Dear Friends,

Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for April 2024.

I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month.

As ever, if you want to get in touch, don’t hesitate to contact me using the email address: abena.oppongasare.mp@parliament.uk

Abena

Royal Borough of Greenwich Nepalese Society (RGNS) New Year Celebrations

It was lovely to join the RGNS’s celebrations this month as they welcomed a New Year 2081. I want to wish all Nepalis in Erith and Thamesmead and across the whole country a very Happy New Year.

History made for Erith and Belvedere FC

I was inspired to watch history in the making as the first ever girls side from Erith and Belvedere FC under 15’s team played against Sudbury Town at the Acclaim Handling Community Stadium in Welling. Big congratulations to all those involved in making this happen and to the girls on the field from both teams.

NHS Confederation’s Annual Mental Health Conference and visit to Leeds Synergi

Many thanks to NHS Confederation for inviting me to speak to their annual Mental Health Conference in Leeds on the urgent need to invest in our mental health services. It was also important to learn about the innovative approaches taken at Leeds Synergi in tackling ethnic inequalities in mental health.  

My Work in Parliament

This month, we have continued to see chaos in Parliament as the Government struggled to pass their flagship Safety of Rwanda Bill.

In my view, this is a failing scheme, with even the Home Office Permanent Secretary saying there is no evidence it will work as a deterrent. Instead, I believe we must put that money into boosting Britain’s border security with a new cross border police unit to smash the criminal smuggler gangs.

Speaking at Lloyds Banking Group’s ‘Black in Business’ reception

It was also great to speak at the ‘Black in Business’ event in Parliament hosted by Channel 4 and Lloyds Banking Group. And it was great to hear from the amazing Black entrepreneurs and business owners, who spoke about the work that has been championed by this initiative.

Furthermore:

• Happy Easter – Hoping everyone celebrating Easter had a very joyful holiday.
• Eid Mubarak – Warm wishes to the Muslim community celebrating as the holy month of Ramadan came to an end.
• Happy Vaisakhi – I was also pleased to wish Sikhs here and around the world a very happy Vaisakhi!
• Happy Tamil New Year – And a very happy Tamil New Year to the Tamil community.
• Happy Passover – Chag Sameach to all those who observed Passover.
• Stephen Lawrence Day – On the 31^st anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, it was important to come together to remember him and his family’s struggle for justice.
• Happy St George’s Day – Hope everyone had a happy St George’s Day!
• Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week – Thank you to the Maternal Mental Health Alliance for promoting this important awareness week.
• Congratulations to Erith Town FC – I also want to say a massive congratulations to Erith Town FC who managed to add the Kent Senior Trophy to this Season’s list of accomplishments. Well done!

Stay updated on social media

For regular updates on my activities, follow me on Twitter (@abenaopp), Facebook (Abena Oppong-Asare MP, Erith and Thamesmead), and Instagram (abena.oppongasare.mp).

You can also sign up to my digital newsletter at www.abenaoppongasare.com/get_in_touch