It was fantastic to see so many people attend my second ‘Jobs, Wellbeing and Volunteer Fair’ last Friday in Burgess Hill at the brilliant Kings Church. We saw over 200 people join us. It was great to have one lady, who found employment at my last fair, hosting a stall on behalf of her employer at this event. I hope those who attended find the roles that they are looking and am delighted many interviews were set up. Thanks to Mid Sussex Voluntary Action and all sponsors and groups who collaborated with me on this. There are so many organisations out there that only run through volunteers. If you can spare an odd hour a week, sometimes that’s all it takes to make a huge difference-more info here: https://www.msva.org.uk/contact
For International Women’s Day, which is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality, I was delighted to chair an event at No10. Locally, I had the pleasure of joining Nicky and Gina from Sussex Sugarcraft and Heather Holland, owner of Mabel’s Emporium to celebrate their success as business owners. Meanwhile, the Government has launched the new Women’s and Girls Strategy to tackle increasing threats to gender equality from climate change, humanitarian crises and conflicts.
After further engagement with GTR, I can advise, from Sunday 21st May, a new timetable will see much needed positive changes at East Grinstead station. In the morning, an additional service will depart at 10:36, extending the half-hourly AM frequency later into the morning. This train will also be in service towards East Grinstead, providing a new 09:20 departure from London Victoria towards East Grinstead. In the evening, a crucial additional service will depart Victoria at 22:50.
The Illegal Migration Bill, which will end illegal and dangerous entry as a route to in the UK, had its second reading in the Commons. Our asylum system is under unprecedented pressure, and it’s right we ensure the only route to asylum is a safe and legal one which truly supports the most vulnerable.