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May 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

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

Abena

Announcement of the General Election on Thursday 4 July

The Prime Minister announced the General Election will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024. This is my last update as your Member of Parliament before Parliament is dissolved on 30 May. 

It’s been an honour to serve as your Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead since 2019. If I am re-elected, I will happily continue these newsletters.

Community Engagement and Heart Health Education Day

On Sunday 5 May, it was great to join Meridian FC at their Community Football Tournament and Health Awareness Day in memory of former Meridian player, Robert Eshun. I also thank the British Society for Heart Failure for joining and raising awareness of the 400,000 people in the UK with undetected heart failure.

Active Horizons Africa Day of Celebration

This month, I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Africa Day of Celebration organised by Active Horizons. I was honoured to support an organisation who do so much to foster leadership and promote the voices of young migrants and refugees in London.  

Erith Town Football Club Presentation Evening

It was great to attend the Erith Town FC annual presentation evening and hand out well-earned awards to our local players, as well as recognising the massive amount of work that occurs behind the scenes. 

Grassroots football is one of the key pillars of local communities, so celebrating their success is vital. Up the Dockers!  

Opening of the new Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) in Belvedere

It was also good to attend the opening of the new Gurdwara in Belvedere with the local Sikh community. Celebrating the important work that the Sikh community carry out and learning more about their faith was very special. 

Visit to Greenwich Mental Health Hub with Mind

It was great to visit the Plumstead Health Centre this month and meet all the lovely and hardworking staff at South East London Mind. You can find out more about their work here. 

Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW)

It has also been important this month to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). In my role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, I have been working hard on our plans to end the current mental health crisis and wrote about these issues in the New Statesman here. 

I was also pleased to attend Mental Health Foundation’s reception in Parliament and to meet Mr Motivator and Jonny Wilkinson, both influential and positive voices promoting good mental health and the importance keeping active. 

My Work in Parliament

This month, we winded down Parliament as the Government called a General Election. I spoke at an important debate in Westminster Hall on the need to finally reform the outdated Mental Health Act.  

Furthermore:

  • Remembring Fusilier Lee Rigby – his month, we marked the 11th anniversary of the senseless and heartbreaking murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich. My thoughts have been with Lee’s family and friends.   
  • Exam Season– I extend my best wishes to all those taking exams during this exam season. I hope everyone is also taking care of their mental health during this sometimes very stressful period. 
  • Women in Parliament – I believe that more needs to be done to get women into public office, especially women from a more diverse range of backgrounds. Read more about my views in a Politics Home article here. 
  • Knife Crime Awareness Week – It has been vital to mark this important awareness week and the need to tackle knife crime across the country. 
  • Birth Trauma Inquiry – It was important also to join the launch reception of the Birth Trauma Inquiry’s report, which shone a light on the state of maternity care and the trauma facing too many mothers in the UK. 
  • Maternal Healthcare – Recent data also finds that Black women are nearly 4 times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth. I shared my views on this critical issue in an article published by The Voice here. 
  • Reading Well for Dementia – I was pleased to meet the Reading Agency team and hear about their resources for people living with dementia.  
  • Meeting with the Health and Social Care Secretary – It was also important to have a meeting with the Health and Social Care Secretary regarding Children’s cancer reconfiguration in our area of London.  

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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Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW)

It was important this month to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). In my role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, I have been working hard on our plans to end the current mental health crisis and wrote about these issues in the New Statesman here. 

I was also pleased to attend the Mental Health Foundation’s reception in Parliament and to meet Mr Motivator and Jonny Wilkinson, both influential and positive voices promoting good mental health and the importance keeping active. 

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Speaking at NHS Confederation’s Annual Mental Health Conference

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 to tackle ethnic inequalities in mental health.  

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April 2024 Newsletter

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 31st 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

 

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Watching history being made by 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.

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‘Black in Business’ Parliamentary reception

This April, it was 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.

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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.

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My Work in Parliament 

This March, I have been busy in Parliament raising constituent’s concerns and challenging the Government in my role as a Shadow Health Minister. 

At the beginning of the month, the Government announced the Spring Budget amidst the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis. At a time when so many people require urgent assistance with day-to-day living costs, it was disappointing to receive the Chancellor’s proposals which do very little for working people. Speaking to the media, I expressed my concerns and the need for a general election now.  

As well as this, during Health and Social Care Questions, I raised the pressing issue of record waiting lists for gynaecological treatment, with waiting numbers tripling since 2012. I asked the Minister what their long-term strategy is for dealing with this critical issue. You can watch my question here or read it here.  

It was also important to contribute to the Parliamentary debate on Health and Wellbeing services in Essex. Like many areas of Britain, Essex is experiencing extreme challenges in delivering adequate Healthcare provision. I outlined Labour’s plan to deliver more mental health support and cut waiting lists. 

I was also pleased to contribute to a vital debate during Eating Disorders Awareness Week. With over a million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder, sadly it is the cause of more loss of life than any other mental health condition. In the debate, I shared Labour’s bold Child Health Action Plan with the ambition for this to be the healthiest generation of children ever. 

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March 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for March 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

Responding to the Extending DLR to Thamesmead Consultation

This month, I submitted my response to the Transport for London (TfL) consultation on extending the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.

There is a clear consensus: we need #NextStopThamesmead now. Sign up to join my campaign via this link here.

#LetGirlsPlay football sessions for International Women’s Day

Friday 8th March 2024 marked the third annual #LetGirlsPlay football event across England. I was delighted to visit two schools in Erith and Thamesmead that took part, St Thomas A Becket Primary School and De Lucy Primary School.

Walkabout with Superintendent Simon Corbin

I was pleased to be able to join the London Metropolitan Police Superintendent for the London Borough of Bexley, Simon Corbin, and his colleagues for a walkabout around Thamesmead to discuss the great work the local team is doing to keep residents safe.

My Work in Parliament

At the beginning of the month, the Government announced the Spring Budget amidst the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis.

At Health and Social Care Questions, I raised the pressing issue of record waiting lists for gynaecological treatment, with the number of women waiting tripling since 2012. You can watch my question here or read it here.

One Voice Roundtable

I spoke with health professionals and charities at Royal College of Midwives One Voice round table about how maternal outcomes must improve.

One of the 100 Women in Westminster

It was an honour to be recognised as one of the hundred women making a difference, and to be selected amongst other female trailblazers. You can read more about this event here.

Furthermore:

  • Black Health Inequalities Summit Reception – Pleased to attend this reception organised by the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) to discuss community approaches to tackling health inequalities.
  • Women’s Health Roundtable with Women’s Magazines – Good to join Wired, Glamour and Vogue Magazines this month, alongside Wes Streeting MP, to discuss how we close the UK’s Gender Health Gap.
  • International Women’s Day event with Marsha De Cordova MP
  • APPG for Ethnic Minority Business Owners
  • Endometriosis Awareness Month – It’s important to pay tribute to the great work done by charities on this issue like Endometriosis UK.
  • Black Maternal Health Conference – I delivered the Keynote speech at this event hosted by the Motherhood Group.
  • My visit with Anneliese Dodds MP – We met with the Motherhood Group’s community hub to hear from new mothers directly.
  • Parliamentary debate on Health and Wellbeing services in Essex.
  • Eating Disorders Awareness Week – I spoke about how over a million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder, sadly it is the cause of more loss of life than any other mental health condition.
  • Black Men and the Mental Health Act – I spoke at this symposium focused on how Black Men are disproportionately detained under the Mental Health Act.
  • Ramadan Mubarak – Wishing everyone celebrating the holy month of Ramadan a blessed, healthy and happy year ahead.
  • St Patrick’s Day – Happy St Patrick’s Day to everyone celebrating in Erith and Thamesmead, Ireland and around the world.

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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One Voice Roundtable  

This month, I was pleased to speak with health professionals and charities from One Voice to discuss collaboration on key issues including pregnancy, maternity, neonatal care, and early years services. 

I was joined by representatives from the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Sands and many other important organisations. I found hearing suggestions on how to improve the accessibility and quality of care for mothers particularly interesting and I look forward to continuing this important conversation.  

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