suite accommodation for 60 residents, and talk to staff.
Book charity starts new chapter in its campaigning
It is likely that most people reading this column will have been introduced to books at an early age.
We will have been lucky enough to have been read to by our parents and been introduced to a seemingly limitless world of ideas, adventures, emotions and information.
Despite all that modern technology can deliver, having a book read to them is still a delight to young children, as I know from reading to my own. That’s because it not only entertains, but is a shared experience and, even when we grow out of being read to, is an activity from which we derive comfort, as well as enjoyment of the book itself.
Opening up the world of books to young children is something that the charity Booktrust has been doing for 20 years with its Bookstart reading programme. Since 1992 Bookstart has given 30 million free books to babies and toddlers who might otherwise not have experienced being read to. And, for many families, the books which Bookstart have given them have been the first that their children have owned.
Sharing our experiences through books helps us to feel part of the world around us and everyone should have the chance to explore that world through this unique and wonderful medium.
This year Bookstart is aiming to raise its profile to ensure that it can go on introducing very young children to books for many years to come.
I will be supporting their campaign by attending one of their events at Kenilworth Library later in the year. But, in the meantime, I wish the charity every success.
If you would like to find out more about Bookstart you can visit www.booktrust.org.uk/bookstart20.
Clarification on Assisted Suicide is welcome
Last week the House of Commons debated the guidelines concerning Assisted Suicide drafted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
I do not support the legalisation of Assisted Suicide because of the adverse message I believe such a move would send and the impact it may have on extremely vulnerable members of our society. I recognise of course that many of those who advocate a loosening of the law do so for the best of motives. However, legalisation indicates that our society condones something which it previously did not and the evident danger here is that some, elderly or ill, already concerned that they have become a burden to loved ones or even to the country at large, will take such a change as a signal that this is a course of action they really should consider. I consider this too big a risk to take and that is why I do not support a change in the law. I do however support the exercise of suitable discretion by prosecutors in what will always be difficult and very varied cases.
The motion for debate in the House of Commons welcomed the DPP’s policy for prosecutors in cases such as these, which has been published as a result of a court ruling. Paragraph 6 of the guidelines reads as follows:
‘This policy does not in any way ‘decriminalise’ the offence of encouraging or assisting suicide. Nothing in this policy can be taken to amount to an assurance that a person will be immune from prosecution if he or she does an act that encourages or assists the suicide or the attempted suicide of another person’.
That, in my view, is as it should be. The DPP had no choice but to clarify the factors to be taken into account by prosecutors in deciding whether to bring a case to court and in those circumstances I welcome the fact that this clarification is made in the context of no decriminalisation of the assisting or encouragement of suicide and the retention of a Prosecutor’s discretion in each case. Consequently, I would not have opposed this motion when it was before Parliament, had there been a vote, but I would oppose a proposal to legalise assisting or encouraging suicide.
Dementia funding announcement is good news
The news that the Government is to double its funding for research into dementia is very heartening.
I have long been greatly concerned about the impact of dementia on our society and I have done much to try to raise awareness and response to the problems we face. In 2007 I founded the All-Party Group on Dementia, which I also chaired until 2010. The aim of the group has been to raise awareness of dementia amongst Parliamentarians and to influence policy making and legislation to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers.
To this end, the announcement that annual research funding into dementia will rise to £66 million by 2015 is a clear indication that the work of this group, and many others who campaign on the subject, has had considerable impact.
Dementia is indeed a ticking time bomb which we ignore at our peril. The number of people suffering from dementia is likely to reach a million within a decade and we need to prepare the country to be able to treat and care for sufferers in the best way possible. We also need to focus more resources on finding out more about how dementia begins and how it develops, knowledge we need to combat it effectively.
All these elements will be taken into account with the increased funding, which will improve research on living with dementia and fund an academic centre for scientists to investigate the cause of the condition.
I am delighted that the Prime Minister has singled out tackling dementia as a personal priority and that the Government is going to take funding to a level which will see a radical shift in the way we approach dementia. So many people in the country are affected, will be affected, or care for someone who is affected, that there can be few issues more deserving of more attention and energy from Government.
There is still a long way to go, but this is a huge step in the right direction.
Jeremy Wright takes a turn on the tyre-bending machine watched by trustee and chairman of the Friends of Chedhams Yard Heather Cox
Visit sees progress at Chedham's Yard as opening date is announced
Wellesbourne’s £1million prize-winning restoration project Chedham’s Yard will finally open to the public in June.
And local MP Jeremy Wright was one of the first to be told the opening date- June 16 – when he visited the yard to see how work was progressing on Friday (March 16).
The Kenilworth and Southam MP said: “I am delighted this remarkable project has finally come to fruition. It has faced some major challenges but, thanks to the hard work and determination of its trustees and volunteers, it is set to become a real heritage highlight.”
It was only a year ago that Chedham’s Yard won charitable status, which allowed it to get going properly on restoration and building work. Since then an education centre has been built, which will also house a shop and cafe, and the 200-year-old workshops have been completely restored.
It has taken volunteers almost five years to clean and label all the artefacts which had accumulated at the yard in the 180 years it was owned and run by the Chedham family.
Bill Chedham worked in the yard until the 1960s, but his blacksmith and wheelwright work dried up and he left it one day, never to return. Then, in 2001, he asked the parish council if they were interested in buying it. They saw its potential as a museum but did not see how they could afford to restore it until they entered and won the BBC’s Restoration Village competition in 2006 which gave them access to £1million of funding.
Now the work is almost complete, the artefacts will be returned to the yard and the blacksmith and wheelwright workshops will be presented as time capsules of the 200-year history of the yard.
“This is a tremendously imaginative project which will provide a wonderful educational resource,” added Mr Wright.
“The restoration has been done very sensitively and the education centre is completely in-keeping with the setting. There is now even a carefully tended garden, which will mean the site is not just interesting and informative but a very pleasant place to be. The trustees and volunteers deserve much praise for their efforts.”
Chedham’s Yard will open to the public on 20 Saturdays a year, with five special event days and an annual total of 50 group visits allowed on weekdays. It will soon be possible to book through the website at www.chedhamsyard.org.uk or on 01789 842770. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help with the running of the yard can also do so this way.
Jeremy Wright is pictured with the Range_e and JLR project lead Imran Karjikar.
MP puts hybrid concept car through its paces
There was no taking a back seat when local MP Jeremy Wright went to find out more about Jaguar Land Rover’s prototype plug-in hybrid vehicle.
He got behind the wheel of the award-winning new Range_e and put it through its paces as he used it to get from one appointment to another in his Kenilworth and Southam constituency, which includes JLR’s Gaydon site.
“What JLR have done with this car is phenomenal,” he said.
“To all intents and purposes this a Range Rover Sport, a luxury four-wheel drive car, but it is powered by a plug-in hybrid system. It can be driven more than 20 miles on its electric power, with zero emissions, but automatically engages into diesel power for cruising or if the car travels beyond the electric power range. I could not tell whether it was running on electricity or diesel, the switch is seamless. Its overall CO2 output is just 89g/km and it does 85mpg, yet it still has a top speed of 120mph.”
“This concept car shows what can be done to make motoring cleaner and greener without compromising on the looks and performance that make companies like JLR market-leaders. The recognition the Range_e has already received is a testament to the skill and enthusiasm of people all over the UK working in research and academic organisations, but particularly at JLR. Innovation and technology are key to the revival of our motor industry and I am delighted to see Jaguar Land Rover leading the way.
Currently there are only five Range_e cars in the world, but they will form the basis for future development. JLR have said they intend to introduce hybrid technology in a vehicle in 2013.
Fact-finding mission confirms need to act now
MP Jeremy Wright went on a high-speed rail fact-finding mission on Friday (March 9).
He travelled to Kent to experience the UK’s only existing superfast train line – HS1 - from the point of view of both those living near it and those travelling on it.
And he is optimistic that what he learned will help residents in his Kenilworth and Southam constituency get a head start in mitigating the impact of the building of HS2, if it goes ahead.
“While the view from the people I met who lived along the route was that the impact of HS1 had not been as bad as they had feared and that ‘cut and cover’ tunnels are very effective, I was left in no doubt that we should waste no time in taking action to make sure that disruption caused by construction is minimised and that mitigation and landscaping are as effective as possible. And I was given some very useful guidance on what that action should be.
“The visit confirmed for me that, while there are still those who want to concentrate their efforts on continuing to fight HS2, we must act now to ensure that those on whom HS2 would impact have that impact minimised.”
Jeremy Wright, the MP for Kenilworth and Southam, is pictured with Garden Organic chief executive Myles Bremner after a recent meeting at the Garden Organic headquarters in Ryton-on-Dunsmore.
Support pledge to get more schools growing food
Local MP Jeremy Wright has pledged his support for Ryton-based charity Garden Organic, which led a Taskforce which has just published a report showing the benefits of food-growing in schools.
The Food Growing in Schools report, published on Monday (March 5), highlights compelling evidence that growing food in schools improves children’s health and well-being and teaches them vital skills.
The government-backed Taskforce, whose members include the Forestry Commission, Royal Horticultural Society and the Women’s Institute, is now urging that in future every child is involved in food growing as part of their school experience.
Mr Wright said: “Through a variety of initiatives and partnerships, 8 out of 10 schools in England are now involved in some sort of food growing and I am absolutely behind the Taskforce, and Garden Organic, in wanting more schools to be involved.
“I visit Garden Organic regularly for updates on their projects, which are vital in a country, in fact a county, such as ours, which is at the forefront of agricultural research and innovation. I am very pleased that they are key to this particular initiative and have already offered to support them in any way I can to help achieve the Taskforce’s aims.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service manager Lee Washington shows MP Jeremy Wright the emergency response process at the control room in Stafford.
Praise for behind-the-scenes work at ambulance service HQ
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright has been to see how the recently merged West Midlands Ambulance Service deals with calls from across Warwickshire.
The old Coventry and Warwickshire service is now just one of five areas in the West Midlands operation which, since the final merger last year, are controlled from two computer-linked headquarters in Birmingham and Stafford.
And it was to Stafford that Mr Wright travelled on Friday (March 2) to see how calls from his constituents are managed.
He viewed the high-tech control room, where a team of 70 works shifts to cover round-the-clock calls from Coventry and Warwickshire and Staffordshire, and was talked through the emergency response process by manager Lee Washington.
Mr Wright said: “It is reassuring to see that the very latest technology and up-to-date systems are being used to make sure that ambulances and rapid response vehicles are running as efficiently and effectively as possible.
“Most of us have our own reasons for acknowledging the skill and dedication of our paramedics, but we should also acknowledge the tremendous work that goes on behind the scenes that allows them to do their job so well.”
Fast internet connection is vital
The changing ways we communicate and conduct our business means the internet has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Whether you are chatting to a loved one on the other side of the world on Skype, catching up with your favourite programme on iPlayer or conducting business video conferences, there is nothing more irritating than being held up by a poor internet connection. Representing a rural constituency I understand just how important access to a reliable and fast internet connection is.
The problem for government is that a third of the country is not commercially attractive for companies rolling out superfast broadband. To combat this, the Government has pledged to ensure widespread availability of high speed broadband as a key part of its strategy for building economic growth. As well as working with existing providers to complete delivery quicker, the Government has committed £530m over the life of this parliament to support broadband implementation which, it believes will be sufficient to extend superfast coverage to 90% of premises and ensure universal standard broadband.
I recently met with Warwickshire County Council’s e-business adviser to discuss what can be done in our county. The Rural Development Plan for England (RDPE) has provided funding for broadband speeds greater than 2Mbps in many areas of my constituency which currently suffer from slow connection speeds.
The Government has set challenging targets for the rollout of improved broadband speeds across the country, which local authorities are largely confident of meeting. The length of the timetable proposed will ensure the process of implementation is as transparent as possible. Local authorities will work in close contact with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to maintain the forward momentum towards our goals.
Making this investment will change the economic, social and environmental benefits for Warwickshire and the rest of the country, and has the potential to transform the quality of our lives.
Town pub venue for open surgery
Constituents will have a chance to meet and discuss issues with their MP next week without having to make an appointment.
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright will be holding an open surgery at The Almanack in Kenilworth town centre on Friday March 16th.
Mr Wright said: “I do hold surgeries all round my constituency, but people have to make an appointment to see me at one of those. This is a chance just to call in and have an informal chat.”
“It is something I would like to do more often so, if anyone would like to suggest other venues, I would be happy to hear from them. It’s a case of finding places that are accessible, where people can meet me in a relaxed setting.”
Mr Wright will be at the Almanack from 11.30am to 12.30pm.
Don't miss out on cash for local fundraisers
More than a third of a million pounds will be given by the Government to be shared between local charities next month.
The £375,000 will be allocated through a match funding scheme administered through a new website called
www.localgiving.com.
The website, set up by former Secret Millionaire Marcelle Spencer, in partnership with the Community Foundation Network (CFN), allows people who want to donate to local charities to find appropriate recipients according to their location, cause and beneficiaries. And it allows small local community organisations to have an online fundraising presence which can take advantage of Gift Aid and other support.
In order to have a chance to share in this latest tranche of Government support, which follows on from a similar match funding donation of nearly £300,000 at Christmas, organisations need to sign up to the website as soon as possible.
All organisations applying to be included are vetted by the Community Foundation who monitor all donations. But even very small organisations that are not registered as charities can join and take advantage of this being the only place on the internet where people can donate to unregistered charities and use Gift Aid.
This is a great opportunity for small local charities and organisations in need of funds to raise their profile, attract wider support, and have the chance to benefit from Government funds which would not otherwise be available.
I urge any local organisation which could benefit from this website to take steps to join it as soon as possible. For more information look at the website and either email
help@localgiving.com or call 0300 111 2340.
Open House at Jubilee House
MP Jeremy Wright will hold an ‘open house’ at his new office in Kenilworth’s Jubilee House when it officially opens on Friday, February 24.
“I am delighted to have my office in the heart of what is becoming Kenilworth’s new civic centre,” he said.
“Jubilee House is a big improvement on Wilton House and should allow us all to work more efficiently. I am certainly looking forward to welcoming constituents to much brighter and more modern premises and I will be delighted to see anyone who would just like to take a look and have a chat on Friday.”
Mr Wright’s ‘open house’ will be from 4pm to 5pm, following on from the official opening which is scheduled to take place from 3.15pm to 3.45pm on February 24.
Jeremy Wright with senior practice nurse Sam McConnell, dental nurse apprentice Zoe Brain, Langman Associates principal David Langman and Claire Lamb from Warwickshire College
MP gets his teeth into Apprenticeships' Week
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright got his teeth into the workings of a dental nurse apprenticeship when he visited Langman’s in Wellesbourne on Friday (February 10).
He visited the dental practice as part of National Apprenticeships’ Week and met 17-year-old Zoe Brain, who is Langman Associates’ first dental nurse apprentice.
Zoe, who lives in Wellesbourne, is mid-way through a two year apprenticeship which is being supported by Warwickshire College. She talked to her local MP about the training and support she receives and explained some of the responsibilities of a dental nurse.
Practice principal David Langman added that he was delighted with her progress and would certainly consider taking on another apprentice when an opportunity arose.
Mr Wright praised the support and training provided by Warwickshire College, which has a 100 per cent success rate with its apprenticeships, and the hard work of the dental practice and Zoe herself in making such a success of her apprenticeship.
He said: “I am very much in favour of the expansion of apprenticeships. What I have seen here is a good apprenticeship which has brought massive benefit to both the apprentice and the employer and I would like to see this replicated across Warwickshire.
“Apprenticeships are at the centre of Government policy and our latest figures show that there were almost half a million apprenticeship starts in the last financial year, an increase of more than 60 per cent on the previous year. This is providing thousands of young people with structured vocational training in proper employment, which will give them a flying start in their chosen field.
“People are increasingly realising that there can be an apprenticeship route in all areas and the Government is doing more and more to encourage and enable them, particularly now within small and medium-sized businesses.”
Jeremy Wright is pictured with Heat Hero Rachel Jones
Delight at Heat Hero award
MP Jeremy Wright met a woman who has helped to improve the lives of many of his constituents when she visited Westminster to receive a special award.
Wellesbourne-based Rachel Jones, who works for Act on Energy, has developed and planned many fuel poverty programmes for a range of local organisations, including Stratford District Council, and visited many vulnerable people to give them advice on energy.
She has been named as a national Heat Hero in a scheme organised by fuel poverty charity NEA and ScottishPower which aims to recognise people who go ‘above and beyond’ in helping people who struggle to heat their homes.
Mr Wright commented: “Community engagement is vital to tackling fuel poverty at a local level and I am delighted that the work of Rachel Jones has received national recognition.”
The award coincided with Fuel Poverty Awareness day on Friday February 10.
We need to face the challenges of our ageing population
Last week I had the pleasure of chairing a seminar about ageing, which was attended by policy makers and clinicians who had gathered to discuss the challenges associated with Britain’s ageing population.
It is a staggering fact that the proportion of over 70s in the population will rise by over 50% between 2010 and 2030 while the ratio of those of working age to those aged over 70 will fall from 5.3:1 to 3.7:1 over the same period.
Due to advances in health care over recent years and because many of us are more conscious than ever of keeping fit and healthy, most of us can expect to live longer than previous generations. Older people who are still in work, keep healthy and are able to contribute by providing care for others are an asset - a fact that is often overlooked.
However we cannot ignore the concerns about health which are becoming more acute with our ageing population.
We face many challenges including the growing prevalence of dementia, an issue I have raised consistently since my election to Parliament in 2005.
We should no longer tolerate stories of frail patients in hospitals and care homes being left without food and water because they are unable to feed themselves or reports of patients sitting in soiled clothing because staff are too busy to attend to their needs.
The Government will shortly publish a White Paper on how care in the longer term is going to be funded, which I believe may have to be a combination of funding from both the taxpayer and the individual. We must also look at the status of carers. At any one time 10% of the population is providing care to a relative or loved one. The role of a carer is crucial but extremely hard. A third of carers care for over 50 hours a week and a third are over 65 years old and all save the Treasury a huge amount every year.
We need to look at training people working in elderly care so that they have expertise in dealing with conditions such as dementia but also investing in staff so that they might see caring as a career and stay within the sector. The high incidence of Staff turnover must be tackled.
I accept that none of this is going to be very easy especially as Local Authorities face funding pressures. However, one of the things that I think is positive is that increasingly people are being given more choice about the care they receive. Most people would prefer to stay at home for as long as possible relieving pressure on hospitals and care homes but we must ensure that this does not mean that the elderly have no choice but to be left alone 23 hours a day, neglected behind their front door.
Jeremy Wright signs the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment in the House of Commons pledging his commitment to the memorial day and honouring those who died during the Holocaust
MP pledges support for Holocaust Memorial Day
Friday is Holocaust Memorial Day. Every year, the Holocaust Educational Trust does a huge amount to remind us of the terrible scar on the history of 20th Century Europe that was the systematic extermination by the Nazis of millions of Jews. Every year, for example, Members of Parliament have the opportunity to sign a book of remembrance and pupils at local schools are given the opportunity to visit Auschwitz - Birkenau, where murder was carried out on an industrial scale. If you have visited the Holocaust museum at Yad Vashem in Israel as I have, you will have found it a profoundly distressing experience and that of course is the point. Remembering the Holocaust is not supposed to be comfortable. This is not just because of the sheer horror of what occurred but also because we cannot allow ourselves the luxury of believing it was a historical aberration, confined to the particular circumstances of Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. The true purpose of Holocaust Memorial Day is to remind us not just that the Holocaust happened but that, perhaps on different scales and in different locations, it can and does happen again.
Around the world, racial, ethnic or tribal conflicts continue. Within the last 20 years, in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere, people have been killed or persecuted not for what they believe or for actions they have taken, but simply because of what they are. It still happens today.
So Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us what can happen when we turn a blind eye to this kind of evil. It shows us how bad it can get and that is why it is important to remember, however uncomfortable it may be. Remembering becomes harder of course with the passing of time, as fewer and fewer first-hand witnesses survive to look us in the eye and tell us it was true. I do not believe the greater danger comes from an organised conspiracy of Holocaust denial, but rather from the collective erosion of our certainty that it really was that terrible. The Holocaust Educational Trust plays a vital role in resisting that erosion and they deserve our thanks for what they do.
HS2- focussing on mitigation and compensation
Last week, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that the Government would go ahead with HS2, a new high-speed rail line initially between London and Birmingham and then on to Manchester and Leeds. The Labour Party said that the project had their support.
As a constituency Member of Parliament, I have been engaged with the detail of HS2 for almost 2 years now and the representations I have made on behalf of those affected are a matter of record, so I understand entirely the disappointment many of my constituents will feel at this decision. I pay tribute to the campaign groups in my constituency who also could have done no more to make their case. It may be that they and others will pursue a legal challenge to this decision, but in the absence of such a challenge being successful, or of a significant change in circumstances, the Parliamentary arithmetic makes it very likely that HS2 will be built.
That does not mean however that there is no more to be argued for or to be achieved for those directly and seriously affected by the line. The route to be followed is a better route overall than that announced by the last Government in March 2010, with distinct improvements for those who live in Burton Green, Stoneleigh or Ladbroke for example. The latest revisions improve the position for Bascote Heath and mean that Kenilworth Golf Club can be avoided, but I believe that more can be done to mitigate the visual and audible effects of HS2. There will be further opportunities this year to argue for these further measures and we must take full advantage of them.
Also of huge importance are the decisions the Government has yet to take on how to compensate those who will suffer financially as a result of HS2. This is crucial for those who are trapped in homes of declining value through no fault of their own. On this subject too, the next few months are vital in arguing for a fair settlement and we cannot afford to waste the time available to make those arguments.
For these reasons, much as I understand and respect the views of those who continue to disagree with the Government’s decision in principle on HS2, I consider my responsibility now to be to do whatever I can to pursue the interests of my constituents in the debate on the important decisions which must be reached this year on further mitigation and on compensation. Those decisions will make a substantial difference to the lives of those who are affected by HS2 and I intend to spend my time now engaging with the detail of these issues in order to obtain the best outcomes I can for those I represent.
Jeremy Wright is pictured (centre) with (left to right) Independent Advocacy operations manager Mike Lee, CEO Chris Bratchie, development team co-ordinator Neil Allison and business manager Peter Topp
Trial could help provide protection for vulnerable
Kenilworth and Southam MP Jeremy Wright believes a Stoneleigh-based organisation could help to protect people in care homes from being abused.
Independent Advocacy, a county-wide independent charity based at Stoneleigh Park, is running a Town Trust funded trial in Stratford, where advocates go into various care homes to work confidentially with residents and pick up on any concerns which they are reluctant to raise directly with the staff.
Mr Wright, said: “This is an excellent scheme. People are looking for ways to act which will prevent abuse in care homes and, if this project is successful, it could be a scheme which could be run out across the county, and indeed the country, funded by the homes themselves.”
He added that Independent Advocacy was also doing very valuable work with dementia sufferers and those with physical and learning disabilities and mental illness.
“There is huge value added by this organisation, its employees and volunteers in assisting those with little voice of their own, and who may be amongst the most vulnerable in our society, to put their case and secure the help they need,”
Mr Wright recently visited Independent Advocacy’s headquarters where he met some of the volunteers and staff who help people in times of distress, financial hardship, poor health or infirmity with matters as diverse as debt resolution, support with benefit applications and tribunals, care and treatment issues and access to services.
Response to HS2 announcement
As a constituency Member of Parliament, I have been engaged with the detail of HS2 for almost two years and the representations I have made on behalf of those affected are a matter of record, so I understand the disappointment many of my constituents will feel at this decision. I pay tribute to the campaign groups in my constituency who also could have done no more to make their case.
There are however two crucial points to recognise at this stage. The first is that the route to be followed is a better route than that announced by the last Government in March 2010, with distinct improvements for my constituents in Burton Green, Ladbroke and Stoneleigh, for example. The second is that there remains much work to do on the crucial issues of further mitigation to the route and compensation to those directly and seriously affected.
I will continue to do all I can to get the best possible outcomes on those subjects for my constituents.
To find out more about the announcement on HS2 click on this link.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/high-speed-rail/
New Year, new office
For me, the New Year’s work begins in a new office. You may have read of the redevelopment of the town’s police station to accommodate not just police officers but also the offices and Council Chamber for Kenilworth Town Council, as well as space for me and my staff. Wilton House on Southbank Road, the building previously shared with the Town Council, will make way for a new development of retirement apartments and a new senior citizens club, which is housed until then in the re-named Jubilee House. These are positive changes.
As Kenilworth’s MP, it makes sense for my office to be located at the heart of the town. More broadly, I am keen to support the ongoing operation to create a new Civic Centre for Kenilworth. We would all have wished to see a shiny new building developed in one go, but economic pressures, of which we are all aware, mean that the only way this can be done now is in stages.
The revamp of the library and a shared front desk service for a number of civic organisations is stage one and Jubilee House is in many ways stage two. I remain hopeful that later stages will deliver the meeting hall Kenilworth needs and deserves as part of a central location for the delivery of public services which helps to knit together the Castle and Old Town with the main shopping area.
In the meantime, you can reach me at the same phone number and email address, namely 01926 853650 and
Jeremy.wright.mp@parliament.uk, but at a different postal address:
Jubilee House, Smalley Place, Kenilworth, CV8 1QG
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