On Monday morning it was a nice change not to be up at 5am to catch an early train to London as I was based in the Blyth office for the entire week. My first visit was to meet Emma from Felix and Fern in New Hartley. Emma gave me a tour of the creative hub which encourages creative play and craft activities for children. I attended the Monday morning session and saw families enjoying time doing crafts, reading books and playing together. The hub is inspired by nature and encourages children to explore and learn about the seasons. Emma also told me about the adult sessions she runs such as wreath making and art & relaxation classes. I was delighted to hear that the community have been welcoming and the business is going well. It is always great to see new and inventive businesses opening in Blyth Valley and I think Emma has a wonderful set up. From there I headed to county hall to meet with Glen Sanderson who is the leader of Northumberland County Council. I wanted an update on the gigafactory and we discussed the relief road, the Blyth town development, SEND education in Northumberland and the closure of the adult learning centre in Cramlington.
After the meeting I travelled back to the office to meet Sunday Odekunle who is the pastor of a new Champions Global Church Pentecostal church based in Neptune HQ on South Beach estate in Blyth. The church began in September this year and the service is open to anyone who wishes to attend and is held on a Sunday afternoon. We had a great chat about community and the events the group are hosting over the next few months and into the new year.
I then had a TEAMS call then grabbed a quick lunch before driving to the Isabella Centre in Cowpen for the Blyth Relief Road consultation. It is great to see that Blyth is on the way to getting the much needed additional road into the town. I am fully supporting Northburn. Councillor Wayne Daley and Councillor Helen Morris. in their concerns regarding the closure of the slip road at top of Laverock Hall road heading on to the A189. This will cause undue disruption and I know we can find a better and more efficient solution. My last visit of the day was with my family to cast my vote at the St Cuthberts Christmas tree festival. My daughter had decorated a tree this year in aid of Breast Cancer UK and had crocheted the decorations. It was a lovely atmosphere and it was great to see the community coming together and enjoying the festivities.
On Tuesday morning I visited Opus21 in the Atley Business Park in Cramlington who are one of the UK’s leading packing mock up and sales sample suppliers. I met with the owner Mark Hunter Purvis and we chatted about digital printing and working with big brands. Opus 21 works with mega household names such as Coca Cola, Rowntree’s, Nestle, Pepsi, Tesco, Walkers, Cif and many more. Mark showed me the fantastic new product developments which had been printed and packaged on site. These mock ups are used for TV commercials and for pitching new products/ranges. We then had a tour of the factory floor and I saw how the production works and met his talented team. I was shown a new packaging concept for a well-known drink and followed the printing process until I was shown the final product at the end of my visit. Mark has worked within the print industry from being 16 years old and his passion for the industry shows. It is great to see another business success story in Blyth Valley.
From there I went back to the office for constituency surgeries and an hour or so of office admin.
The following day I had a personal appointment in the morning and went to the office around lunchtime for a meeting with my team and a catch up on casework.
Thursday morning I went to Neptune HQ on South Beach in Blyth to meet the Chairperson Robert Crumpton to chat about the great work the centre is doing in the community. I had a tour of the facilities and just missed out on taking part in a Zumba class! Robert discussed various grants the centre has received for renovations including new disabled access toilets and a new kitchen. The centre also raised funds for a defibrillator which is for community use on the front of the building and has been used several times since its installation. It is brilliant to see so many community groups using the centre. The Scout groups in the centre are very popular and operate a waiting list. Robert is a Group Scout leader himself and talked about the importance of teaching life skills to young people and how much they enjoy a challenge. He also mentioned they are looking for adult volunteers for the Scout groups, if you think this is something you would like to do please contact them directly at [email protected]
I then headed out in the rain to meet a very dedicated volunteer group in Valley Park, Cramlington. The ‘Friends of Valley Park’ was established in July 2022 to protect, conserve and enhance the 52 acre green space of Valley Park. I met with volunteer Jill and she showed me the huge progress in the woodland since my last visit, the overgrown pathways have been cut back and resurfaced to make the park wheelchair accessible, two ponds have been dug out and filled, which is attracting lots of new wildlife and birds. We had a walk around the track and at every turn there was a smiling volunteer helping to maintain the area. Along with the routine maintenance the volunteers do water testing, work with other organisations to track the wildlife and they are soon hoping to install bat boxes. This group of community volunteers come out in all weathers to look after this area and have even planted a community orchard which will be available to the enjoyment of local residents. I want to personally thank them for giving up their time and congratulate them on such a fantastic achievement.
In the afternoon I met with the owner of the Fat Butcher to organise a huge donation of turkeys that they have very kindly offered to supply to local community centres and groups. The turkeys will be picked up the week before Christmas and I will deliver them to various centres and groups across Blyth Valley who are serving the community over the festive period. Whether it be the Forget-me-Nots in Cowpen or the veterans charity Forward Assist.
On Friday morning I travelled to my old place of work, St Nicholas hospital to meet with James Duncan who is the CEO of CNTW in the NHS. We talked about the challenges of mental health in the area and are now working in partnership to orchestrate a social care round table for South East Northumberland which will take place early next year. My next meeting was the North East MPs and Peers Transport Update with Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee and the Managing Director of Transport North East , this is a regular briefing session focussing on Transport issues in the region.
I then had a full afternoon of face to face constituency surgeries before driving to the Lord Of The Manor pub in Cramlington to meet with the owner Bridget and area manager of Stonegate pubs, Graham. Bridget and Mark have owned the pub for around 7 years and have recently had a whopping £311,000 spent on renovating the pub. It is great to hear that the wet led hospitality group, Stonegate, are investing in our local pubs. I had a tour of the newly refurbished bar area and even had the chance to pull a pint. I also spoke to Graham about local pubs that have been left empty for a long time and asked them to put them on the Stonegate radar for potential future projects. I named several specific examples and was pleased to hear that these would be reviewed, these buildings are important to our communities and the area.
From there I met with Peter Saleem to congratulate him on the opening of his new business Pizza Spice on Broadway Circle. The takeaway shop is getting great reviews already and I wish him the best of luck in his new venture.
Then it was panto time at the Phoenix Theatre to see the production of Dick Whittington! As always, it was a spectacular event with lots of laughs and family fun.
My weekend was spent with family and friends. As always, if you would like to contact me or arrange a constituency surgery, please call 01670 338435 or email me at [email protected]
