Good evening and welcome to Denton and Reddish Weekly News. 

Yesterday, we saw the opening of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It's 20 years since the games came to Manchester and I have fond memories of all the action and how the city was transformed by the spectacle. 

This year, Birmingham has the honour of hosting, and if yesterday's brilliant opening ceremony is anything to go by the city will do us proud. Good Luck to #TeamEngland! We're watching and cheering you on! 

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has criticised the Government after it was revealed that up to 70,000 veterans could now be claiming Universal Credit as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.

Last month, Ministers admitted for the first time that 33,800 veterans are currently receiving Universal Credit after service their country, following parliamentary questions to Ministers from Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey. However, these figures are drawn from an assessment of just 45% of claimants, meaning the actual figure could be more than double that.

There are currently around 7,000 veterans living across Tameside and Stockport.

In 2019, the Government announced up to £6 million to fund more than 100 Armed Forces Champions in jobcentres. However, the Veterans Strategy Action Plan confirmed that Ministers were pushing ahead with plans for only 50 Armed Forces Champions.

A report by the Royal British Legion last year found that former personnel are less likely to be in full time or part-time work than the general population, and nearly twice as likely to be unemployed.

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said: 

“I know that these figures will rightly appal people across Tameside and Stockport. It’s nothing short of despicable that Ministers are forcing veterans to rely on universal credit during the cost of living crisis.

Our armed service personnel have sacrificed an enormous amount to keep us safe, we have a moral duty to ensure that veterans receive the right support and employment opportunities.

The Government needs to reveal exactly how many veterans are relying on universal credit and set out how it plans to fix this crisis. It also needs to explain why they have picked this moment to cut employment support to former personnel in half.”

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, on Saturday helped launch the Summer Reading Challenge at Denton West End Community Library.

Since 1999, the Summer Reading Challenge has encouraged children to read for pleasure over the summer holidays. Through providing fun activities, it aims to support families and teachers by providing free-to-access recreation and learning resources.

The Challenge reaches over 700,000 children across the UK each year, and is delivered in partnership with public libraries. This year, the reading list includes numerous options spanning picture books, early reader books and middle grade titles by leading authors and illustrators, including: Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Melissa Castrillon, Sunita Chawdhary, Alex Falase-Koya, Saadia Faruqi, Vashti Hardy, Caryl Hart, SJ King, Katy Riddell, Dr Ranj Singh, Lydia Corry, and Leo Timmers, amongst many others. The full list can be viewed here.  

Gwynne, a long-time supporter of the Summer Reading Challenge, popped into the Library to present some free free books he was given at a Parliamentary launch last month. This year’s theme is Gadgeteers, with books all about the stars, science, invention and discovery.

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said: 

“It was lovely to pop into Denton West End Community Library and to help them launch the Summer Reading Challenge.

Reading opens doors to other worlds, and it’s so important that we get kids engaged and excited about reading over the summer holidays. This year’s theme is Gadgeteers, and as a science-fiction fan, I’ve been excited to see so many stories about invention, creativity, and the wonderful world of science.

The team at Denton West End Community Library are fantastic, and are on standby to help young people discover the wonderful world of reading.”

To find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge click here or visit your nearest participating library. 

 

Pictured above: Gwynne at the Parliamentary launch of the Summer Reading Challenge earlier this month.

🗓️ Parliament is currently in Recess, and will return on the 5th of September.

 CITIZENS' AWARDS - THE TOGETHER CENTRE VOLUNTEERS 

I’ve had a lovely visit to The Together Centre in Dukinfield this afternoon. It was great to see all the activities they run from this brilliant community centre. It was particularly nice to speak to people in The Shed (a woodworking workshop) and the Together Library.

But I was also there with a specific purpose and that was to present three of my Citizen’s Awards to some brilliant volunteers.
The Community Allotment Group
Sharon Thomason, volunteer receptionist
The Food Pantry Volunteers

They’re all doing brilliant work bringing the community together and supporting those most in need. What a wonderful bunch of dedicated volunteers. Well done and well deserved.

Thank you to Dawson and Councillor Jackie Lane for the nominations and to them and Councillor Naila Sharif for joining me in the presentations.

Grow in Tameside   

What great fun Allison and I had on Wednesday morning with the Grow in Tameside team in Victoria Park. They were running a Story Walk session in the park, which starts with songs and a story, then an adventure hunt and culminating in creative play sessions.

The team wanted to show us what happens at these events, and to help promote this and other activities run by Grow in Tameside. Thank you for inviting us both. We had so much fun!

To find out more about Grow in Tameside activities, scroll down the Community Board. 

 CITIZEN'S AWARD - LISA KNIGHT 

A huge Congratulations to Lisa Knight from Haughton Green. She decided that the large grass verge on the corner of Sandown Drive needed brightening up. She has planted tubs, dug out flower beds and really neatened up the plot. And she’s even more plans to plant more beds, including a wild flower patch.

Lisa’s efforts are really appreciated by local residents who’ve nominated her for one of my awards. Well done Lisa!

Photographed with her daughter, Milly, and Councillors George Newton and Jack Naylor.

The Prayer Book Society at All Saints Parish Church 

 I had a lovely afternoon on Saturday at All Saints Parish Church - Heaton Norris for the launch of the Manchester Branch of The Prayer Book Society.

We had a beautiful service of Mattins from the The Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer, 1662 followed by a cracking church buffet.

Thanks to Josh at All Saints for inviting me, and asking me to read the Old Testament reading (Joshua 1: 1-9). It was also great to see the Bishop of Manchester and the Mayor and Mayoress of Stockport here.

REDDISH ROARING  

I missed the launch (and quite a few other things) of Reddish Roaring, because of the death of my dad. But on Monday, by chance, I spotted “Willow” by Lucy Burgess in Morrisons Reddish.

It’s one of ten artwork lions dotted around Reddish for people to go and find. It’s a great way to get people exploring the district centre (a similar idea to the Hats off to Denton trail earlier in the year). Well done to Heatons Post and Broadstone Mill Shopping Outlet for making it happen.

Now Lyle has met Willow, I’ve promised him we will have to go and find them all.

All the Lions are on display until 4 September when they’ll be auctioned off for charity.

To follow the trail, here’s the map: https://www.flipsnack.com/.../reddish-roaring-trail-map...

A rainy but delicious barbecue at Harrogate Road Allotments 

It might have been raining a little bit, but thank you to the brilliant Harrogate Road Allotments for inviting me to their “summer” barbecue on Sunday.

It’s always a great event, and Lyle loved his hotdog! 

I’m looking forward to awarding the prizes at their annual flower show in September.

 READ: Thanks to the Tameside Reporter for covering my comments about the recent Balsam Bash at Upper Haughton and Whittles Meadows. 

The event was organised by Friends of the Tame Valley member Stephen Martin. I'm so grateful to all the volunteers who give up their free time to care for our beautiful Valley. Thank you! 

Read the full article here. 

☝️
To access the full survey click here.