This week has been full of meetings to discuss promoting fitness and wellbeing in Broxtowe. On Monday, I had the pleasure of meeting with Her Spirit which was founded by two local residents, Holly and Mel, to inspire women across the country to be fitter, stronger and healthier. They have developed an app which offers free daily live classes and creates a community for women seeking to improve their physical and mental fitness. We had an open and frank conversation about the challenges they face, and I am looking forward to working closely with them to promote women’s wellbeing in Broxtowe. Members of my team have signed up to the app and love it, but I was most struck by Holly and Mel’s determination and resilience to fix an issue they feel passionately about and improve the lives of women across the country. If you are interested in their work or hearing about their story, I would definitely recommend having a look on their website.

On a similar note, I also met with Martin Jackaman who was one of the founding members of the Changing Places consortium to improve access for people with disabilities across the country.  Changing Places toilets are designed for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets due to the need for additional equipment such as hoists, larger space for wheelchairs or a height adjustable changing bench. The design has been approved by the Government and, in July, it was announced that all new public buildings must have a Changing Places toilet and is shortly opening a £30m grant fund to install the facilities in existing buildings. Again, this is a phenomenal achievement from a local resident meaning that people with severe disabilities will be able to enjoy time outside with their families, without suffering discomfort or embarrassment from the lack of suitable facilities. It was also incredibly heart-warming to hear how the acceptance of the design Martin contributed to, and rolled out in recent years, means that people with disabilities can enjoy simple activities like visiting family or going to the cinema. Martin continues to campaign for improved facilities across Broxtowe and I will do my best to support him achieve this. 

Today, I welcomed the Co-Chair of the Conservative Party, Amanda Milling, to Broxtowe. We visited Hocus Pocus again to hear about their plans to reopen next Tuesday and it was great to be showcasing popular, local businesses to the Government. Speaking of the visit, Amanda said "It was brilliant to join Darren Henry MP in Broxtowe to meet local businesses and hear about how they’re adapting to the challenges of Coronavirus. Darren has been working hard to promote the Government’s cycling revolution scheme and it was great to see how he’s campaigning for more cycle routes and using his #PushBike Broxtowe survey to boost the physical, mental and environmental health of people across the Constituency. Broxtowe is a key part of the Conservative Government’s plans to level up the country and its clear to see that Darren is focused on delivering for people here.” I have said time and time again that Broxtowe must not be left behind in the post Covid-19 recovery and I am thrilled that senior members of the Government are committed to delivering this. 

Looking ahead, I am busy next week preparing to return to Parliament. This is going to be an incredibly exciting, but challenging, term and I cannot wait to be back in the Chamber lobbying for more support for Broxtowe. I will be back in the Constituency every Friday and, as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, look forward to meeting with many more of you in the coming months. 

I hope you and your loved ones have a great weekend.

Best Wishes,

Darren