• With the new university and college terms getting underway, it’s really important that new and existing students ensure they are up-to-date with their vaccinations. These free vaccines include HPV, MenACWY and MMR, and are routinely provided by the NHS, and you can check whether you’ve received all these vaccinations via the NHS App. Particularly with new data showing that one in eight students are unprotected against four deadly types of meningitis, ensuring you’re fully vaccinated is even more crucial, and if you’ve missed out on any then please do contact your GP to arrange a catch-up.
• Last week was #OPA2023, and I support the campaign to highlight the dangers of one punch assaults. A single punch can not only end the life of a victim and devastate the lives of families left behind, it also ruins the lives of perpetrators – all for one, split second, awful decision. Stop, think and walk away. One punch can kill.
• Historic England have recently announced another round of funding for 'Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories', to support community-led projects telling the stories of working class history. They’re inviting heritage groups to apply for grants of up to £25,000, as well as £1,000 grants for smaller community initiatives, for projects that share untold stories about their local areas, and encouraging communities to tell their stories in their own ways. I know many in Corby & East Northamptonshire, myself included, would really appreciate, and be interested in, projects highlighting the history of our area, so this is certainly not one to be missed! Applications close on the 7th November 2023, and you can find out more, here.
• On World Suicide Prevention Day, and every other day, it’s vital we raise awareness of suicide prevention. The Samaritans have put together some tips for talking about suicide safely online and creating a safe space for people to get the help they need. See, here.
• Parliament’s Education and Engagement Service have been in touch with news of their next residential UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador Programme, from 29-31 January 2024. As part of this programme, teachers will get to experience Parliament first hand, with a view to helping their students to better understand and engage with Parliament and its work. The course includes Q&A sessions with the Speaker and Members of both Houses, tours of the Palace of Westminster, and workshops devoted to key aspects of the work Parliament does. It’s a great opportunity to learn about Parliament and how British democracy works, and provides plenty of practical ideas that teachers can then take back to school. Transport, accommodation, and most meals are provided, so if you are a teacher, school, or college leader, then do consider applying! The closing date is Sunday 22nd October 2023, and you can find out more, here. Don’t miss out!
• The Department of Health & Social Care have been in touch to let me know that to help halt the spread of flu this autumn and winter, the annual NHS flu vaccination programme for children aged 2-3, school age children, and children over 6 months with certain health conditions, is getting underway, with parents receiving invites this week. For children to receive a flu vaccine, they’re urging parents to ensure children’s school consent forms are completed, and that eligible pre-schoolers are booked in for GP appointments. The nasal spray vaccine does not cause flu as the viruses in it have been weakened to prevent this from happening, helping each child to build up immunity. This means vaccinated children will be better able to fight off flu this autumn and winter. The vaccine is absorbed very quickly in the nose, so even if a child sneezes immediately after having had the spray, the vaccine will still be effective. Flu vaccination is the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus. Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children causing fever, extreme tiredness, aching muscles and joints, stuffy nose, dry cough and a sore throat. Complications of flu include painful inflammation inside the ear and pneumonia that makes breathing difficult. Each winter thousands of children need to go to hospital for treatment, including intensive care, with children under the age of 5 years' old having one of the highest rates of hospital admissions due to flu. By getting vaccinated, your child also protects others around them, including babies, grandparents and people with weak immune systems. If your child has a medical condition that makes them more at risk from flu, such as asthma or cerebral palsy, you can get them vaccinated at the GP surgery if you don’t want to wait for the school session. Children who can’t have the nasal spray for medical or faith reasons should have an injected flu vaccine instead, also provided free by the NHS. You can find out more, here.
• It was recently ‘Falls Prevention Week', and although the risk of falls grows as people age, they are not inevitable and there is a great deal you can do to prevent them. I would encourage people to check out Age UK’s handy advice to learn more about what you can do to stay steady on your feet. Read more, here.
• The Post Office have been in touch to highlight the temporary closure of Corby Post Office at 56-58 Corporation Street. They have assured me that they are working hard to keep any period of closure to a minimum and would welcome any applications from potential retail partners interested in running a branch locally on their behalf. The latest available branch information can be found on their website, here. I shall be sure to keep a close eye on this and probe as to progress.
• Tesco have this month launched their new community grants programme, Stronger Starts, in partnership with Groundwork UK, which will provide £5 million in grants to help provide children across the UK a healthier, more active start in life. The programme aims to support 5,000 schools and children’s groups every year and will provide them with nutritious food, healthy activities, including PE, breakfast clubs and new sports equipment. Successful applications will enter quarterly voting rounds in store, where customers can vote for their favourite with a blue token, and the best part is every entry is a winner with grants of up to £500, £1,000, and £1,500. This new programme builds on the £100 million Tesco has pledged to more than 50,000 projects through its community grants schemes since 2016. You can nominate a local school or group in Corby & East Northamptonshire, here. Importantly, do use a blue token next time you’re in store to vote for your favourite project!
• UK Parliament Week is back for 2023 between the 6th and 12th November. It’s Parliament’s flagship public engagement campaign, spreading the word about what Parliament is, and is a great opportunity to find out what it does and crucially, how you can get involved. Organisations, irrespective of size or age group, including community groups, youth groups and schools, can sign up online and receive free resource kits to help them organise their UKPW activities. Last year, 1.1 million people took part in over 10,000 activities in every region and nation of the UK. Find out more and sign up, here. Don’t miss out!
• Particularly with the challenges of the cost of living at the moment, it’s really important that we all take care of our mental health and wellbeing. That’s why I wanted to share some information about Knus, a non-profit mental health service offering free, confidential peer support training. Knus provide mental health support through a selection of online apps, and have a CPD-accredited ‘Overcoming Anxiety’ online course in which users can receive tailored feedback from volunteer peer-support coaches. If you or someone you know are struggling with mental health at the moment, then please do check out their resources. You can find them, here.
If you have anything you would like to be featured next week, please email all the details to pursglovet@parliament.uk.
Also, if you have taken any photos of constituency landscapes or landmarks, which could be featured in my ‘Community Notices’ headers, please send them in and I will try to use as many of them as possible (and credit them accordingly!), as a celebration of the fantastic place we live and work in. I know we have many budding photographers in our community and it would be great to showcase their work!