It was an honour to lay a parliamentary wreath at the War Memorial in Newton Aycliffe on Remembrance Sunday. The ceremony was a powerful reminder of the deep respect and gratitude our town holds for all those who gave their lives to defend the freedoms we enjoy today.
It’s crucial that future generations understand the importance of remembrance, so it was really heartening to see such a big turnout, including lots of families and young people. I want to say particular thanks to the Reverends John and Helen Musson for leading the services, our local reserve forces from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers who led the parade and all of the young people from local organisations who did the town proud by marching in the parade and offering readings at St. Clare’s.
As we come together each year, we not only remember the fallen, but we also pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of our current and former service personnel, some of whom live with life-changing injuries or disabilities as a result of their service to our nation.
The work of supporting veterans is an ongoing one. There are over 20,000 veterans living in County Durham and many in Newton Aycliffe, often with proud service records in recent conflicts like Iraq, Afghanistan and UN missions in conflict zones around the world.
The government is working to increase support for our former service personnel. Firstly, there will be an expansion of veteran support through the government’s Veterans Strategy. This will include veteran support centres in the constituency to support the 4,500 veterans in our area. These centres will work with existing organisations to help with on-going health issues, a wraparound homelessness service and £27m for employment, training and career support to ensure new veterans can transition smoothly into civilian life.
There will also be a major upgrade to military housing, with over 40,000 homes across the country due to be refurbished or rebuilt. This is a crucial and long-needed step to ensure our servicemen and women, and their families, have the good quality housing they deserve.
I was absolutely delighted to see the Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest honour that can be awarded to volunteer groups in the UK.
The friends’ group have shown remarkable dedication in preserving our proud rail heritage. Their tireless efforts have ensured that the story of the Stockton and Darlington Railway was brilliantly celebrated this year to make the 200th anniversary. It has been a privilege to work closely with them, particularly on the campaign to save the historic Heighington Station, which succeeded earlier this year thanks to the support of Hitachi Rail in Newton Aycliffe.
This national recognition by HM The King is a testament to the commitment of all the volunteers who have worked so hard. Huge congratulations to them on this prestigious accolade.
I was proud to raise the importance or the historic line in Parliament, by leading a special debate and calling for the Stockton and Darlington Railway to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Such a designation would not only honour the global significance of this historic line, but also help secure its preservation for generations to come.