On Saturday, we reflected on the impeccable service of HRH, Prince Philip, to our Queen and our nation. The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral was a truly moving family occasion as the sun shone down on the stunning Windsor Castle. It was an incredibly poignant event, delivered in deeply difficult covid circumstances, which touched all of us who watched it. I was honoured to join Councillors, constituents and Sir Richard Kleinwort, West Sussex’s Vice Lord-lieutenant, to hear the beautiful choir at St John’s Church, in Burgess Hill, at a service in commemoration of Prince Philip last Friday.
This week saw the successful return of our children to school after Easter, and it’s really important everyone keeps getting their weekly Covid tests and follows the guidelines in and out of school. I know it hasn’t been easy for our children and their teachers, but it’s so important we all keep at it, to keep cases down and keep their education progressing as they catch up on their learning.
As of last weekend, over 880,000 people across West Sussex have received their first jab of the Covid vaccine, including over 225,000 who have received their 2nd dose. Now, anyone who is aged 45 and over is eligible to receive their 1st jab, so if that includes you, please take up the offer once you’ve been contacted by the NHS – I was delighted to book my first jab at the end of last week! Once again, huge praise for our amazing NHS staff and volunteers across Sussex for their ongoing, relentless efforts.
Keeping our streets, green spaces, parks and woodlands clean means so much to all of us. The ‘Keep Britain Tidy’s’ annual Great British Spring Clean campaign has been launched and I’ve joined in (I’ve even got my own litter picker!), alongside other MPs - who like me regularly pick up litter across our constituency alongside Councillors and residents. To get involved, visit https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean/pledge-to-pick
Our football clubs are nothing without their loyal fans and the communities behind them. The proposed plans to form an ‘exclusive’ Super League, in which only a few prosper, goes against the core values of our beautiful game, which has been a central part of British society for almost 150 years. Football is about the hope of the underdogs prevailing, the unique stories & the special moments of wonder, passion & excitement. This flies in the face of all that is good in football. I will do everything I can, as a former Minister for Sport, to support efforts to stop this greed-driven scheme and back the new, crucial fan-led review of football, led by Tracey Crouch MP, another former Sports Minister, huge football fan and grassroots coach.