To celebrate St. George’s Day, it was a real privilege to secure an invitation for Mark Solan, founder of the Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust, to No. 10 Downing Street for a special event.
I was proud to secure this recognition for Mark and his team for all the incredible work they do in our community. Team Solan was established in 2015 to help improve the quality of life of children and adults who have been affected by a cancer diagnosis or bereavement. This local charity supports many families in Newton Aycliffe. They have provided bespoke help and support for thousands of people who have had their lives turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis.
At the event, Mark was thanked by the Prime Minister, Gary Lineker and even Ross Kemp. It was a pleasure, as your Member of Parliament, to be able to thank this amazing organisation which was helped so many people and raised £2m over the last decade.
In Parliament, I’ve been proud to support a number of important measures which will benefit our community. The government’s new deal for GP’s will see an increase of £889m to improve access to services and will put an extra 1,500 extra GPs on the frontline. The government is also cutting red tape which will allow more practices to take on GPs and bring back the traditional family doctor role.
Another big priority is speeding up access to operations and tests. I met so many families on the doorstep who had been stuck on waiting lists; progress on this has been a big priority. NHS waiting lists have now fallen seven months in a row thanks to this investment and more people are being treated and diagnosed quicker with an extra three million appointments since Labour came to power. This is crucial to ensuring residents are treated quickly and get the surgery they need to get on with their lives.
This week also marked the start of free Breakfast Clubs in two local schools. Part of the first 750 free breakfast clubs across the country, this government initiative aims to make sure kids start the day with a hungry mind, not a hungry stomach. And evidence shows that attending breakfast clubs before school improves young people’s learning, which is incredibly important. Having access to free clubs will also save parents hundreds of pounds a year and enable all pupils to attend, not just those who can afford paid provision.
I also held a well-attended constituency advice surgery, meeting residents to provide support with a wide range of issues. Helping local families with individual issues is an important part of my role. This can include resolving issues with social housing providers, challenging inaccurate benefit decisions, raising complaints with a variety of organisations or asking for a review of decisions by NHS trusts. If I might be able to help you with an issue you’re having, please get in touch. To book please email me at alan.strickland.mp@parliament.uk.