Welcome to my November update. As usual it’s been a busy few weeks in Chester, Neston and Westminster. This month I’ve continued to meet with some fantastic community groups and organisations across Chester and Neston. If you ever have questions about how to get involved with some of these amazing groups please do get in touch.
This month’s cover photo is thanks to the talented Michelle Webster, who captured the photo in Storyhouse as part of the 40% project by the Royal Photographic Society. This project aims to highlight the stories and leadership of women who make up 40% of the UK Parliament. As a big advocate of political engagement I’m often encouraging those I meet on visits to get involved, especially young people! Next week is UK Parliament Week so do watch out for events across the Constituency that you can get involved with.
On a sad note, I’d like to pay tribute to Cllr Myles Hogg who recently passed away. My thoughts are with Myles’ family and friends in this difficult time. Myles was a diligent Councillor serving residents of the Willaston and Thornton ward for over three decades, it was a pleasure to work with Myles when I was also a Councillor, he will be missed.
As always, I hope you find this newsletter interesting and if you would like more information please do get in touch.
This month I had the honour of joining our Armed Forces personnel in laying a wreath at the War Memorial, Chester Cathedral. I was also able to join residents and veterans in Neston. I’d like to thank all those who are serving, have served and paid their respects at Remembrance Sunday events across Chester, Neston and the rest of the UK. I’m very proud to represent a Garrison Town in Parliament and very much welcome the Government’s announcement of the new Defence Housing Strategy which marks the biggest upgrade to military housing in over 50 years.
Last month, I enjoyed supporting the Royal National Lifeboat Association (RNLI) at one of their fundraising events. The volunteers of the RNLI continue to provide an immensely challenging but necessary service, saving countless lives each year. While water-based activities provide a great boost to physical and mental health it’s important to do so in a safe manner, you can find out more about water safety on the RNLI website.
I’d also like to thank the volunteers for the Clean Dee campaign who have submitted their application for Bathing Water Status. I hope this will help make the River Dee a safer place for river users.
I’d like to thank all the constituents who visited my MacMillan Coffee morning and other coffee morning events across the Constituency. It was so nice to hear about the positive experiences so many people had with Macmillan nurses and I’d like to thank Kookaburra Bakehouse and The Bear Bakery for generously donating some of their tasty baked goods for this event.
I’d also like to thank Asda for their Tickled Pink campaign which aims to raise awareness about Breast Cancer, ensuring its caught early on, working closely with charities including Breast Cancer Now to support their work on this important issue.
As mentioned in a previous edition of this newsletter, Nationwide have partnered with Dementia UK to provide dementia clinics in over 200 branches to help those with dementia and the family and friends of those affected. It was great to go back to the branch to meet the Admiral Nurses at one of the recent dementia clinics in the Chester Branch.
As we approach Christmas, I joined the incredible team at Kidsbank to help raise awareness of the launch of their “A gift for forever” appeal. The appeal will fund the purchase of the Loves garage site, its refurbishment and the installation of a mezzanine floor, enabling the charity to store summer seasonal donations at the site and bring the school uniform and Christmas projects back to Chester. I was particularly pleased to meet the volunteers who are at the heart of Kidsbank. It was great to meet up with Liz as she and I were friends (many years ago) at Christleton High.
The end of October saw the celebration of British Beauty Week, to celebrate this I paid a visit to the Chester branch of Boots. The team highlighted the role the beauty industry plays in supporting jobs, skills and playing a vibrant role in our high streets, contributing over £30bn to the UK economy annually. It was nice to see Alison who’s been a friendly face at the Chester branch for more than 50 years, highlighting the expertise and dedication this industry brings.
On the subject of beauty, it was great to visit Gordale Garden Centre who provide a fantastic range of plants and decorations to keep resident’s gardens beautiful all year round. Garden centres continue to be an important part of life in the UK and a key contributor to the local economy. I’m pleased the Government’s agreement with the EU reduces red tape for garden centres and increases the choice available to horticulturists.
In Blacon it was great to see some amazing artwork by the pupils and staff from the Arches School, Blacon History group and local artist Lucy who facilitated this fantastic project through Chester Here and Now. Thanks to UK Shared Prosperity Funding, Here and Now were able to commission this intergenerational creative activity bringing local people together to celebrate the rich history of Blacon, including the old train station. For those wishing to view the beautiful artwork, it will soon be on display in the Library on The Parade.
As the nights continue to draw in and the temperatures drop, it’s important to be more aware when around roads. I therefore welcome the Road Safety Strategy which will soon be set out by the Government to help reduce the amount of lives lost and changed through road accidents. It was good to hear more from Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP and Road Safety Minister, Lillian Greenwood MP.
Representing an area with so many fantastic tourist attractions, I’m proud to support the Bon Voy Charge campaign to increase the amount of electric car charging points at tourism destinations across the UK. Having more electric car charging points gives drivers more choice about the type of vehicle they can drive to get to where they need.
To end this month’s newsletter, I’d like to thank the residents, local councillors, Council staff and Sanctuary Housing staff who attended my Housing Surgery in Vicars Cross earlier this month. Housing remains a key issue in my constituency mailbag and it was useful to be able to give residents meetings with those who can help solve their housing problems.
I’d also like to remind residents that our great local Councillors and I continue to hold surgeries and events in the constituency to help resolve issues raised by local residents. These can be booked through contacting my office.
As always, if you have any ideas or issues, please get in touch at samantha.dixon.mp@parliament.uk