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Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. There is fantastic news for local transport this week with nearly £15 million of funding for buses and nearly £60 million for highway maintenance across Reading and West Berkshire. And there was great news for families with the announcement that from April all of our Best Start Hubs will have their own expert SEND practitioner. In the constituency this week, I met with staff from schools across the constituency on Thursday evening to discuss what they would like to see in the upcoming Schools White Paper, on Friday I was delighted to visit Ranikhet Academy to meet the winners of my Christmas card competition, and earlier today, I visited some of our fantastic small businesses in Tilehurst for Small Business Saturday. To keep up to date with what I am doing in Parliament and in the constituency, you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram. |
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Christmas card competition On Friday, I was delighted to visit Ranikhet Academy to congratulate the winner and runners-up of my Christmas card competition. Huge congratulations to the winner Timmy, an Early Years pupil and to the runners-up Stasio in Year 2, Gabriella in Year 6, and Ayesha in Year 5. It was a really difficult choice to pick winners as there were so many fantastic designs. I want to thank all of the pupils at Ranikhet who took part for all their hard work and also a big thanks to the staff for their support and encouragement. Small Business Saturday Today is Small Business Saturday, and I have been out chatting with small business owners in Tilehurst. The period leading up to Christmas is really important for the independent businesses at the heart of our communities. So, please do think about buying your gifts for friends and family from a local retailer or visiting some of our great independent hospitality businesses over the next few weeks. New funding for bus services Great news for local transport this week with the announcement of over £9m for Reading Borough Council and over £5.5m for West Berkshire of new Government funding for bus services. I know how important reliable bus services are to local people, and all too often I hear about the disruption to everyday life when it goes wrong. I look forward to working with both councils to use this funding to deliver better services for our community. …and for roads maintenance Also great news that new funding for highways maintenance has been confirmed this week – vital investment that will help our councils tackle potholes, resurface damaged roads and improve road safety across our communities. Reading has been allocated over £14m and West Berkshire over £44m over the spending review period, and over 30% of this cash will only be unlocked if the council can prove they’re delivering. I know Reading Borough Council have been doing a brilliant job repairing our roads, and this boost should translate into progress across all our communities. SEND roundtable On Thursday evening I met with Headteachers, Assistant Heads, and SENCO/SENDCOs from schools across the constituency to discuss what they would like to see in the upcoming Schools White Paper and what would help enable effective SEND provision. It was a really informative and constructive conversation, and I was extremely grateful for their time and invaluable insights. Every child deserves a school experience where they can achieve and thrive, yet we are aware that for children with special educational needs and disabilities – the current system is not always delivering this. I look forward to the Government’s proposals for change which I know will be built on principles of earlier support, effective local provision, partnership and fairness. Best Start Family Hubs to provide SEND support In light of the discussion that I had with school staff on Thursday, I was delighted that we have announced that from April our Best Start Family Hubs will offer faster, earlier support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Every hub will have its own SEND practitioner who will provide help to children and their families. We are making our hubs a true one stop shop, bringing together, health, education and wellbeing services. All parents know that early help can change everything and now, with Labour it is coming to our communities. Child poverty strategy This week the Government published our child poverty strategy – and it will be transformational for the most vulnerable children in Reading West and Mid Berkshire, with 1,790 children benefiting from the lifting of the two-child cap plus nationally we’re lifting over half a million children out of poverty. What’s more, we’re cutting the cost of essentials, expanding access to childcare and ensuring that no childhood is spent in a B&B. Purley Rise footpath Residents have been in touch with me telling me that they feel unsafe using the footway on Purley Rise as it has become so overgrown that they are forced to walk very close to the traffic. I have written to West Berkshire Council calling on them to clear this as a matter of urgency so that residents can safely walk between Pangbourne and Purley. Safer Streets Winter of Action I am really pleased that, starting this week, Thames Valley Police are carrying out increased targeted foot patrols as part of the Safer Streets Winter of Action campaign across Reading West and Mid Berkshire. The campaign will be targeting retail crime and assaults on shop workers, tackling antisocial behaviour, cracking down on illegal e-bikes, and tackling violence against women and girls. Following on from the Summer Safer Streets Initiative, this is about restoring pride in public spaces—reclaiming them for families, local businesses, and communities who deserve to feel safe and supported. Date for your diary Meet Your MP, Aldermaston, 1.30pm to 2.30pm on Sunday 25 January If you live in Aldermaston or nearby and would like to come along for a chat with tea and biscuits between 1.30pm and 2.30pm, you can register here. My team will confirm the venue to those registered in advance of the event. Best wishes for the week ahead Olivia |