Member of Parliament for South Shields
Shields Gazette 2007
No two Friday’s are the same
As a Member of Parliament, no two days are the same - one day I can be following up constituents concerns regarding housing issues or school admissions the next I can be giving a speech on foreign policy. One thing that I can be guaranteed of is the warm welcome Louise, Isaac and I always receive when we come to South Shields - for which we are very grateful.
I travelled up to South Shields on the train last Thursday with a number of MP's and I was telling them about some of the fantastic redevelopment schemes going on in the town - whether it be the Cleadon Park Development, the multi million pound investment in our secondary schools or the proposed plans for the seafront to attract more tourists into the town. These are exciting times and as your MP I like to know what you think about what is happening in our town.
Last Friday I had a packed diary, starting at 8.30am and finishing at 10.00pm - throughout this time I met some fantastic people who are working hard to make South Shields a better place to live and work. My first visit was to meet South Tyneside Council’s Executive Director for Children and Young People, Mr Kim Bromley-Derry; at this meeting we discussed the proposed plans for primary education in South Tyneside. The vision is certainly very exciting, and the prospect of further new build schools in South Shields is to be welcomed – I hope that as many parents as possible will take part in the consultation process.
Then it was onto the Brosley Estate, where I had the opportunity to wish Mrs Audrey Fielding a very Happy 80th Birthday. Mrs Fielding’s daughter asked if I was able to arrange a trip to Westminster as part of her special day – which I was more than happy to do. Enjoy your trip Mrs Fielding.
The Big Lottery Fund has given a number of grants to organisations in South Shields, so I went to see how the grants have helped out various groups in South Shields. The Sports Recycler is a scheme that recycles sports equipment to enable access to affordable sports items for people who cannot always afford to purchase their own. The team based at Tedco are doing a fantastic job.
After lunch, I undertook a number of private visits to see constituents, and then it was onto South Tyneside College to see a promotion by Road Respect. Speeding cars are clearly a problem, last year in our region 61 people lost their lives in a road accident and over 500 were seriously injured. The message of the event was to encourage young people to drive safely and considerately.
Then I visited the Fire Station, Matrix Programme and met a number of constituents at my surgery. After the surgery, I officially opened the new American / Mexican restaurant in Frederick Street – “The Grill”, this is a great idea and the food I tasted was lovely.
My constituency day’s in South Shields always reinforces the pride that people have in their town, and their desire to see it improve. As your MP, I am committed to supporting you and working with you to make our town a better place. If you would like to get in touch, my contact details are 0191 456 8910 or email me at milibandd@parliament.uk