GET IN TOUCH
As your local MP, I can help you with, or offer advice on, issues such as; benefits, immigration, tax, the NHS, child maintenance and education.
I would love to hear from you about what you think my priorities should be as your MP and what matters most to you.
Please use the contact form to get in touch with me. Please remember to provide as many details as possible, including your name, address and full details of your issue.
Darwen is set to receive £20 million over the next ten years through the Government's Pride in Place Programme, and the people deciding how that money is spent should be people from Darwen.
That is exactly what the Darwen Pride in Place Board is for. It builds on the £25 million already secured through the Town Deal, which alongside Council and private investment is bringing more than £100 million into our town.
The Board is now recruiting a new Chair and new Board members, and I would encourage anyone who cares about Darwen's future to consider putting themselves forward.
You do not need experience of local government or of sitting on a board. What matters is your connection to Darwen, your ability to bring people together, and your commitment to getting things done for the town. We are keen to hear from business owners, community leaders, voluntary sector representatives and residents alike.
These are voluntary roles, similar to being a school governor or a charity trustee. Meetings are held in Darwen, usually during working hours and up to once a month. Reasonable expenses are covered.
To apply, send a short expression of interest of no more than 500 words covering your connection to Darwen and why you would be a good fit. The deadline is midday on Monday 7 September.
This is a once in a generation opportunity for Darwen. Please do share this with anyone you think would be right for it.
Full details and and instructions on how to apply are available through a link in the comments below. ... See MoreSee Less
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Darwen Cricket Club is one of the first places to receive Pride in Place funding, which is the Government's £20 million scheme to support community initiatives and quality of life improvements over the next 10 years.
The club has received funding to provide year-round activities, particularly for young people and older residents. Making sport more accessible is key to promoting mental and physical health across the community, so I'm very proud that we are able to support the club with Pride in Place funding. ... See MoreSee Less
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You may have heard that Rossendale Birth Centre will no longer deliver babies. This change is due to the very small number of births which have taken place there – just four in the past two years!
I know this will raise questions about what it means for the health centre as a whole and so here I want to address the immediate changes and share positive news on the longer term future of Rossendale Health Hub.
First of all, I want to make it clear that the centre will still be providing antenatal and postnatal care. Your appointments through pregnancy, your checks, and your care after your baby is born all stay exactly where they are. Those services will actually grow, expanding into the space currently used as the birthing suite.
The priority must be safe maternity services with the right staffing levels and these changes support that, with four options still available for local families:
- A home birth supported by local midwifery teams.
- Blackburn Birth Centre.
- Burnley Birth Centre, next to the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre.
- The Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre itself, at Burnley General Teaching Hospital.
I visited the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre earlier this year with my neighbouring MP Maya Ellis. What struck me most was not the equipment but the culture. Staff there treat every woman's experience of birth as her own rather than as a process to be managed. Families from the Valley will be in very good hands.
The Rawtenstall Primary Care Health Centre itself is not going anywhere. The Integrated Care Board has confirmed to me in writing that it remains completely committed to the Rawtenstall centre, and that it sees it as an example of the neighbourhood health centre model set out in the Government's 10 Year Health Plan.
That plan is about moving care out of hospitals and into places people can actually get to, bringing GPs, nurses, diagnostics, mental health support and community services together under one accessible local roof, open for longer hours. The Government has committed to 250 of these centres nationally, with the first wave already under way.
Rawtenstall already has GP practices, a Minor Injuries Unit, diagnostic services and community clinics on one site. I want it to grow into a genuine neighbourhood health centre for the Valley, and I will keep working with the Integrated Care Board and with Ministers to make that case.
In the meantime the Integrated Care Board is inviting feedback on what the change to maternity provision means for women, families and local people. You can complete the survey through the link in the comments below.
Please do take a few minutes to fill it in, particularly if you have used the centre or were planning to.
Rossendale and Darwen constituents are always welcome to contact my office if you would like to discuss how this affects you or to seek further support. ... See MoreSee Less
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I'm so pleased that we were able to secure another million pounds of government funding for Darwen Library Theatre. That means new seating, better lighting and rigging, an upgraded bar area and a new cinema style set up. These improvements will make the Theatre an even greater asset for Darwen. ... See MoreSee Less
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Four months. That's how long a Rossendale and Darwen resident was waiting after their Carer's Allowance was put under review at the end of February.
While under review, the payments stopped, which also reduced their Universal Credit, and their household lost a significant part of income overnight. The constituent rang the Carer's Allowance Unit every single week for an update. Every week they were told there was no news. The case was escalated twice and still nothing moved.
They got in touch with my office and we took the case up with the Department for Work and Pensions.
I am pleased to say the claim has now been reinstated in full. My constituent has received over £1,700 in arrears and their weekly payments have started again.
Carers do some of the hardest and least recognised work in the country. Nobody caring for a loved one should be left waiting months for an answer while their income disappears.
If you are stuck in a process that has gone quiet, sometimes an enquiry from my office is all it takes to get things moving. Contact my office via phone, email or though my website and I can take action on your behalf. ... See MoreSee Less
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I was at Marl Pits this week to see the new outdoor netball courts open. It was clear how much this means to the players, the coaches and the families who have given so much to the Rossendale Rockets over the years. Facilities like these are what make a place feel like home. They give people somewhere to come together, to stay active and to take real pride in where they live.
I am glad that the Pride in Place funding we have been able to deliver for Rossendale is being put to such good use here. My thanks go to everyone across the community who has helped make this happen. ... See MoreSee Less
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To me, delivering good growth for Rossendale and Darwen means vibrant high streets, public transport which gets people where they need to go and young people feeling like they can build a life for themselves without having to move away. ... See MoreSee Less
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I've been hearing from a lot of residents about the chaos being caused by roadworks on Newchurch road over the last 24 hours. The Borough Council and County Council have been working to sort out the immediate issues, and the traffic is now flowing reasonably well. However, I have concerns that when traffic gets heavier there will be further congestion. I will be calling on the County Council to make sure these lights are manually operated in order to get traffic flowing efficiency, and I will keep on the case to ensure disruption is minimised. ... See MoreSee Less
51 CommentsComment on Facebook