Welcome to my second update of 2024. As your Member of Parliament, I’ve continued to work on various issues raised by fellow residents via email, telephone, at my surgeries and while out knocking on doors to speak to residents across Chester.

It’s been a varied month as your MP. I’ve visited food banks, a farm, cafes, local charities, our local air cadet branch and had the honour to speak at the vigil for Ukraine following the second anniversary of the illegal Russian invasion.

As always, if you have any issues or questions about Government and Opposition policies I can help with, please drop me a line at samantha.dixon.mp@parliament.uk

This past month marked the solemn second anniversary of the Illegal invasion of Ukraine. Last weekend, I spoke at the vigil for Ukraine at Chester Cathedral, expressing the support of our city for the Ukrainian people in their continued fight against unprovoked Russian aggression. Two years ago we started to welcome Ukrainians fleeing destruction and devastation to the UK. We provided urgent military and humanitarian support to Ukraine ensuring they had the necessary equipment to stave off a numerically and technologically superior Russian Army. This support needs to continue to ensure that Putin’s illegal war fails to achieve regime change in Ukraine. Chester is and will remain a city of sanctuary and stand shoulder to shoulder against Russian aggression.

Conflict around the world results in an intolerable level of suffering for innocent civilians as we see in the current desperate situation in Gaza. I know that many constituents in Chester share my concern about the terrible crisis unfolding. I am following  the situation very closely and hope that there can be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the hostages can be released and Gaza can be flooded with aid as soon as possible to alleviate the intolerable suffering.

Many veterans live in our constituency and we are fortunate the University of Chester hosts the Westminster Centre for Research in Veterans. The Centre recently hosted a symposium highlighting the latest research undertaken by academics into issues faced by veterans and their families at which I was honoured to make the opening address.

The Armed Services also helps our local young people. This month I visited 610 Squadron of Royal Air Force Cadets in Chester. The Air Cadets provide training and education, helping cadets build skills and confidence that help them later in life. Run entirely by volunteers, the Air and Army cadets in our city provide great opportunities for young people.

On the subject of groups for young Chester residents, I really enjoyed attending the Chester Gangshow earlier this month. The Gangshow is a long running fixture in the Chester calendar. This was the 67th Chester Gangshow, which sees our local Scouts put on a theatrical performance much to the benefit of local residents and visitors to our city. Again supported by a host of volunteers, it shows how committed to young people our city is.

Another good performance I attended this month was “Smashed Live” which visited two local schools, including the Bishop’s Bluecoat High School. Smashed Live is a performance and Question and Answer session paid for by the alcoholic beverage manufacturer Diageo to warn young people of the dangers of underage drinking.

Throughout the year I am continuing to support our local community groups as much as possible during the continued cost-of-living crisis. This month I have visited the Crossroads Community Hub in Newton. The Hub is one of many foodbanks across Chester who support those suffering the most during the cost-of-living crisis.

In Hoole, I met with residents at Hoole Community Cafe and joined a community litter pick to help ensure local residents can be proud of their roads and streets. I’m grateful for all those who do their part in litter picks across Chester, but also those who continue to do the right thing and use the bins provided.

In Vicars Cross, I visited The Centurion Pub, which continues to be a fantastic asset to our community, run by our community. The team at the Centurion are continuing to ensure its future by offering a share scheme to help raise funds, you can find out more about that here.

Following my visit to the Samaritans Brew Monday drop-in event in Parliament last month, I met with the local branch of the Samaritans here in Chester. The local volunteers are an incredibly selfless and compassionate group, taking on the difficult task of talking and crucially listening to those who feel they have nowhere else to turn.

On a more uplifting note, this month I met with representatives of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust who outlined some of the local projects that they have been working on to improve the environment locally. As the Biodiversity crisis continues, it’s reassuring to hear organisations locally are taking action, this month I raised the issue of Biodiversity in Parliament and next week I will be hosting a Westminster Hall Debate on this important issue.

This week we received some disappointing news for the River Dee. The Council’s application for Designated Bathing Water Status was rejected, this news is incredibly disappointing, especially as the Government changed the parameters for a successful application, during the consultation process. I have written to the relevant Government Minister asking to meet to discuss how we go forward with this.

It was also reported in The Times this week that several hundred sewage monitoring outlets across the UK were faulty and not giving accurate data. This is disheartening, with Welsh Water launching their near real time sewage release data map at the start of the month, following pressure applied at the Summit of the Dee meetings I host. I have written to Welsh Water to confirm that none of the affected monitors are in Chester to help ensure river users have confidence in this new data map.

As disruption continues on Sandy Lane, I continue to share the concerns of local residents with Severn Trent and Cheshire West and Chester Council to help mitigate the disruption of this £10m+ infrastructure upgrade to ensure greater resilience of the water supply to our city, following the outage in March last year and national pressure from Ofwat.