Welcome to this week's newsletter.
This week, I secured a crucial debate in Parliament regarding the future of the Leighton Hospital rebuild. Last year, we celebrated the news that Leighton Hospital was selected to join the Government's £20 Billion hospital building programme, guaranteeing significant funding to support its vital services for years to come. During the debate, I pressed the Government to ensure that the rebuild remains a top priority, ensuring its completion by 2030 as planned.
I also had the pleasure of meeting with pupils from Mablins Lane Primary School, who recently visited Parliament to learn about our democracy. I arranged a session at their school following on from their visit, answering their questions and discussing my role as their Member of Parliament.
I also paid a visit to the Mirion Street Youth club site to meet the team leading the exciting plan to build a brand new facility for South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club and the wider community. Funded by the Crewe Town Deal, this transformative project marks a significant milestone in rejuvenating the area after the original facility was destroyed by fire in 2014.
I recently met with the team from Keep Britain Tidy in Parliament to discuss this year's Great British Spring Clean initiative. Scheduled from the 15th to the 31st of March, this campaign encourages individuals, groups, and schools to join forces in picking up litter and maintaining the cleanliness of their local areas.
Fantastic news as Sainsbury's becomes the latest supermarket to embrace the 'Best of British' campaign, led by Dr Luke Evans MP and supported by numerous MPs, myself included. With the introduction of a dedicated section on their website, Sainsbury's joins the ranks of other supermarkets like Aldi in providing consumers with the option to purchase locally sourced produce, supporting our hardworking farmers.
Finally, The Government's Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund, with £1 million in matching funds, aims to increase access to defibrillators in public places, potentially saving lives. Quick access to these life-saving devices can be critical, and this grant will assist local organisations and businesses in making them more accessible and affordable.
Have a great weekend.
Leighton Hospital Debate
Mablins Lane School Visit
Mirion Street Site Visit
Great British Spring Clean
More Best of British Campaign Success
Defibrillator Grants
Traffic Report
Leighton Hospital Debate
This week I secured a debate in Parliament on the future of the Leighton Hospital rebuild. Westminster Hall debates are short debates that give MPs an opportunity to raise an issue of their own and get a response from a Government Minister.
Last year we received the fantastic news that Leighton Hospital was successful in its bid to join the Government's £20 Billion hospital building programme and will receive hundreds of millions of pounds of funding. This will ensure that the Leighton Hospital site will continue to carry out its vital work for decades to come.
In the debate, I pushed the Government to ensure the rebuild is top of their priorities and that we are on track to seeing work completed by 2030 as intended.
Mablins Lane School Visit
This week I met with pupils on the School Council of Mablins Lane Primary School. They have recently visited Parliament to learn about our democracy. I arranged a session at their school following on from their visit. It was great to answer their questions and talk about the roles and responsibilities of a Member of Parliament.
I try and do as many school visits as possible to give young people of all different backgrounds the chance to hear about politics. It is important that we encourage as wide a range of people as possible into politics.
Mirion Street Site Visit
This week I visited the site of the Mirion Street youth club, where we recently secured additional funding for a brand new youth facility that will provide a home for the South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club. I was shown round by Nathan from the Boxing Club and Rob from the Crewe Youth Club.
It was announced last month that the project will receive a significant boost of £765,231 in extra funding from the Government's Youth Investment Fund's third round. This additional injection of funds comes on top of the £732,000 already allocated from the Government, part of the £22.9 Million from the Crewe Town Deal.
The Mirion Street Project will create a new facility for the South Cheshire ABC, enabling them to extend their support to an additional 100 young individuals annually. Moreover, the regeneration of the old youth club site, destroyed by fire in 2014, will open up community access to the land.
This development marks a significant milestone, not only in revitalising a local derelict site but also in helping the South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club in supporting the youth of our community.
They have now essentially cleared the site ahead of construction and are now soon hoping to secure a developer to undertake the construction. Congratulations to everyone involved and thank you for your hard work!
Great British Spring Clean
It was great to meet the team from Keep Britain Tidy in Parliament to learn more about this year's Great British Spring Clean
This year the Spring Clean will take place from 15th until 31st March with individuals, groups and schools pledging to pick up litter and keep their local area clean. Last year the public pledged to pick more than 400,000 bags of litter.
Locally, we are very lucky to have some hardworking community groups, such as Crewe Clean Team, Shavington Online, Haslington Group, Nantwich Litter Action and the Stapeley Litter Pick Group who do this amazing work all year round.
Thank you for all that you do!
Find out more about the Great British Spring Clean: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean
More Best of British Campaign Success
Fantastic news that the 'Buy British' campaign, launched by Dr Luke Evans MP and which I supported along with 120 other MPs, has achieved another success, with Sainsbury's announcing that they will be the latest supermarket to launch a 'Best of British' section on their website. This follows other supermarkets such as Aldi, who have also launched similar sections.
This will give consumers the choice to buy homegrown produce, allowing them to support our hardworking, local farmers.
Defibrillator Grants
The Government is currently running a £1 million match funded Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund, aimed at increasing the number of AEDs in public places where they are most needed and to help save lives.
Getting quick access to a defibrillator can be the difference between life and death, and I know that many local organisations and businesses have considered getting one.
This grant will make installing these life-saving pieces of equipment more affordable
DHSC Community Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund (defibgrant.co.uk)
Traffic Report
The following are the road closures for the week ahead as reported by Cheshire East.
Elm Drive, Crewe - Until 8th March
Delamere Steet, Crewe - Until 10th March
Flag Lane, Crewe - until 10th March
Moss Lane - Until 2nd June