My Staffordshire Update
I was honoured and privileged to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Stone, Great Wyrley, Penkridge and surrounding villages at the General Election on Thursday 4th July.
Since the election, I have had a busy couple of weeks in Staffordshire, and I’d like to take a moment to update you all on the work I’ve been doing.
It was wonderful to join residents in Blymhill for their Summer Fete and to visit the Brewood open gardens. I’m always heartened by shows of community spirit, and Blymhill and Brewood had it in abundance. ChezFest in Cheslyn Hay was an example of our tight-knit community coming together to promote public health, which is such an important cause.
In other news, I was pleased to meet with the Deputy Headteacher of Alleyne’s Academy for a tour of the historic school. I look forward to working closely with the school in the future to ensure the very best possible outcomes for its pupils and I hope this is the first of many visits.
I have very much enjoyed taking part in community events and visiting schools and businesses right across the whole of the constituency, and I look forward to being out and about as much as possible over the coming weeks, months and years as your Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, as ever, my office and I are always hard at work helping constituents, so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues where I can be of assistance. I can be reached by email at gavin.williamson.mp@parliament.uk, or you can phone my office on 01902 846 616.
Very best wishes,
Gavin
Celebrating Summer Festivities in Blymhill
Sir Gavin attended the village fete in Blymhill.
The traditional event involved fun activites for children and adults alike, encouraging members of the Blymhill community to gather for an exciting day out. The fete has had a long history in Blymhill, with the first taking place in 1940, and has encouraged locals to take part in friendly competition and festivities ever since. Arts and crafts, dhol drummers and flower stalls were some of the highlights of the fete.
Sir Gavin said “The Blymhill fete never fails to deliver fun for all the family. I’d like to thank the committee for organising such a fanstastic event, which I know was greatly appreciated by the local community.”
Joining July Fundraising in Brewood
Sir Gavin joined locals to celebrate the gardens of Brewood this weekend.
Sir Gavin visited gardens around Brewood as part of the open event, to support the fundraising efforts of local residents. The event was organised to raise funds for the roof restoration project at the church of St. Mary and St. Chad. Both adults and children were encouraged to tour the gardens and admire the local beauty on offer.
Sir Gavin said “I was delighted to visit the gardens on display for the weekend in Brewood. The generosity and hospitality of all who opened their gardens to the public made it an ideal way to spend the day. The Open Gardens event has been a longstanding tradition in Brewood that means the beauty of the village does not go unnoticed.”
Supporting Local Businesses in Stone
Sir Gavin attended Stone’s food and drink festival at Westbridge Park.
Gavin joined local residents to celebrate Stone, the food and drink capital of Staffordshire. The festival has been a tradition in the parish since 2005, and boasts an impressive range of of food stalls, live music performances, and opportunities for visitors to purchase local produce.
Gavin visited the AED Donate stand to continue his strong support for their work in improving survival rates from out of hospital cardiac arrests. Sir Gavin also took time to sample products at the Aston Marina stand with the beer supplied by Stone-based Lymstone Brewery.
Sir Gavin said: “I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Stone Food and Drink Festival which once again demonstrated Stone’s reputation as a must-visit town for its wide selection of food and drink.
“These events foster a unique sense of community spirit, whilst allowing small-businesses and organisations a platform to showcase their products and services to hundreds of visitors. I am extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication of volunteers who go above and beyond to put these events on for everyone to enjoy.”
Visiting Alleyne’s Academy
Sir Gavin visited a local Stone high school for a tour with the senior leadership team.
Sir Gavin joined Mr Timothy Tweats, Deputy Headteacher, on a tour of Alleyne’s Academy. During the visit, Gavin observed an art lesson and took questions from pupils on a wide range of topics. He also observed part of the school’s annual sports day.
Almost 1,000 pupils attend the historic Alleyne’s Academy, which was founded in 1558. The school prides itself on the broad and balanced education it offers to students, which includes a wide range of subjects and extracurricular activities.
Mr Tweats said: “Sir Gavin Williamson MP visited Alleyne’s Academy on Friday morning to speak to some of the students about the recent general election and discussed with the students the educational options available to them such as A Levels, Vocational Courses and University.”
“Sir Gavin shared with the students the highs and lows of his time as private press secretary to David Cameron and also commented on his time as the Minister of Education. It was a really positive meeting and Sir Gavin Williamson has already expressed a desire to return to the school in the autumn term for a Q&A session with members of the school parliament.”
Sir Gavin said: “It was an honour to visit Alleyne’s to see the high standards of education on offer to children in Staffordshire. It was fantastic to meet both students and staff, and I applaud them for their hard work in creating such a vibrant and thriving school community. It was also wonderful to be able to observe the annual sports day event. I look forward to working closely with the school in the future to ensure the very best possible outcomes for its pupils and I hope this is the first of many visits.”
Visiting Cuttlestones Auctioneers
Sir Gavin Williamson was given a tour of the eminent Cuttlsetones’ auction house in Penkridge by the Managing Director, Ben Hamble.
Sir Gavin visited Cuttlestones’ thriving Penkridge auction house and was delighted to view many of the items that were auctioned the previous day.
The team at Cuttlestones draws on over 100 years of valuable experience in the industry and has specialists in diverse areas such as furniture, jewellery glass and toys. They offer live internet bidding facilities and have a global reach. In addition, Cuttlestones also provides first-class valuation services across Staffordshire, Shrophire, Derbyshire and the wider Midlands.
Gavin said “It was wonderful to meet with Ben and take a tour of the impressive auction house. It was fascinating to see the varied and eclectic lots on offer, and I look forward to partaking in an auction in the near future.”
Championing Cheslyn Hay’s Health
Sir Gavin attended the inaugural Chez Fest – an event based in Cheslyn Hay designed to promote health and wellbeing.
Gavin joined local residents as well as members of the Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley Health and Wellbeing Club for an afternoon of fitness-focussed sessions which took place at ‘The Park’ on Rosemary Road, Cheslyn Hay.
Gavin also contributed to the Peleton Bike challenge whereby visitors were asked to guess how many miles were clocked up by participants over the course of the day.
The event also featured the Carbon Balloon, an initiative launched by Staffordshire County Council to enable residents to visualise how their daily activities can impact carbon emissions. The ten-meter carbon bubble was inflated using a low carbon fuel (Hyrdrogenerated Hydrogen Oil) whilst climate change teams were on hand to give people advice on how to lower their carbon footprint.
Chez Fest also featured a penalty shootout competition to coincide with the men’s 2024 Euro Final between England and Spain, whilst a range of local companies provided refreshments and snacks.
Sir Gavin said: “It was wonderful to attend the very first Chez Fest and to be able to support the promotion of health and wellbeing in our communities. Exercise has so many physical and mental health benefits and I was pleased to see so many residents supporting the event.
“The organisers did a terrific job to plan and organise a day which I know was enjoyed by so many. I do hope that similar events are organised in the future.”
Taking part in Stone Civic Sunday
Sir Gavin attended the Civic Sunday in Stone as he joined local dignatories and members of the community to welcome Cllr Phillip Leason into his new role as the town’s Mayor.
Gavin joined the Mayor, Mayoress, residents, and Town Councillors on the parade which commenced on Station Road prior to joining the service which was held at St Michael and St Wulfad’s Church.
A Civic Sunday is designed to present the new Mayor to the town and also invites communities to reflect at a service.
Sir Gavin said: “It was great to be able to attend my first Stone Civic Sunday in my capacity as the newly elected Member of Parliament for the Town. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting residents and it was such a special parade and service.
“I would like to offer Cllr Phillip Leason my huge congratulations and best wishes as he embarks on his new role as Stone Town’s Mayor. I know he will represent the interests of the community and his passion as well as his dedication to the town makes him a perfect choice as Mayor.”