April Community Update

Visit to Sheffield Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRS)

I was delighted to be invited to visit the Sheffield Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRS) to see the amazing work they are doing.

Launched in 2022, the service helps parents and carers across Sheffield who need extra support to build strong and nurturing relationships with their babies.

It was great to speak to the dedicated team there who are all passionate about ensuring every baby in Sheffield has the best possible start in life. The families I met felt supported and more confident about understanding their babies’ needs and developing a strong bond that will support them as they grow.

World Book Day

In March we celebrated World Book Day, with almost two thousand libraries, countless schools and even the Premier League taking part.

This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the power of books in helping young people develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Sadly, 1 in 4 schools in the most deprived areas do not have a library. This World Book Day, I pledged to do all I can in Parliament to ensure that no child is left behind when it comes to reading.

International Women’s Day Ashiana event

The 8th of March marked International Women’s Day and I was pleased to attend Ashiana’s celebration day. For over 30 years, Ashiana Sheffield has worked with Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) adults, children and young people fleeing domestic and sexual abuse including forced marriage, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, gang violence and ‘honour’ based violence. I spoke about the importance of their work and what more needs to be done to end violence against women and girls once and for all. I thank everyone at Ashiana for organising this incredibly important event.

End the Tory sewage scandal

I know many constituents will be concerned by the ongoing Tory sewage scandal, where raw sewage is getting pumped into our rivers and seas at record levels. We can now see the impact this is having on our NHS, with admissions for waterborne diseases sky-rocketing. Add your name to Labour’s petition to end this scandal: https://action.labour.org.uk/page/146959/petition/1?locale=en-GB

Holding the Government to account on pensioner poverty

As Labour’s Shadow Pensions Minister, I regularly put questions to the Government on their policy and record. Last month in Work and Pensions Questions, I highlighted the Tories appalling record on pensioner poverty. They suspended the triple lock; they hammered pension funds with their disastrous mini-budget; and their failure to get a grip on the cost of living crisis has left many in cold homes. Against this backdrop, 1 in 5 pensioners now live in poverty.