Over the past month, it has been great to get out and about more across the Gosport Constituency as certain businesses were able to reopen their doors from April 12th.

It was certainly a relief to finally get a professional pair of hands on my hair (despite the best efforts of my son over recent months!) at Unit 10 Royal Clarence Yard.  I also popped to meet Kristie and the team at Barnet's Hair and Beauty to hear about the reopening process. I paid a visit to the fantastic team of volunteers at Gosport Borough FC's Feed a Family in Need HQ. They have been supporting people across the constituency with food parcels since the lockdown started last year. They have now opened the Gosport Food Pantry at the site, which offers affordable groceries for families in difficulty. While I was at Boro' Keith showed me their fab new al fresco 'Trappers' bar, where punters can enjoy drinks and food (complete with hot water bottles if required!).

 

I also officially reopened the fantastic Gosport Care & Wellbeing Centre run by Age Concern Hampshire that provides support for older residents and those with dementia.  The wonderful team of care professionals have been able to carry out home visits over recent months but there was a palpable sense of joy for all concerned to be able to gather in small groups once more.

This month my team and I also finished our '10 for 10' challenge - walking 10,000 steps on 10 different days - to raise awareness for Gosport Voluntary Action Group (GVA). You can find out more about our efforts and support GVA directly here. 

Other support is also available for our youngest residents who are looking to get on the job ladder. So far, over 6,500 people aged 16-24, on Universal Credit, have a Kickstart Scheme placement - fully funded for 6 months. Gosport businesses can sign up to offer an exciting opportunity here.

On the subject of building back better, I met with Hampshire Country Council, Gosport Borough Council and the Solent LEP to discuss our proposed local bids for projects through the Levelling Up Fund - the Gosport Constituency could benefit from up to £150,000.

Over April, there has been some great progress as the vaccination programme continues to drive down infection and hospitalisation rates. So far, over 76,326 vaccines have been administered to more than 55,172 Gosport residents. Across the UK, 1/4 adults have had two vaccines and 3/5 have at least one. A new study also shows that one vaccine can reduce the risk of transmission by 50%. Those aged 40 and above may now book their vaccine and I would encourage everyone to get their jab when called. 

It was good to talk to Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust's new CEO, Hannah Prowse, about the future plans for Priddy's Hard. I also had the opportunity to chat with Gosport Fareham and Multi Academy Trust about education in our area and the YMCA Nursery regarding Early Years funding. 

Great news as the Hornet Sailing Club has been successful in their bid for £399,983 from Historic England to repair one of the guardhouses that dates back to 1861, to provide facilities for local organisations such as the sea cadets.

• Hampshire has recruited 328 police officers in the past year, part of the 8,771 new officers nationally. I joined Police and Crime Commissioner candidate Donna Jones for a Facebook live Q&A earlier this week to discuss local crime issues. As the previous Leader of Portsmouth City Council and a Magistrate Donna has a proven track record and the knowledge needed to be an excellent fit for this role - I do hope you will all support her in the elections this week.

• In addition, more than 6,300 doctors and 11,200 nurses have joined the ranks of the NHS to provide vital support and care. 

• The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage has been raised, increasing the pay of 283,000 people in the South East. 

• A new mental health hub is coming to Hampshire in the coming months, 1 of the 10 initial sites with another 16 to open across the country by next April. 

• To make homeownership a reality for constituents, a new 95% mortgage guarantee has been announced - the scheme will be available through major high street lenders and offer a 5% deposit scheme for homes up to £600,000. 

• By 2035 we will aim to cut carbon emissions by 78%. This month I joined PETA to go vegan for Earth Day, promoting the benefits of a balanced and environmentally friendly diet, and also joined SERT to discuss their Clean Energy Hub which will work with employers to train workforces that can deliver our net-zero ambitions.

Coming up, this week there are local elections for Hampshire County Council, Gosport & Fareham Borough Council and the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner.  This is your chance to have your say on how the Gosport Constituency is run.

 

 

 

If voting by post, don't forget to post your ballot before May 4th or hand in your ballot paper into your polling station on May 6th before 10pm. 

As ever, my team and I are here to help so if you have any questions or queries, please do email [email protected].