Thames Valley Police Ride Along | Shakespeare Day | BRITA | North South Wines | Age Friendly Banbury | Blackthorn Village | SEND Funding

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Welcome to my March Newsletter!
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With the clocks going forward in the early hours of Sunday morning, we are edging that bit closer to the summer and hopefully much warmer weather.

It has been a jam-packed month in the constituency with highlights including hosting my Shakespeare Day at Broughton Castle and getting the opportunity to join two Thames Valley Police officers on their morning patrol in Banbury. I have also enjoyed meeting lots of business owners and community groups as well as speaking to many of you on the doorstep at weekends.

On Tuesday 9 April I will be hosting a Rural Crime Forum alongside our Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber at Hook Norton Brewery from 6pm. This will be an opportunity for you to hear more about the work being done to tackle rural crime locally and put questions to Matthew. You can register to attend by emailing me at [email protected].

Victoria

CQC Report into Horton Maternity Services
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The Care Quality Commission’s recent inspection of the Horton’s maternity unit is extremely disappointing, not least because the hospital’s overall rating has also now moved to “Requires Improvement”. Like so many Banbury residents, I was born at the Horton and many generations of my family have relied on it over the years.

The findings of the report must be taken seriously. It is critical that the maternity service provides the best possible care to expectant mothers. I will be meeting the CQC and the leadership of OUH in the coming weeks to discuss the findings in further detail.

Thames Valley Police Ride Along
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Thames Valley Police have exceeded the Government’s Uplift programme target by recruiting an additional 784 police officers within the last 3 years. This has given us a greater police presence in Banbury and the surrounding villages with more resources to prevent and tackle crime.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see some of the important work carried out by our local police firsthand by joining the police force for a “ride along”. The day started early with the morning briefing at Banbury Police Station before I went out with two of our local police officers on their morning patrol.

It was a very valuable experience where I learnt more about the challenges our town is facing and how they are working hard to tackle issues including violent crimes, county lines and anti-social behaviour.

Shakespeare Day at Broughton Castle
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It was terrific hosting my Shakespeare Day at the historic Broughton Castle last week. Over one hundred Year 7 pupils from local schools participated in immersive workshops delivered by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Students explored key themes and scenes from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, providing a unique and memorable introduction to one of Shakespeare’s most famous pieces of work.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing High Sheriff of Oxfordshire Sally Scott for sponsoring the event and the Fiennes family for allowing us to borrow your wonderful home for the morning!

BRITA
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I enjoyed a fascinating visit to BRITA's headquarters in Bicester with Rupert Harrison. We were pleased to meet Managing Director David Hall who took us on a tour of their on-site factory. It was brilliant to learn more about BRITA’s ‘Reach for the Reusable’ campaign to cut plastic pollution as well as discuss the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

I welcome the responsible action BRITA has been taking to make it easier to reach for reusables and will follow their campaign for more water fountains closely.

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Parliamentary Reception
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I met Samantha Cowley from Bloxham at the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) Parliamentary reception. Tragically, Samantha’s 13-year-old son Matthew died suddenly without explanation on 13 November. Matthew had gone to bed, as normal for a Sunday evening, but didn’t wake the following morning. Matthew’s parents still have no idea why he died.

Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare. For the death to be unexplained only adds to the trauma. With this serious medical phenomenon affecting a child each week in the UK, it is important that we do everything we can to work towards raising awareness and advancing research.

I am pleased that SUDC UK were able to host their first event in Parliament to mark the launch of SUDC Awareness Day. It was an extremely poignant afternoon as bereaved parents came together to share their stories. SUDC UK do so much important work to raise the profile of the issue and provide valuable support for families.

North South Wines
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It was great to visit leading wine distributors North South Wines earlier this month at their new premises in Bicester. I met Kim Wilson and Tim Carlisle, along with representatives from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

My visit was particularly special as it was exactly ten years to the day since Kim founded North South Wines. Now employing a team of 27, this thriving business moved into the refurbished old Guard House at Bicester Heritage last year. I enjoyed hearing about Kim’s journey building the business, which has gone from strength to strength. We also had the opportunity to discuss some of the current pressures in the wine industry.

Kim is extremely community-minded and is proud to have secured her company B Corp status for its work on sustainability and transparency. North South Wines is a brilliant success story. We are lucky to have them in Bicester.

Purpose Coalition Awards
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Gem Barrett of Nai's House is a credit to our local community for the work she does to support those facing a crisis.

I nominated Gem for the Purpose Coalition Awards before Christmas and was delighted when I found out that she had been selected as a winner. It was great to award Gem with her certificate in Parliament.

Age Friendly Banbury
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It was wonderful to call into Age Friendly Banbury's quarterly partnership meeting. It was a great opportunity for local organisations to get together to celebrate and speak about how their services promote positive ageing.

I enjoyed catching up with Coordinator Bee Myson about the new Age Without Limits campaign which is challenging everyone to be more aware of the harms of ageism.

London Road Crossing Meeting with EWR
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I welcomed East West Rail’s senior management back to Bicester to sit down with local councillors and discuss their work on the London Road level crossing. Read about what we discussed here ([link removed]) .

Ocado Group
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I enjoyed a brilliant visit to Ocado Group's fulfilment centre in Bicester with Rupert Harrison. We met Chief Reputation Officer David Shriver and Senior Operations Manager Nigel Morrison onsite who showed us both around their cutting-edge warehouse.

Ocado use some of the most advanced technology available including a robot-on-grid design which simplifies and streamlines their operation. With over 50,000 items available for selection, it is essential that the right systems are in place to manage demand.

Ocado are a really important and responsible employer in Bicester, providing high quality jobs in retail, logistics and engineering to over 600 people locally. It was great to get the opportunity to see how the team have been getting on.

Blackthorn Village
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Since the New Year, exceptionally heavy rainfall has caused the River Ray to breach its banks, flooding the village of Blackthorn on a number of occasions. Having visited in January to see the situation for myself, it was clear that the river was draining towards the village in a way not seen before, and that this was likely linked to recent work by Network Rail alongside the Chiltern Mainline.

Following my visit, I invited Network Rail and the Environment Agency to get around the table with the Parish Council, local farmers, Cllr Ian Corkin and Rupert Harrison in Blackthorn. We were pleased to secure an agreement from Network Rail to undertake some remedial work. It is hoped that this will prevent the River Ray from flooding the village in the same manner again. It is vital that Network Rail carry out this work as quickly as possible.

I will continue to work with the Parish Council to hold them to account until a long-term solution is implemented for the village.

Banbury Rotary Club Tour Parliament
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It was a pleasure welcoming members of the Rotary Club of Banbury to Westminster for a tour of the Palace. It was great to see lots of familiar faces including Banbury Mayor Fiaz Ahmed and Cllr Tony Ilott.

If you are part of a local community group and interested in coming to Parliament, please email my office at [email protected].

Ending Homelessness Together
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It was good to meet Chris, Amy and Simon from Connection Support and Homeless Oxfordshire as part of the 'Ending Homelessness Together' lobby day in Parliament. We talked about how their brilliant outreach and prevention work is supporting those facing homelessness in Banbury.

Budget for Long-Term Growth
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This month, the Chancellor set out his Budget for Long-Term Growth. The last few years have not been easy for the economy, but we are sticking with our plan because it is working.

Three of the Prime Minister’s five priorities are economic – to have inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt. Good progress has been made with inflation more than halving, mortgage rates falling and wages rising. But there is more to do. Now that the economy is turning a corner, the Government can help families with permanent cuts in taxation.

You can read the Budget in full here ([link removed]) .

SEND Funding
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Given the many concerns held by parents regarding SEND provision in Oxfordshire, I welcome the additional £850 million of Government investment which forms part of a wider £2.6 billion package to transform the system. Over £9 million of this will be invested in our county.

This funding will provide over 60,000 new places for children or young people with SEND or who require alternative provision nationally. Read more on this announcement here ([link removed]) .

International Women's Day
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Trailblazing women have set an inspiring path for so many in law and it was wonderful to gather together at a breakfast event to celebrate the impact they have made.
Promoted by Victoria Prentis, of Wykham Park Farm, Wykham Lane, Banbury, OX16 9UP.

For more information about anything you have read in this newsletter or to find out more about my work, please visit: www.victoriaprentis.com ([link removed]) .

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