• Thursday 1st February is ‘Time to Talk Day’, and it’s a day for friends, family, workplaces and communities to get together and make a difference for mental health. With one in four of us experiencing a mental health issue in any given year, there’s never been a more important time to take action, and talking openly and honestly is the first step towards better mental health. You can find more information, here.
• Place2Be have been in touch about Children’s Mental Health Week, running from 5th-11th February. This year’s theme is 'Every Voice Matters', and focuses on empowering and giving a voice to every child. The mental wellbeing of our young people is a hugely important matter and I’m delighted to see so many schools getting involved, highlighting the issue and pushing for positive change. If you’re part of a school in Corby & East Northamptonshire, or want to take part at home, you can find out more, here.
• Tesco have been in touch to let me know about their £8 million 'Stronger Starts' scheme, which aims to help local schools and community groups to provide healthy food and activities. Funding has already been awarded to over 7,000 projects across the UK, with more than £5 million specifically allocated for children and young people. Nominations for future funding rounds are open and I would encourage schools and groups across Corby & East Northamptonshire to apply for grants, here. Don’t miss out!
• The Corby Town Deal Board are advertising a multi-use property in Grosvenor House, Corby, to identify interested local charities or not-for-profit organisations who wish to show their interest as a potential tenant once renovations are complete. The board are asking for any interested parties to submit a declaration of interest form to show their interest in being either the main tenant/anchor tenant, or a sub-tenant. This exciting renovation is being funded through the Government's £20 million Corby Town Deal funding and if this is of interest to you, you can find out more and submit your interest, here before the closing date on Wednesday 14th February.
• Sutton Trust UK Summer Schools consist of a week-long residential with one of 13 leading universities. By attending academic taster sessions and meeting like-minded individuals from across the UK, students get the chance to experience what university life is really like. All costs associated are covered by the Sutton Trust and their partners, so they are free for students to attend. Participants who complete the programme leave with increased confidence and the skills needed to navigate the university and apprenticeship application process. Summer School participants are four times more likely to receive an offer from a top university than their peers. You can visit the Sutton Trust website, here for more information on this exciting opportunity. Well worth a look if you’re weighing up what next!
• I was really pleased to hear that Titchmarsh CfE school will be joining the UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador Programme later this month. Engagement and dialogue with young people is of fundamental importance to our democracy and I look forward to welcoming them to Parliament soon!
• The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently announced a review into the car finance market, which follows the 2021 ban on discretionary commission, which tackled increases in car loan charges, and whilst many have complained about potentially being overcharged before the ban, most claims have been rejected by providers. The FCA is assessing this issue to ensure that if customers have lost out because of previous poor conduct, they receive proper compensation. Find out more, 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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!