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Abena welcomes expanded eye care for local children to mark World Sight Day

To mark World Sight Day on Thursday 8 October, Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, has welcomed expanded access to NHS-funded eye care for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

SeeAbility has secured an NHS contract to provide eye care in special schools across London and the South East, potentially benefiting up to 70,000 children. The service offers free sight tests, glasses where needed, and reports to help families and teachers understand each child’s vision.

The charity already provides the service at Willow Dene School, which Abena visited in November 2024. Other special schools in the constituency can now opt in, with parents also choosing whether their children take part.

Children with learning disabilities are nearly 30 times more likely to have a serious sight problem. SeeAbility’s research found that more than four in ten pupils it had seen had no history of eye tests or eye care.

The expansion follows NHS England’s October 2024 announcement that annual eyesight checks would be offered to children and young people in all day and residential special schools across England.

Abena Oppong-Asare MP said:

“Having visited Willow Dene School, I have seen first-hand the difference this eye care service makes to children and their families. I’m delighted that NHS funding will help bring this vital care to more children in Erith and Thamesmead.

“World Sight Day is a reminder that everyone should be able to access the eye care they need. I hope more local special schools take up this NHS-funded service so that more children can benefit.”

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Visiting Stalls at Labour Party Conference

Delighted to visit a number of important stalls and take a tour of the Labour Party Conference Exhibitions this year!

From protecting woodlands & supporting animal welfare, to promoting breakfast clubs & raising awareness of prostate cancer – there were so many inspiring campaigns!

I also took a moment to meet the teams from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Dementia UK, the Stroke Association and Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Thanks to all the constituents who reached out to me. See my social media post below and more photos from my visits also.

Social Media Post:

Photos from Stalls:

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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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New Kitchen at the Javan Coker Foundation

I was also very pleased to join the Javan Coker Foundation (JCF) this month as they celebrated the installation of their newly refurbished kitchen at the JCF centre.

Alongside the Council Leader, Cllr Anthony Okereke, it was lovely to join the team for the opening and hear about all the great work they have been doing to support children and families in need.

If you would like to find out more about the charity and what they are doing in our community, then you can find their website here: https://www.thejavancokerfoundation.org/.

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Bexley Volunteer Excellence Awards

It was a pleasure to meet the outstanding community volunteers at the Bexley Volunteer Excellence Awards this month. It was a wonderful evening at the Exchange Erith, hearing inspiring stories of volunteer work across Bexley.

I was also honoured to hand out the ‘Youth Volunteer Awards’ and to celebrate everyone’s great achievements in the last year. It was a fitting way to end Volunteers Week 2023. Congratulations to all the winners.

You can see my social media post about the event below or here.

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Abena Oppong-Asare MP urges people in Erith and Thamesmead to give safely to charities responding to Coronavirus pandemic

Abena Oppong-Asare MP joins the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator, Action Fraud and Trading Standards in urging people to stay vigilant when giving to charity during the Coronavirus pandemic.
There has been an increase in reports of scammers targeting vulnerable people, for example posing as charity volunteers offering to help with shopping, offering fake virus testing, or claiming to be raising funds for charity. These scams are diverting vital funds away from the 265 genuine registered charities in Erith and Thamesmead and hundreds of national charities working hard to support the public at this time.

Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead said:

“There are so many amazing charities supporting vulnerable people around Erith and Thamesmead during this crisis such as Greenwich Foodbank, Mind in Bexley, Solace and many more. It is concerning that scammers are using this pandemic as a means to target vulnerable people and take aid from those who are working flat out to help support our community.
Despite hearing reports of scams, I have heard many more stories of generosity and kindness throughout the community since this crisis began. From the person running a marathon in their back garden to the hundreds who have volunteered to help deliver essential items to vulnerable people.
I would like to thank and praise everyone that has pulled together to see us through these difficult times. If you are able to volunteer your time or donate to local support groups, I know this is very much needed as many services are over stretched right now. However, please read the recommendations of giving safely carefully and make sure your time and money goes to the right place.”

There are simple ways of making sure you give safely to registered charities:

  • Check the charity’s name and registration number at gov.uk/checkcharity. Most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered.
  • Be wary of unsolicited emails from charities you have never heard of and be careful when responding to emails or clicking on links within them.
  • Exercise the same caution as with any other internet transaction, for example, to donate online, visit the charity’s own website and always type the website address into the browser yourself.
  • Ignore requests to donate through a money transfer company.
  • Finally, if in doubt about an approach, give to a charity that you have an existing relationship with.
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