September 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Thank you for taking the time to look at my monthly newsletter for September 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

New Government’s Economic Plan

A few weeks ago, the Prime Minister addressed the nation and highlighted the black hole in the public finances left by the previous Government.

He made clear that some tough and unpopular decisions will need to be made at the upcoming October Budget to make sure the Government achieves its goal of fixing the foundations of the economy.

After 14 years of Conservative mismanagement, I support this important agenda to pick up the pieces and finally deliver the change the country desperately needs.

University of Greenwich Visit

It was a pleasure to visit the University of Greenwich’s Avery Hill campus this month and speak to the senior leadership team.

We spoke about their plans to break down barriers for students, establish local community projects and their ambitions to lead the sector in social mobility. 

Erith Town FC

Great to see Erith Town play Croydon Athletic, witness their 3-0 win and support grassroots football in the process. Honoured also to become a patron of the club and present player of the match!

Emmaus Greenwich

It was also inspiring to visit Emmaus Greenwich earlier this month. Their work makes a real difference to people trying to overcome homelessness, giving them support, skills and the confidence to build better lives. I thanked them and their companions for speaking to me about their experiences.

Grenfell Inquiry Report

As the final Grenfell Inquiry report was released this month, I want to share my continued sympathies to all the families and friends of the victims of the Grenfell fire.

This report demonstrated how the victims were badly failed over many decades and how all the deaths were avoidable.

This must be a moment of change on unsafe cladding still in place and I will continue to push for necessary steps to be swiftly taken.

Ministerial work in the Cabinet Office

In recent months, I’m pleased to have hit the ground running as a Minister in the Cabinet Office – leading on national security and resilience.

In my role, I was pleased to recently meet Columbian Foreign Minister Luis Murillo, as well as attending the first meeting of the Flood Resilience Taskforce, which I am Co-Vice Chair. I’ve also been on several insightful visits including to Airbus Helicopters’ HQ in Oxford and the Met Office HQ in Exeter.

Furthermore:

  • Passing of Nicky Gavron – I was devastated to hear this news about the former deputy Mayor of London. She was extremely dedicated, principled, and supportive.
  • Stephen Lawrence’s Legacy – Stephen would have celebrated his 50th birthday this September. Like many, his legacy inspires me and motivates us to push for justice.
  • The Ballad of Thamesmead – Had a fantastic time at this performance by Dante or Die Theatre. The Thamesmead Community Choir were excellent.
  • Plumstead Open Studios – I went to visit some of the brilliant local art exhibitions at Plumstead Open Studios – it is great to see so much talent in our constituency.

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

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Meeting with Luis Gilberto Murillo

In my role as Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, it was a pleasure to meet with the Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo to discuss the importance of our UK-Colombia partnership in tackling critical global challenges.  

We discussed the UK-Colombia security partnership and resilience against climate change. 

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Becoming a Patron of Erith Town FC

It was great to see Erith Town FC play against Croydon Athletic recently and witness their huge win.

It was a real honour to become a patron of the club and present player of the match. Grassroots football is deeply important to me, and to have such a special club run by great people in my constituency makes me very proud.

Their community work and youth engagement play a vital role in our constituency, provides a valuable sporting outlet, and develops life-skills and local projects that enrich the lives and improve the wellbeing of so many residents.

Grassroots football is so important for local communities. Go and support your local team.

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Flood Resilience Taskforce Meeting

It was important to attend the first meeting of the Flood Resilience Taskforce as Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office. The Taskforce is led by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 

The task force brings together leaders from local government, the emergency services and local resilience forums to make communities more resilient against flooding. 

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Airbus UK HQ Visit

It was an honour to open Airbus Helicopters new UK headquarters and meet some of their staff and apprentices, this was done in alignment with my role as Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office,

Airbus helicopters are an important part of the UK’s security, assisting and supporting UK resilience through police, air ambulance and military helicopters.

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Plumstead Open Studios Visit

Whilst visiting Plumstead Open Studios, I got the chance to see how many talented people we have in our constituency. It was brilliant to view a wide range of locally-produced artwork and creative designs, including painting, photography, ceramics, textiles, jewellery, prints, and sculpture.

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Attending the Ballad of Thamesmead

I had a fantastic time recently at the ‘Ballad of Thamesmead’ performance. This was part of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival, and presented By Dante or Die Theatre

Live folk songs by Abbey Wood singer Marie Bashiru were great, and the Thamesmead Community Choir impressed with a soaring sound design that included local peoples’ voices, culminating in the clocktower illuminated like never before.

It’s great to see such a broad array of talented artists, musicians, designers and creators on show in our constituency.

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Emmaus Greenwich Visit

It was inspiring to visit Emmaus Greenwich in my constituency, the work that they do makes a real difference to people trying to overcome homelessness, giving them support, skills and the confidence to build a better life for themselves. This type of community work is so important, and I thank them and their companions for taking the time to speak to me about their experiences.

This government is committed to seriously tackling homelessness across the UK, with the new cross government – Homelessness Taskforce which will develop a long-term strategy to combat this issue. Working alongside organisations like Emmaus, we have a real chance to improve the lives of so many suffering unnecessarily, building dynamic local communities with empowered citizens in the process

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Met Office HQ Visit

It was fascinating to visit the Met Office HQ as part of my Cabinet Office role, and learn more about one of the UK’s most essential public services. I met with staff and international partners to celebrate the pioneering work of the Space Weather Operations Centre that celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.

It was important to hear about the Met Office HQ’s approach to resilience, and I enjoyed practising my weather presenting skills in the studio.

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University of Greenwich Visit

It was great to speak to the senior leadership team at the University of Greenwich as I visited the Avery Hill Campus to discuss their plans to break down barriers for students, establish local community projects and their ambitions to lead the sector in social mobility.

I enjoyed taking a tour of their excellent medical facilities, talking about the student experience for my constituents and their values of inclusivity, collaboration and social impact.

Universities are vital for education, local employment and community projects. I’m proud to work alongside this ‘outstanding’ institution to deliver both for my constituents in Erith and Thamesmead and more broadly for South East London.

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