This week I have had a complete change of plan, I should have been taking a short holiday to Spain with Mrs Howell for a week but, as has happened to so many others due to the increase in Covid 19 infections in Spain, our plans have had to change. On the plus side this has given me more opportunity to get out and about around the constituency.
Last Thursday I took the opportunity to visit Trimdon Village Hall and spoke with some of the staff and volunteers there that do such a good job assisting the community, their support has been even more vital during Coronavirus, especially to the elderly and more vulnerable residents. Whilst I was there I spoke with Bradley Tiffin, a 16 year old who, along with his family, is a volunteering stalwart at the Village Hall. Bradley had passed his CBT motorcycle test at the start of lockdown and had been using his new moped to make weekly deliveries of community packs and milk and eggs to the elderly. Sadly someone stole Bradley’s moped and although the family have had it returned it is extensively damaged. The family are reaching out for assistance to get Bradley back on the road and have had an offer from a garage in Hartlepool of free labour but are still in need of help to source the right parts. If anyone can help please get in touch with my office and we can put you in touch with the family. The Trimdon team had some spare toys which we were able to redistribute to Junction 7 and I had a quick catch up with Simon, Jane and everyone there. Again, the support that they continue to provide to our community is just brilliant, including children’s activities on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next 3 weeks during the summer holiday period.
Last Friday I took part in a Question and Answer session with some members of the Aycliffe Business Community. It never ceases to amaze me the diversity of businesses that exist. The questions were led by Martin Walker, but the best part for me was listening to the businesses give their own good news stories, in challenging times like we are in, these were really encouraging. It is good to see the connections that are made between the businesses within Aycliffe Business Park and the surrounding area and I will be a regular attender.
On Monday I joined Cllr Dorothy Bowman at the relaunch of the Men Talking Together Group that she has set up, the group is located in Unit 14a, The I.E.S. Centre, DL5 6DR. The group meets regularly and also takes trips out using the Community Mini Bus. This gives men the opportunity to get out and meet others for a chat and a coffee.
After attending this group I also checked in at Play Café before popping out to meet with a business owner from Trimdon to discuss the impacts of Covid 19 on their business and employees. In particular we discussed furloughing and some future lobbying of Government regarding their particular industry sector. I also discussed issues regarding the ExcludedUK APPG group which is representing those individuals who have fallen through gaps in the Government support schemes and how best we can support any constituents who find themselves in this situation.
On Tuesday I joined Dorothy Bowman again at the Women’s Group which has now moved from The Navy Club to the Sheraton Bar at The Big Club. Both her groups provide companionship and support and I commend Dorothy for her proactive community activity for Newton Aycliffe.
As Coronavirus continues it is important we continue to respect it, please can I remind you all to refresh yourselves on the current policies. We are doing well but we are most definitely not out of the woods yet. We must respect that this virus is a danger to our most vulnerable and act responsibly to stop any spread.
Keep washing your hands more often than usual, abide by social distancing measures, wear a mask in retail premises and on public transport and please be vigilant.
Please stay safe, give everyone space, enjoy the sunshine and look after each other.
Best Wishes,
Paul Howell, Member of Parliament for Segefield
paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk
