For the past fortnight I have been making the most of Conference Recess, taking the opportunity to focus on local constituency issues whilst also keeping my office running in Westminster.
This has included meeting with pupils from both the Crescent Primary School and Wildern Secondary School, attending the Trustees meeting of the Building Heroes organisation, of which I am now an Ambassador, and holding my local constituency advice surgeries.
I will be spending the rest of this week attending appointments in the constituency before travelling to the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. The Conference is an opportunity for all members and the wider public to hear about the Conservative Party's ideas and policies from the year ahead. This is the first Party Conference of Theresa May's premiership, and I am particularly looking forward to hearing her speech on the final day.
Crescent Primary School in Parliament
On Monday 19th September, I welcomed pupils from the Crescent Primary School in Eastleigh to Parliament, giving them an insight into the work that I do as an MP before they set off on their tour of the historic buildings. The pupils had lots of interesting questions and I hope that their trip to Parliament will inspire some more young leaders in the Eastleigh constituency!
Visit to Wildern Secondary School
I also recently visited Wildern Secondary School, where I was quizzed by the students about my role, career, and political views. The academy is in the heart of the Hedge End community and is one of the outstanding schools within my constituency. I was privileged to be able to spend some time with the students discussing my job as an MP, and hopefully giving them a better idea of my life in Westminster and the issues I deal with locally.
It was a great opportunity for me to see first-hand the fantastic art and sporting facilities provided by the school, and I am very much hoping to welcome the students from Wildern to visit me in the Houses of Parliament in early 2017.
Launch of New Minibus in Botley
Last week, I joined Botley Neighbour Care, local councillors and residents to launch a new minibus in Botley, which will help residents get around for years to come. This wonderful new vehicle was funded by a Department of Transport scheme offering better transport for rural communities, replacing an old bus previously used by the scheme.
The launch began with a blessing of the bus by the Rev Gregg Mensingh and then everyone was given the chance of looking around the new vehicle to see all the useful mobility aids on board. It was a real pleasure to be asked to launch this amazing asset for the Botley community that will do much to allow residents much-needed transport from their homes to things like medical appointments or community events.
EBC Local Plan Update
Time and time again I have been urging Eastleigh Borough Council to get on with producing a Local Plan that will save our area from hostile development. Now the Borough Council has released a report saying that we will have to wait until the end of next year. That is too long for our area not to have protection for our green spaces and a coherent strategy in place to deal with infrastructure issues. The strongest position an area can be in is for there to be an adopted Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans sitting alongside that. I am pleased to see Botley push on with its own Neighbourhood Plan and I support them fully in getting it right. I will be speaking to Ministers about how Eastleigh Borough Council is letting the area down and another 18 months without a plan is just not good enough.
Local Doctor's Surgeries Update
Last week I met with Dr. Colin Mercer at the Botley Local Plan exhibition, where the issue around GP surgeries was raised. I last met with the Hampshire CCG in July and I am now waiting for an update on the future of Moorgreen Hospital as well as the recruitment crisis in a number of the local doctor's surgeries including St. Luke's in Botley, which seems to have been most affected. I should be receiving this update in the coming week, and I will send this on to residents as soon as I have it.
Visit to Antelope House
Yesterday I visited Antelope House, the secure unit in Southampton Hospital, to discuss concerns raised by a number of my constituents about the care of their loved ones. This unit is a vital local facility for those with significant mental health issues. I met with Liz and the team to hear about building work, staff changes, and operational adaptions at this Southern Health facility. I was keen to support staff who do this very difficult job day in and day out but also to raise the worries and sincere concerns some families have brought to me in my constituency surgery.
Sunday Politics
I will next be appearing on Sunday Politics South on Sunday 9th October. Tune in at 11am on BBC One to hear me answer questions about the latest political news.
Fair Oak Drop-In Event
On Wednesday night, I held a 'Meet Mims' event at the Old George pub in Fair Oak. It was great to see so many people drop by to chat with me about local and policy concerns and also to meet Steven Broomfield, a Conservative activist for Fair Oak and Horton Heath and the Conservative Party candidate for the upcoming Eastleigh Borough Council by-election. I regularly hold 'Meet Mims' events at various locations around the constituency; you can find out about these on the 'Events' section of my website as well as on my Twitter and Facebook page.
Eastleigh Film Festival
On Monday I attended the opening night of the Eastleigh Film Festival at The Point in Eastleigh. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to pay tribute to some of Britain's acting legends as well as meeting Danny Leigh, the Guardian Film Critic who came to kick off the launch of the festival.
Radio 4 Interview
Last week I had a local interview for Radio 4 at O'Brien's Coffee Shop in Eastleigh in which I spoke about women's leadership roles in politics. The interviewer was Matthew Price who really enjoyed coming back to Eastleigh and I'm sure it was helped by the great coffee served by the team there!
Southampton Boat Show
Last week I attended the Southampton Boat Show several times supporting British Marine and other key local marine businesses. I gave a speech on the importance of women in sailing. It was a huge pleasure to be invited alongside Dee Caffari to launch an exciting partnership between Hedge End-based Bainbridge International, a pioneering company in my constituency, and Magenta’s ground-breaking project to increase female participation in professional sailing. I am a strong campaigner for the equality of women in both sport and the workplace, and I believe this partnership will provide a base for professional female sailors to add their valued contribution to the industry.
Visit to Award-Winning Sonny's
I went to give my sincerest congratulations to the team at Sonny's Fish and Chips in Fair Oak, which has recently been named the best fish and chip shop in Hampshire, Dorset and Berkshire. Keep up the good work!
Older Drivers Forum
This week I also attended the Older Drivers Forum in Haskins, West End, an awareness event running all this week promoting road safety and put on by Hampshire Constabulary's safer road partnership.
Perform 5 at the Ageas Bowl
I ran the Perform 5 Mile event at the Ageas Bowl last Sunday, which was a complete sellout with 600 runners taking part. It was great to see wheelchair racers involved in this new race. If all goes to plan I will be running in the London Marathon next year, so please do write to me if there is a particular charity you would like me to run for!