Together with the rest of the country, Eastleigh looks set to continue to bask in sunshine over the coming weeks – it seems like an age since we’ve had a summer like this! Of course, together with long spells of hot weather come extra challenges, and we should all be aware of the water that we’re using, the heat affecting our pets, whilst also ensuring that we always have plenty of water with us when we’re out and about! But most importantly…enjoy it!
The weather last week was perfect as we marked the huge contribution made by our Armed Forces, and I was delighted to be at the Flag Raising in Eastleigh ahead of Armed Forces Day last Saturday. Whether it’s our serving armed forces, our veterans or our Reservists and Cadets, all of these people serve our community and our country with pride. I am hugely proud to be a Trustee of the charity ‘Building Heroes’ which provides skills training to Military Veterans, as well as support into employment in the building trade.
Another group of people that we are rightly proud of is the fantastic team at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. Air Ambulances in the UK are mainly funded by charities and attend on average 70 seriously injured or ill patients every day! So it was great to be able to meet with some of the Hampshire team last week and thank them in person for their incredible and selfless work. They told me about some of that vital work that they carry out together with the ambulance service in our local community to bring the highest level of pre-hospital care with the speed and professionalism of the aviation sector, saving countless lives.
Last Friday I popped in and met some younger heroes within our community! The ‘Green Heroes’ at Berrywood Primary School in Hedge End. Together with their fab teachers and support staff, these students are committed to making their school better with a forest school, wildlife meadow and full to the brim green houses. It’s a really exciting time for me to be right in the centre of the Government’s vital work to improve our environment, and I had a great time telling students about how and why we are introducing a deposit return scheme for single use drinks containers, a ban on the sale of plastic straws as well as delivering on our commitment to banning Microbeads which was introduced last month. It was really interesting to listen to their own thoughts and ideas on protecting our environment, including our local environment.
The impact that our poor local air quality is having on people of all ages, particularly those with breathing conditions, remains a concern for me, and I was therefore pleased to be on the front bench for a debate on air quality in the Commons Chamber last week. I will continue to work to improve the air that we breathe, however, we need to make sure that we are supporting people with breathing conditions – such as asthma - in other ways too. I was therefore really interested to learn that doctors in Southampton are trialling a new 'dust mite tablet' which could cut the number of asthma attacks in children with the condition. The condition, which is the most common type of asthma in childhood and accounts for 90% of cases, causes symptoms to occur when patients come into contact with triggers - known as allergens - such as pollen, pets and dust mites, and represents a really important step forward. Yet again, our local area is leading the way in research to improve people’s lives!
Wishing you all a fantastic weekend in the summer sun…be sure to load on the sun cream!