It has been great to see the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launch the expansion of the Superloop bus service this month, providing more transport options to those who need it.
The new SL3 express bus route runs between Bromley and Thamesmead providing better links to Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup and other locations in South East London and beyond. It will also provide better bus links for the people of Thamesmead travelling to and from Abbey Wood Station.
It was great to visit Cornerstone School in Belvedere this month to join a sports session supported by London Sport.
Cornerstone School provides a foundation of learning tailored to pupils aged 11 – 19 who have a primary diagnosis of autism, and Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. London Sport is a charity focussed on tackling inequality and inactivity in London and is distributing £5.7m of funding to schools in London over a three-year period.
Thanks to this funding, Cornerstone School has been able to run projects for its students with new equipment and increased accessibility.
It was amazing to see the students showcasing their sports skills and competitiveness at the gym, table tennis and trampolining. I was particularly impressed with the leadership and dedication of the headteacher and her team. It was clear how passionate all the teachers were to make sure the students had a nurturing, friendly and supportive environment.
It was fantastic to visit the London South East London Colleges Bexley campus this month. I had an insightful discussion with the CEO and Student Union President, as well as a tour of the college’s impressive facilities.
It is so important that we hear directly from young people on their experiences with mental health, which is why I was very pleased to have been able to have a roundtable discussion with students from the College.
We know that our child and adolescent mental health services are in a severe state of crisis, with the number of children and young people undergoing treatment or waiting to start care having reached new records. That’s why Labour will recruit thousands more mental health staff to cut waiting lists and ensure more people can access treatment alongside creating an open-access mental health hub for children and young people in every community.
My visit only reaffirms my commitment to championing our colleges, empowering our teachers, and providing every student with the tools they need to succeed. I look forward to working with the College in future to support the talents and aspirations of the young people in Erith and Thamesmead.
Last month, I was pleased to visit the Oxleas Goldie Leigh site and officially open the new Woodland Walk. I was very impressed with this new development and excited to hear how it will support the wellbeing of staff, patients and visitors.
It was great to meet with those involved and hear about their vision for the future of Goldie Leigh. I was particularly impressed with the plans for the Health and Wellbeing Centre, which will be an excellent asset to the community.
It was wonderful to meet the local team from YouthBuild UK, who came for a tour of parliament finishing with a Question and Answer session!
I thoroughly enjoyed talking to these young people who asked brilliant questions about the role of an MP, the function of parliament, job prospects and Britain’s economy.
YouthBuild Ventures UK do great work in opening access and career opportunities with construction organisations for disadvantaged young people at risk from social exclusion. It was great to meet the group in parliament and I want to thank them for coming.
Great to visit Alexander McLeod Primary to hear from students about their Black History Month project on the Windrush scandal.
I was so impressed with the student’s knowledge of the Windrush generation and their ability to communicate this important story that impacted so many people’s lives.
I was also interested to hear about the student’s investigation into the different demographics of people who live in Abbey Wood and how this has changed over the years.
Engaging with young students and seeing them so interested in politics is inspiring and truly one of the best parts of being an MP. The enthusiasm and dedication of all the teachers and support staff at the school was evident to see.
I am once again very pleased to announce that I’ve been holding a constituency competition to design my annual Christmas Card for 2023. I invited students from schools across Erith and Thamesmead to take part.
The theme for this year was: ‘What Makes Me Happy in Erith and Thamesmead’. I would like to thank all the pupils who drew and painted a design that showed what they love about places in our constituency. This included the parks or open spaces, local communities, shops, landmarks, animals or even family and friends.
The artwork was assessed by a panel of judges, and the winning design has been used as my Christmas Card and sent to more than 1,000 local people, businesses, and community groups.
We had a brilliant turnout for this competition with so many excellent designs being sent in. I’d also like to say a massive thank you to all the schools, teachers and parents who helped organise the competition.
Attached is a photo of me meeting with the Speaker of the House to showcase the winning design, he was very impressed by the competition and has put the winning design on display!
Congratulations to this year’s winner, Mija Liumpa, aged 10, from Parkway Primary School. You can see Mija and myself below with her winning design.
To complement the design, Mija wrote a few words:
“I chose to draw this as it reminds me of nature and the mulberry tree of Abbey Wood ruins. It is an amazing place which calms me, and I can meet many dogs there which is also why I chose to draw them. It is one of my favourite places of calmness and my favourite place in Erith.”
It was great to visit the students of Parkway Primary School in person this week, and hand Mija her well-deserved prize as overall winner of the competition.
Thanks also to the local co-sponsors who kindly supported part of this year’s competition – Co-op Belvedere and Manak Solicitors.
Congratulations again to Mija and I wish a Merry Christmas to all.
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/.
This November, I was honoured to lay wreaths at Thamesmead War memorial followed by the War memorial at Plumstead Cemetery in remembrance of all those from Erith & Thamesmead who gave their lives to protect our freedom. On Remembrance Sunday, I also went to the Wreath laying at Callender’s Cables Memorial.
Thank you to Thamesmead and Abbey Wood Royal British Legions for arranging the services and for all the work they do throughout the year.
Earlier in the month, I was also honoured to place a poppy in Parliament’s Garden of Remembrance on behalf of the residents of Erith and Thamesmead.
We shall never forget those who bravely served and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It was great to join pupils from Year 6 at Windrush Primary School in Thamesmead this month. It was really nice to be grilled by them on what I’ve been doing as an MP and hear about why they love living in our local community.
A big thanks to the school for inviting me and I look forward to coming back again soon.
