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 11^th 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