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Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Denton and Reddish weekly news. I hope that you had a lovely week, and are looking forward to the weekend!
There's lots to update you on in Parliament and locally, and also some more dates for your diary as we get closer to the festive period. Scroll down to the community board for more info!
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Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has thrown his support behind Kinship charity’s new #ValueOurLove campaign which aims to secure urgent government support for kinship families across England and Wales.
Kinship care is where a family, relative or close friend steps up to care for a child when their parents aren’t able to. Kinship carers are raising more than 162,000 children in England and Wales – more than double the number in foster care. Data released by national charity Kinship as part of the campaign estimates that there are 353 children in kinship care living in Denton and Reddish.
A new report released by Kinship alongside the campaign – The Cost of Loving – reveals that 8 in 10 kinship carers are failing to receive the crucial support they need, leaving many in crisis. Most worryingly, over a third (36%) of those not getting the support they need feel they may be unable to continue to care for their children due to the lack of support and the rising cost of living. This would have devastating consequences foras well as for the public purse.
Gwynne is himself a kinship carer to his grandson Lyle, and is also co-chair of the All-party parliamentary group on kinship care. Earlier this month Gwynne attended a reception held in the House of Commons to mark the campaign, and is urging local residents to support the initiative by signing kinships petition at ValueOurLove.Kinship.org.uk
Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:
“I’m really proud to support this campaign. As a kinship carer myself, I understand the joy that it brings to your life, but also the extreme stress it places on families.
“We need the Government to incentivise and empower kinship care. That means providing kinship carers with the support they deserve.
“I would encourage local people to support this campaign by signing up at ValueOurLove.Kinship.Org.uk.”
Kinship’s Chief Executive, Dr Lucy Peake, said:
“Kinship’s #ValueOurLove campaign is urging the government to give kinship carers the financial and emotional support they need and deserve. They make huge sacrifices to care for children – spending life savings, giving up jobs and moving homes – but they have been ignored and left without support because they are family.
“Unlike foster carers, being a kinship carer is not a choice, it is done through love and often in times of crisis. Kinship carers must be treated fairly because raising a child costs money.
“We’re delighted to have the support of MPs such as Andrew Gywnne MP who can help us campaign for the changes kinship families in Denton and Reddish and across the country so desperately need.”
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Pictured: Gwynne attending the #ValueOurLove parliamentary event alongside fellow kinship carer Linzi.
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Last month, I launched my 2022 Local Business Awards. Each year, I take nominations from across Denton and Reddish for the best local businesses. Every nominated business receives a certificate to proudly display, and on Small Business Saturday (December 3rd) I announce winners for each ward as well as an overall winner and runner-up. Businesses must be located in Denton, Dukinfield, Audenshaw, Reddish, Heaton Norris or Heaton Chapel to be eligible.
I started the Local Business Awards some years ago as a bit of fun to celebrate the burgeoning independent shops, restaurants and pubs popping up across the local area. Since then, the Business Awards have become bigger and better than I could have ever imagined.
Last year, we received 4,500 nominations, and more than 250 businesses were celebrated. As soon as I open these awards, my office is inundated with nominations. From craft shops to craft ales and top-notch cafes to accountancy firms, there’s seemingly no end to local entrepreneurial spirit.
There’s something really special about making time to recognise local businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities. During the darkest days of lockdown, when non-essential businesses were forced to close, I still remember how surreal it all felt, and how much I missed nipping into a cafe for a cup of tea or bumping into a friend out and about.
Thankfully, businesses are no longer having to contend with lockdowns, but there are still plenty of challenges for small business owners to contend with: economic instability, an ever-changing trade picture and a cost-of-living crisis to name just a few daunting hurdles. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we don’t take for granted our local businesses, and carve out time to say thanks to the ones that go above and beyond. Without them, not only would we be economically poorer as a nation, but socially poorer too.
I can’t wait for Small Business Saturday, when I get to travel the length breadth of the constituency and chat to local business owners.
They are always beyond delighted to see their hard work being recognised by the people who matter most – customers! So if you know a local business that deserves to be celebrated, visit www.andrewgwynne.co.uk/LBA to submit your nomination.
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Andrew in the constituency
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  A buzzing and spooky Worker Bee Market
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 Denton at Leisure
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 John Gwynne Darts Competition
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THANK YOU to AU Promotions, Pipe Easy and Denton Cricket Club for organising the “JOHN GWYNNE CUP” Denton Darts Open competition.
It was my pleasure to present the winner and runner-up with their trophies on Saturday evening. Oh and thanks to Anthony, it seems Lyle is a budding darts player. 
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 Pride of Gorton Awards
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Not technically in the constituency, but a massive thank you to the Gorton and Abbey Hey Councillors for nominating my late dad, John Gwynne, for the “Sir Gerald Kaufman Lifetime Achievement Award” at Sunday's Pride of Gorton Awards at the Monastery.
My dad loved Gorton. He taught at Wright Robinson and Spurley Hey High Schools; his first job for Piccadilly Radio was reporting on the Speedway at Belle Vue; and he spent lots of his time promoting darts across the district too. He also used to compère the Pride of Gorton Awards until his death this year.
He’s a big gap to fill, but tonight Gorton you helped to do that! Thank you! 
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 It was great to chat with pupils from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Reddish earlier this week in Parliament.
I was grilled on how things work in Westminster, what an MP does, and how a bill becomes a law.
Some brilliant questions, and it was wonderful to see pupils engaging with politics at such a young age!
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 WATCH: After 12 Tory years, health inequalities are widening.
Despite this, the Govt plans on scrapping its long-promised Health Disparities White Paper.
The Minister doesn't even have the guts to admit it's being binned. No plan, no action and no answer.
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WATCH: The new Security Minister has just announced a National Security Taskforce to look at the growing threats from hostile foreign powers.
Cyber warfare, misinformation, bugging and hacking, foreign money in politics are all impacting on our democracy.
I fully support this renewed focus on National Security and the cross-party manner he’s approaching this.
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WATCH: There’s an Urgent Question in the Commons about the BBC’s proposals to make our local radio stations less local by merging sport, politics and news content regionally.
That would be a retrograde step.
It’s not just on content. I’m also concerned about the impact on the creative talent pipeline and on jobs.
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WATCH: We’ve had an Urgent Question on the astounding claims that China is secretly operating three police stations on UK soil.
All people in the UK are protected by the laws created by the British Parliament and devolved institutions. These stations should be closed.
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WATCH: In Business Questions I raise the issue of Russell Scott Primary School in Denton , which has been left in a dreadful state after a botched refurb job by Carillion.
The school is in desperate need of Government assistance, but things seem to have slowed down amidst the chopping and changing in the Tory Party.
I remind the Minister of the urgency of this problem. A positive response, let's hope it leads to some long-overdue action for Russell Scott.
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WATCH: Today, we have a Backbench Business Debate on the Government's Smokefree 2030 pledge. I respond in my capacity as Labour's Shadow Public Health Minister.
Smoking is a key driver of health inequalities and ill-health. However, the Tories have slashed access to stop smoking services, and rowed back on key public health pledges.
There are also worrying reports that tobacco companies have paid £7bn in taxes to Russia, despite pledging to cease trade with Putin's tyrannical regime.
I urge the Minister to work on a cross-party basis to build a happier, healthier and fairer Britain.
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WATCH: In Parliament we have an urgent question on a recent report which found that a culture of misogyny and predatory behaviour was prevalent in a number of police forces across the UK.
I make the point to the Minister that to have a postcode lottery of police standards is totally wrong.
While individual police chiefs do have responsibility we need to see leadership from the Home Office too.
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 READ: Thanks to the Tameside Reporter for covering my response to the incredible work of Friends of the Tame Valley and corporate volunteers including Virgin o2, Suez and Amey.
The inspiring work of local volunteers deserves to be celebrated.
Read the full story here.
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Guide Bridge Station Coal Wagon Project
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 The WOODHEAD RAILWAY MUSEUM and Friends of Guide Bridge Station are restoring an old coal truck for the Guide Bridge Station memorial garden.
Apparently the truck will be painted in the liveries of the Ashton Moss colliery in Audenshaw and Denton colliery…
Thank you to WRM, FoGBS and Network Rail for restoring a bit of our industrial heritage. I can’t wait to see it in place!
A GoFundMe has been set up for the Coal Wagon project for anyone who wishes to make a kind donation towards the restoration work. If you are able and wish to donate click here.
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Anybody wanting more information about Denton Local History Society can visit:
Allan Arrowsmith on 0161 292 1109
Their next meeting is on Tuesday November 22nd at 7.30pm at Victoria Park Community Centre where they will have a guest speaker, Paul Pleszak, giving a virtual tour of the Mills of Mellor.
