May 2024 Community Update

May 2024 Community Update

Debate on gambling advertising in football

Earlier this month, I took part in a Parliamentary debate on gambling advertising in football and the collapse of Football Index, where many people lost thousands.

I spoke about The Big Step campaign, who I met with some years ago. This group of parents, who had all tragically lost loved ones after struggles with gambling addiction, walked between five football grounds in Yorkshire calling for a crackdown on gambling advertising.

I called for systematic change so that the millions of young people who watch football are no longer subjected to constant gambling adverts on shirts, advertising boards and TV coverage.

I also urged Ministers to commit to introducing the gambling sponsorship code of conduct without further delay.

Visit to the Shared Lives service

I recently visited the Shared Lives service in Sheffield, a charity who help to support shared lives and homeshare care.

Shared lives carers open up their homes to adults who need support but still want to live independently. Carers are matched up with those who share common interests and lifestyles to ensure a good fit.

It was a pleasure speaking to staff, carers and those receiving care about the invaluable work this service provides. Anyone interested in becoming a carer can visit their website:

https://sharedlivesplus.org.uk/

Ramadan Iftar event

I was honoured to be invited as a guest to the UK Sheffield Awami League Ramadan Iftar event in April.

This was an incredibly enjoyable evening, where we also celebrated the Independence Day of Bangladesh.

I want to thank Mithu Mohed Ali, President of the Sheffield Awami League, for his kind invitation and everybody for attending.

Casework Corner

Over the past month, my team and I have opened 360 new cases, helping people with their issues and concerns.

The most common issues raised with me were:

Health services
International affairs
Environmental affairs

Wincobank Village Hall coffee and cake afternoon

I was delighted to visit Wincobank Village Hall recently for one of their regular coffee and cake afternoons.

These events help to bring the community together and tackle loneliness. It was a pleasure to catch up with so many people from the local area.

Improving bowel care for patients with spinal cord injuries

Last month in Health Questions, I raised the issue of bowel care for people with spinal cord injuries in hospitals.

I have heard from patients who have been left feeling abandoned, trapped in a hospital bed without the basic dignity of being able to use the toilet, all because of a lack of training for nurses to provide the necessary support.

I will soon meet with the Minister to discuss the need for a national policy on bowel care in NHS settings.

Labour’s plan to fix Britain’s railways

Under the Conservatives our railways have been run down into a shocking state.

Cancellations have soared to record high levels, fares have risen almost twice as fast as wages since 2010, and strikes are costing taxpayers £25m for every day they go ahead, whilst taxpayers fork out huge subsidies to pay for trains that are overcrowded, delayed or cancelled.

The Conservatives have also confirmed they are highly unlikely to bring forward any reforms before an election, making clear the shocking state of Britain’s railways is simply not a priority for them.

Labour will create Great British Railways, a new publicly owned, arm’s length body to run our railways in the interest of the passenger and the taxpayer.

Labour will bring our railways into public ownership, as contracts expire or are broken through poor performance by operators, unifying our rail network under a single-directing mind that is able to efficiently plan across the network to improve services.

Labour’s full plan, ‘Getting Britain Moving’, is available here: labour.org.uk/get-britain-moving