This afternoon, I went along to Walton Community Centre to meet with representatives from Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC), the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and a number of great local charities which are all doing their bit to help combat loneliness in Elmbridge. The aim of the visit, which I co-ordinated with Ruth […]
Read MoreEarlier this month, I dropped in to check out the annual Neighbourhood Food Collection at Tesco, in West Molesey. The event is a collective partnership between Tesco, the Trussell Trust and FareShare and is part of an ongoing effort to encourage customers to donate long-life food to charity to help those most in need. Since […]
Read More
Despite the rain, Walton Heritage Day went ahead today. I went along to join the community spirit. As usual, we had music from the Ember Big Band, a dog show, hog roast, boat rides and much more besides. Joanna Gordon (from Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance) was marshalling the organisation brilliantly. I dropped by a few of […]
Read More
Today, away from the noisy leadership contest dominating Westminster, I got stuck into a range of important local issues. I joined the Elmbridge Community Fund for their latest panel meeting, looking at our efforts to raise a community endowment to support local neighbourhoods or projects in need. I visited Surrey County Council to talk through […]
Read MoreLast week, I joined a meeting of the Claygate Village WI, at the invitation of their president Pat Whiffin, at the village hall. Claygate Village WI have an important role in the local community, organising activities from bridge to bowls, and regular outings. Their interests span from Morris dancing, to supporting Chelsea pensioners, and preserving […]
Read More
Today, I dopped by Esher Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to talk to their Manager Linda Wheatley, (new) Deputy Manager Sarah Waite, and meet some of the client advisers (as pictured, with Michelle and David, below). I have huge admiration and respect for the role and dedication of our local CABs, as early warning radars for […]
Read MoreThe blog’s been a bit quiet for a couple of weeks, so I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a peaceful and prosperous year in 2015. The reason for this unprecedented blog inactivity is that, on the 11th, Erika and I were blessed with the arrival of our second son, Joshua […]
Read MoreToday, Parliament will debate the impact of stamp duty in a debate I co-sponsored with Anne Main (MP for St Albans). I have written a column in the Daily Telegraph today, making the economic and social case for scrapping stamp duty for homes under £500,000. You can read it here.
Read MoreEarlier this year, I visited The Digital Work Hub, a flexible co-working space in Walton-on-Thames set up by Alec Grant. Its focus is on providing hot desks, meeting rooms and event space for home workers, micro-businesses, startups and entrepreneurs - ideal for local businesses, or those who want to try a middle ground between literally […]
Read MoreI know I keep going on about the Headsmart campaign and the Brain Tumour Charity (BTC), but it’s only because they are so fantastic. Last Tuesday, I hosted an event in the House of Commons to celebrate the BTC’s success in raising £13 million in the last year for research into brain tumours. It […]
Read MoreBy continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Click here for the Data Protection and Cookies policy.