Visit to Chinnbrook Beach Bonanza
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 I recently visited Chinnbrook Beach Bonanza to see for myself the wonderful and tireless work of the staff at Chinnbrook Family and Community Project. Catering for wee nippers’ right through to the age of 8, it certainly was a busy afternoon! The centre offers individual support to families whose children have special needs or disabilities, support groups, day trips and social activities for parents. Staff and volunteers are the lifeblood of the local community. A very enjoyable project indeed....
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 I recently visited Selly Manor in order to learn more about this historic collection of buildings and Bournville community life. Whilst there, I met with Heritage Manager Gillian Ellis and Education Officer Daniel Callicott. Selly Manor put on a wonderful array of events throughout the year, whilst thousands of school children visit the Manor to learn all about Tudor England. Whilst in Bournville, I also visited a number of local shopkeepers and business owners. They all told me that Bournville is a vibrant community with a local heart, but unfortunately the recession had impacted their businesses negatively.I wish...
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 I have started off the summer break by acquainting myself with local businesses, particularly in the new parts of my constituency- Selly Oak and Bournville. I have been out and about visiting small service sector businesses in the constituency, kicking off by meeting community baker Tom Baker of Loaf in Cotteridge, Birmingham’s first organic butcher Steve Rossiter of S&A Rossiter Organic Butcher in Bournville and Leverton & Halls Deli and Coffee House also in Bournville. I am trying to get to know small businesses in the constituency- small service businesses are absolutely crucial to the...
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I’ve been out and about the constituency talking to local people about what they want to see happen to the old Selly Oak hospital site as well as asking their thoughts on the Tory and Lib Dem proposals to increase VAT. Unfortunately I can’t get round to everyone but I think it’s really important to listen to all of my constituent’s views on local and national matters so I’ve put two new questionnaires up on this site and I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts. To let me know your thoughts on VAT increases click here...
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On Friday I met with Chief Superintendent Manku, Commanding Officer of the East region of the police force in Birmingham. I first got in contact with Chief Supt Manku during my many months of discussion with local people, crime fighting agencies, victim support groups and Victim’s Champion, Sara Payne, as part of my campaign to shift the balance away from the rights of criminals towards the rights of victims, through my additions to the Victim’s Charter. I was delighted to hear that so many of the people I asked where already part of larger organisations, however...
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 Today I visited Loaf, a social enterprise project in the constituency. Tom Baker, Loaf’s day-to-day Director talked me through the concept of his community bakery, which he operates each Friday using a hand built brick oven in his back garden. Through Loaf, Mr Baker aims to reinvest money earned from a number of food-based activities, such as staging cookery schools and dinner parties and consultancy, into promoting the benefits of local food. We also had a chat about the new Stirchley Community Market, an initiative championed by Loaf and other organisations across South Birmingham. The market,...
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Standing up for Policing in the Midlands
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On Wednesday 21st July I attended the Police Federation Constable’s Committee reception in order to meet with the representative body of the 110,000 police constables of England and Wales and discuss the challenging times ahead for policing. The federation is committed to maintaining the number of warranted police constables in England and Wales and to upholding the office of the constable as the bedrock of modern policing. The week before I was able to express the views held by me and many of our constituents in the house of commons, particularly regarding the prospect of electing police...
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Working with Road Safety Charity Brake
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 I was pleased to continue my good relations with road safety charity Brake by attending their parliamentary reception regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. I received an award from the charity last year, for my role in the campaign for a crossing near to Bells Farm School in the constituency. Brake is a registered charity with two aims: stopping the carnage of people being killed and maimed on roads; and caring for victims whose lives have been devastated by the death or serious injury of a loved one following a road crash. Obstructive Sleep Aponea is effectively diagnosed and treated...
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Action to Tackle Youth and Graduate Unemployment in the Region
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On Monday 19th of July I attended a parliamentary reception hosted by the Federation of Small Businesses. Whilst I was there I talked with Denise Craig, the policy director for the Federation in the West Midlands, and John Ryder, the chair of the institute of directors in the West Midlands. We discussed the problem of youth and graduate unemployment and we plan to meet again to discuss how we can work with small businesses in the region in order to improve the situation. Research undertaken to coincide with Times Higher Education “Universities Week” earlier...
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Celebrating Sporting Success
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I had the privilege of attending Baverstock and Bishop Challoner Sports Celebration Evening today (Thursday 15th July) to celebrate the achievements of sport-loving students in and around South Birmingham. Students from the 24 primary schools, seven secondary schools and one FE College which make up the Baverstock School Sports Partnership were showered with praise for their efforts in demonstrating that PE is still very much firmly on the school timetable. Congratulations to all the students who received awards. For more information on Baverstock School Sports Partnership go to http://www.baverstockssp.co.uk/....
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Getting more out of Museums, Libraries and Archives
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 On Wednesday 15th of July I attended the Museums Libraries and Archives Council summer reception in Parliament to discuss the merits and future development of our museums, libraries and archives. At the reception I had the pleasure of viewing the Staffordshire Hoard: the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon artefacts ever discovered, it was a fantastic sight and one that I want all Brummies to be able to enjoy. It is for this reason that I supported the campaign to buy and keep the Hoard in the West Midlands and am grateful to those who raised the money to buy the...
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On the 7th of July I attended a Parliamentary reception hosted by the Royal British Legion in order to thank MPs who supported the Legion’s “Time to do your bit” campaign. The Campaign is concerned with aiding bereaved households, securing quality healthcare for servicemen and women who are suffering from injuries or mental health afflictions and seeks to tackle poverty amongst elderly veterans. It is important to recognise what people do for us and consider what we can do for them in return, which is why I am supporting this campaign and our local campaign to honour the veterans that...
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On Friday the 9th of July I had the honour of handing over a donation of £3,000 to Acorns Children’s Hospice. I chose to nominate this charity because I have a deep admiration for Acorns who, with such conviction and commitment, do all they can to serve the most venerable children and their families when they are most in need of our help. The Money was raised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community at Tilton Road Mosque, who have displayed such compassion and generosity at a time when their movement is subject to such horrific persecution abroad. A spirit of humanity...
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Highters Heath Job Taster Day
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 I found promise and prospect upon partaking in Highters Heath Community School’s “Job Taster Day”. An event designed to inform year 6 students of the decisions and opportunities that lie in store and to help them guide themselves onwards as they take the crucial step into secondary education. Myself and an assortment of representatives from other occupations, played our parts in showing students what the world of work can offer them. I was kept on my toes, however, when I discovered the class held an aspiring member of parliament in their midst, but it soon became clear that this threat...
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On your marks, Get set, Go!
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 On Friday 2nd of July I visited Tiverton Primary School as they took part in Lloyds TSB’s National School Sports Week, an event taking place up and down the country with almost 14,000 schools and 5 million young people participating. The week was held in association with the London 2012 “Get Set” education programme a scheme whose successes have left 72% of young children more eager to get involved with sport and 90% wanting to try out new sports that have been brought to their attention due to the programme. With a key emphasis on the impending Olympic and...
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5 July 2010
Today I attended Selly Oak Constuency's third annual Veterans’ Day.
Over 100 veterans came to the event, took part in the parade and then had lunch with students from the school.
We have a debt of gratitude to repay to all these Veterans who gave so much for our way of life. Each year, in conjunction with Swanshurst School, I organise this event to ensure that my local Veterans are thanked the way they ought to be.
It also gives students a valuable opportunity to talk to people about a way of life which is almost incomprehensible to them. It...
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Steve talks up Brum with Indian business leaders
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1 July 2010 Earlier this week I hosted a reception yesterday with leading Indian businessmen in the House of Commons.
The Chairmen of some of India’s largest companies were present including Ashok Lowland and Hindustan Motors. India is reportedly the second largest source of inward investment into the UK and over 600 Indian companies have a base here. In 2008/9 over 4,000 jobs were created in the UK as a result of Indian inward investment. These are difficult economic times and one of my most important tasks as a Birmingham MP is to bang the drum for Birmingham and showcase what...
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We must do more to encourage apprenticeships
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24 June 2010 Apprenticeships are a vital route for young people into the world of work. They are more important than ever at a time when young people are finding it difficult to find full time jobs. However, it's clear that more needs to be done to help employers develop such schemes. In particular I think more can be done to help small businesses. If we want to grow the number of meaningful apprenticeships, small businesses are the obvious sector to target. But we all know that they have difficulties in dealing with apprenticeships. When I talk to small employers,...
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Steve McCabe MP backs cost saving early intervention services
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23rd June 2010
Earlier this week I attended a reception hosted by Action for Children, Family Action and Children England. The reception was to show support to vulnerable children, young people and their families in Birmingham. The ‘Smart Money’ event and showed how effective early intervention services tackle deep rooted problems such as deprivation and neglect before they spiral out of control and therefore bring economic benefits to the public purse. At the event, I posted my pledge to help give children and their families a brighter future. I recognise the crucial role that early intervention can play both in creating...
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Raising awareness of thrombosis
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 This week I have been campaigning to raise awareness of hospital acquired thrombosis. It is estimated that there are 25,000 preventable deaths caused each year from hospital acquired thrombosis – the UK’s single biggest preventable hospital killer. The ‘stop the clot’ initiative, spearheaded by the charity Lifeblood, is a week-long campaign to reach out to the general public and undergraduate medics, to improve understanding about the risks of developing deep vein thrombosis in hospital. At a meeting in Westminster I was briefed by the team at Lifeblood about the risks of developing thrombosis....
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