• As we firmly head into the winter months, I wanted to share some useful advice Age UK has put together to help you look after yourself through the winter, which you can find, here.
• The Government has announced new plans to better protect loves ones’ visits to care homes, hospices, and hospitals, making visits part of a fundamental standard of care on par with access to properly qualified staff. The Care Quality Commission will have a clear mandate to check that care providers are fulfilling these obligations, so those in care can maintain strong connections with family and friends. Having visited so many settings locally over the years, I’m keenly aware of just how important such visits are for the wellbeing of those in healthcare settings, and so I’m very pleased to see steps to protect them being put into action.
• National Grid have been in touch regarding their apprenticeship scheme, and are encouraging young people in Corby & East Northamptonshire to send in applications. With a range of important challenges facing our energy sector currently, from the need to cut carbon emissions to bringing down bills and improving energy security, there’s never been a more critical time to get involved – making a real difference in tackling these issues head-on. This is an excellent apprenticeship scheme to be part of – indeed, the National Grid were the first UK apprenticeship provider to be ranked excellent by Ofsted for three years running – and so it is not to be missed! You can find out more, here.
• New data from NHS England reveals that there were 51,245 additional nurses in September 2023 compared to 2019, thereby hitting the Government’s manifesto commitment to recruit an additional 50,000 nurses six months early. We’ve met this commitment by boosting training and education routes, recruiting overseas, and boosting retention rates. We’re also providing a financial package for eligible nursing and midwifery students with grants of £5,000 per academic year to help meet this target, and ensure that Corby & East Northamptonshire has the frontline staff it needs. This development represents the largest ever sustained growth in the NHS nursing workforce, which will help deliver hundreds of thousands of extra appointments, tackle waiting lists, and improve care for patients.
• Following on from their annual Summer Reading Challenge, the Reading Agency have been in touch regarding the Winter Mini Challenge. The sports and games themed challenge accompanies six characters on a fun winter walk to the library, and allows children to log reading, play games and collect rewards. This is definitely one to check out, and will be sure to inspire even the most reluctant readers! You can find out more, here.
• I’m really pleased that grassroots community projects in Corby & East Northamptonshire can apply for up to £20,000 of funding through National Lottery 'Awards for All'. I’m excited to see the great ideas come forward that will have a lasting positive impact on our communities! More information, here.
• British Gas have been in touch to let me know that their Energy Support Fund has reopened for applications, which can provide grants of up to £1,500 to customers who are struggling to pay their bills, and which I know will provide much needed support to those in need as we head into the winter months. British Gas has committed £100 million to help consumers since the start of the energy crisis, with support including grants to cover energy debts for consumers and businesses, non-repayable credit to prepayment customers, and funding for advice centres and charities. Find out more, here.
• Good news! The Government has recently announced that the £2 bus fare cap in England will be extended thanks to savings from HS2, as a further measure to help passengers with the cost of living and to help deliver a better transport system. I really welcome this news, not least because buses are the most popular form of public transport and are undoubtedly vital in keeping our rural and urban communities alike here in Corby & East Northamptonshire connected. The £2 bus fare cap has helped fares outside of London fall by 7.4 percent - vital help to support people getting around.
• Calling all filmmakers and scriptwriters here in Corby & East Northamptonshire! 'Film the House' is an exciting film competition celebrating creativity - and your chance to have your work seen by industry experts, sponsored by the likes of Netflix, Warner Bros, Discovery and The Walt Disney Company! I’m always keen for local talent to be showcased, so don’t miss out! Enter by the 29th February 2024, here.
• The National Lottery Community Fund is the biggest funder of community activity in the UK, and between the 1st July and the 29th September this year, they’ve awarded £122 million of funding to over 2,500 charities and community groups in England. Here in Corby & East Northamptonshire, community groups have received £29,943 over this period, with some fantastic projects, including ‘RCW Veterans Coaching for PTSD & into employment’ gaining funding. Projects such as these are hugely impactful to people locally, and I’m sure the additional funding from the National Lottery Community Fund will be put to good use to help support people locally, and will make a real difference.
• Asda have been in touch to let me know that since the 1st November, and until the end of December, they are offering emergency responders the chance to get a free tea or coffee in many of their stores. This offer is available all day, every day, in all stores with cafes or self-serve hot drinks machines and also includes Asda Express and Asda on The Move stores. It’s their way of saying ‘thank you’ to our hardworking emergency responders for their unwavering commitment to keeping our community safe!
• English Heritage have been in touch in respect of a new learning appeal to help provide educational opportunities for young people. English Heritage are the UK’s largest provider of free school visits; in 2022/23, they hosted around 180,000 educational visits to sites in their care. They’re also developing a unique new ‘STEM in Heritage’ programme to inspire students in exploring scientific and technological disciplines, and have also reached over 2,000 young people by connecting them with heritage in creative ways. However, the costs of providing these opportunities have risen, and so they’ve launched an appeal to help ensure they can continue to provide heritage education to as many young people as possible. We’re immensely lucky to have English Heritage sites in Corby & East Northamptonshire, and I know just how important it is to connect young people to our history, bringing it to life, both locally and beyond. This is a hugely worthwhile cause, and I’d certainly encourage you to support them if you can! You can find out more, including how to support the appeal, 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!