Spring has finally sprung – and we may even be seeing the start of summer! April and May have had some extremes of weather, but I hope you all had the chance to enjoy some sunshine over the early May bank holiday weekend.
I have had a very varied month, with events and meetings across the constituency and in London. I was delighted to open the new premises for Shands funeral care in Corfe Mullen. They do some great work in the community, and are supportive of a wide range of charities and events, including the Corfe Mullen carnival, coming up on Saturday 9th June.
I had a tour around Montecute School and enjoyed a delicious cake & coffee at their fundraising Happy Zone café. This is open to the public serving drinks and cakes on term-time Fridays from 1030-1115. Do drop in if you get the chance and you will be assured of a warm welcome.
In Upton I popped in to chat to the volunteers at the Upton Day centre fundraising coffee morning, along with the Upton Gardening Club. I was pleased to chat to Purbeck’s volunteer of the year Martyn Chase whilst I was there. There are so many people giving their time to make our communities a better place to live and work.
In London I attended a reception to celebrate the work of apprentices, and had the chance to chat to some local Cobham apprentices from Wimborne. I am always keen to encourage young people in whatever career path they chose, and it was fascinating to hear from them about their work. I have also recently visited local Poole business Actisense to meet members of the Dorset Young Chamber of Commerce from local schools in Dorset.
I have had a great deal of correspondence from constituents about some of the debates in parliament recently. One of these was the change in the law increasing the protections for emergency workers. I was pleased to be in Parliament on Friday, to support the Bill and speak during the debate. My grandfather was a police officer, as was my uncle and we owe emergency service workers a debt of gratitude for the courage, commitment and dedication they demonstrate in carrying out their duties.
I was delighted to receive some letters from school children in Wareham about the problem of plastic pollution and our environment. As many of them pointed out, we can all do our bit to help. I always like to hear from young people about issues that matter to them, and it is vital that we continue to protect our beautiful countryside for future generations.