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Each week I'd like to take a moment to celebrate and recognise the hard work of those who have done so much to help us get through this difficult and troubling time. Thank you to everyone who nominated their Gower Hero! Here is the third wave of Gower Heros. If you have someone you'd like to nominate, you can do so here This week's Gower Heroes are: Susan Rodaway Nominated by Edward Rodaway · Set up Volunteer support in Pennard Ward – 80 volunteers supporting 160 households with prescription and shopping collection and delivery, post office drop offs and phone befriending calls to prevent social isolation. Provided every household with newsletters to let residents know what support is available to them. · Coordinated meetings of all Community Councils to share best practice and ideas. · Set up Pennard Emergency Food and Technology Support providing food for people struggling financially in the ward as well as IT support, 4G routers/tablets etc. Collaborated with Digital Communities Wales to train community IT champions to provide IT support and training over the phone/internet as appropriate. · Coordinated regular meetings with local businesses and organisations to keep up to date with Welsh Government guidance and support the community through the changes Helen Hunter Nominated by Rebecca Fogarty Helen has done an amazing job all the way through lockdown of keeping spirits up by posting videos of her daily walks in the beautiful local environment, as well as singing videos in lieu of the Musical Memories choir getting together. These videos have been a window to the outside world for people who are shielding or self-isolating. She has used Facebook groups to reach out to people all over the area with these videos. She's clearly been thinking of others in the Mumbles area who haven't been able to get out of the house and who may be feeling isolated or shut off from the world. It's been really uplifting to see someone doing their little bit to try to reach out to fellow community members and bring a bit of light at this difficult time. Catherine Beynon Nominated by Richard Davies Catherine, together with husband Jason, are true 'community champions'. During the Coronavirus pandemic Catherine has gone 'over and above' even her existing exemplary community work. She has been collecting and delivering food, providing crisis management and supporting the general volunteer efforts in Pontarddulais and surrounding areas. Catherine and Jason are a formidable team and have been available permanently to offer a kind word or any help regardless of denomination or belief. Catherine tirelessly supports her husband Jason as well as the team of volunteers that do so much within the community. Her efforts have been an immeasurable support to the community she serves. Jason Beynon Nominated by Richard Davies Jason, together with wife Catherine, are true 'community champions'. During the Coronavirus pandemic Jason has gone 'over and above' even his existing exemplary community work. He has been collecting and delivering food, providing crisis management, supporting the general volunteer efforts in Pontarddulais and surrounding areas. Jason has been available permanently to offer a kind word or any help he possibly can regardless of denomination or belief. His tireless efforts have been an immeasurable support to the community he serves. Thank you. You are this week's #GOWERHEROES 
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Each week I'd like to take a moment to celebrate and recognise the hard work of those who have done so much to help us get through this difficult and troubling time. Thank you to everyone who nominated their Gower Hero! Here is the third wave of Gower Heros. If you have someone you'd like to nominate, you can do so here This week's Gower Heroes are: Swansea Bay UHB For the Love of Scrubs Nominated by: Lisa Parez I am nominating the whole group of Swansea Bay UHB FTLOS volunteers for their selfless acts of sewing, knitting, crocheting, delivering, organising, cutting, and everything else in between during this pandemic. They have all been amazing, completing and distributing over 26,000 items including more than 2000 sets of scrubs in the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area. They are all heroes! Allun Harvey Nominated by: Richard Davies Allun has volunteered over the pandemic to assist Andrew and Alison Wilson to manage the Pontarddulais Area Foodbank. Allun has carried a huge amount of food products and associated goods into and out of the Foodbank and along with Andrew delivered the food parcels to their final destination. Without Allun the Pontarddulais Area Foodbank would have struggled to operate and his hard work has made a huge positive difference to the amounts of requests the Foodbank has been able to manage. All work has been done with a smile and nothing has been 'too much trouble'. Andrew Wilson Nominated by: Richard Davies Over the lockdown period Andrew has worked tirelessly, volunteering at Pontarddulais Area Foodbank. He has travelled across the county at short notice collecting supplies to maintain stocks, sorted and boxed supplies and delviered literally hundreds of food parcels. He has delivered out of hours emergency food support across the whole of the county and always works with a smile, nothing is too much trouble. The Pontarddulais Area Foodbank would not have been able to operate without him. Catherine Evans Nominated by: Richard Davies Catherine has worked tirelessly through this pandemic working excessive hours and taking queries out of hours, managing volunteer support for Pontarddulais and the surrounding areas. Catherine has taken the lead on many initiatives and has the ability within her heavy workload to take the time to personally support volunteers to carry out their work and members of the public who often ring just to talk as they are so isolated. She has met significant challenges with a calm, balanced and informed approach and has proved herself to be a true asset to the communities she serves. Alison Wilson Nominated by: Richard Davies Alison works in a voluntary capacity and has tirelessly supported the community efforts to mitigate some of the worst issues of the pandemic affecting our community, making hundreds of phone calls, collecting and delivering food, staffing the Pontarddulais Area Foodbank and delivering prescriptions. Any 'down time' is spent making face-masks and generally helping others. Nothing is too much trouble and she has worked evenings and weekends just to meet the huge amount of requests for support. everything has been done with a smile. Beryl Ellis-Davis Nominated by: Richard Davies Beryl or 'Bez' as she likes to be called volunteers at the Canolfan Pontarddulais. Bez has suffered significant health issues over he past few years and has lost a leg due to these issues. Despite her on-going issues she turns up to volunteer without fail and never without a smile. She diligently cleans the centre and cooks delicious food for the staff and members of the public and has become a 'stand out' figure that people love to chat to and get to know. She is the epitome of a volunteer, hard working, kind, generous and nothing is ever too much trouble for her. Helen Hunter Nominated by: Rebecca Fogarty Helen has done an amazing job all the way through lockdown of keeping spirits up by posting videos of her daily walks in the beautiful local environment, as well as singing videos in lieu of the Musical Memories choir getting together. These videos have been a window to the outside world for people who are shielding or self-isolating. She has used Facebook groups to reach out to people all over the area with these videos. She's clearly been thinking of others in the Mumbles area who haven't been able to get out of the house and who may be feeling isolated or shut off from the world. It's been really uplifting to see someone doing their little bit to try to reach out to fellow community members and bring a bit of light at this difficult time.  It was a very busy start to the week as I was lucky to be called to speak on a number of topics. I tackled the Secretary of State for Health on his Department’s appalling lack of correspondence with MPs during the Coronavirus crisis. On 26th June, the co-Chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Cannabis wrote to the Secretary of State regarding the desperate plight of those children with epilepsy who rely on medical cannabis to manage their condition. We had no reply. On 9th June, we wrote an urgent email to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health following a meeting, at the suggestion of the Secretary of State on the 2nd. We had no reply. On 22nd May, a joint letter was sent to the Secretary of State from 8 cross-party chairs of various All-Party Parliamentary Groups focusing on cancers about the urgent need for a national cancer recovery plan following the pandemic to deal with the backlog of patients awaiting life-saving treatment. We had no reply. I understand that this has been an unprecedented and incredibly difficult situation for those in Government to deal with, however, lines of communication between Government and MPs and the Government and the country must remain open. We are representing our constituents, some with incredibly difficult personal circumstances and we have to know that their concerns are being considered and recognised and the Government is taking action to support everyone through this crisis. I was pleased to join Macmillan campaigners this week on a virtual meeting (how else these days?!) to hear about their campaign efforts and to let them know what I am doing to ensure that #TheForgottenC is not forgotten and the UK Government listens to the experiences of those with cancer. For those facing diagnosis and treatment, or the diagnosis and treatment of a loved one during ‘normal times’ it’s a scary and sometimes lonely experience. For those facing cancer during a pandemic, I cannot imagine how they must feel. We have to have plans in place for how to manage their treatment safely and give them the best chances for recovery. I will keep fighting for the rights of cancer patients to swift and safe treatment because cancer doesn’t stop because there’s a global pandemic. The UK Government needs to recognise this and take action. I also tackled the Government Ministers for the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy on Swansea Bay’s Tidal Lagoon project. Charles Hendry said that the evidence is clear that tidal lagoons can play a cost-effective role in the UK’s energy mix – with new green jobs and inward invesmtment for Swansea, Wales and the rest of the UK. This is an oven-ready plan, something the UK Government is so fond of, and yet they are failing to back investment in schemes which could support local economies in the Covid recovery. We need green investment and we need skilled jobs to build up a green economy that will support both families and our environment. I’ve signed up this week to be a member of the new ExcludedUK All-Party Parliamentary Group. This group, with the support of third sector organisation #ExcludedUK, aims to represent the three million people in the UK who have fallen through the gaps in the Chancellor’s support packages and who have been left without any support. This has been an unprecedented situation, but it cannot be right that hard-working people, the newly self-employed, freelancers, those denied furlough and many others, have been left to fight for their businesses alone. We need these people to be active in our communities and economies – they contribute to the supply chain, they pay taxes, and they provide services in the local communities. They deserve the UK Government’s support just as much as the furloughed workers and supported self-employed. We need our local businesses and freelancers for our recovery and we need to ensure that they will remain part of the fabric of our communities for many years to come. You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Keep well and remember – keep washing your hands!  Tonia Antoniazzi MP is calling on Gower’s small shopkeepers to enter the Best Small Shops Competition, celebrating the successes of small shops and the central role they play in their local community, particularly in response to Covid-19. The Best Small Shops Competition is open to any small shop* operating in the UK. The competition is free to enter and all shops who enter will also be promoted to consumers through an online Indie Retail Directory. Shopkeepers can nominate their businesses until Friday 11th September 2020 via www.bestsmallshops.co.uk. A shortlist will be announced in October with winners announced in November. The judges will be looking for evidence of a small shops’ entrepreneurial spirit, ways that they have been innovative in their business and what they have done to have a lasting positive impact on their community. The shortlisted small shops will then be in with the chance to win one of five awards, including the newly launched award for small shops response to Covid-19. Tonia Antoniazzi MP said “From Clydach to Gorseinon, Mumbles and across the whole of Gower we have the best small shops in the country.” “They deserve recognition for their hard work and their contribution to the community so please go online and nominate your best small shop.” Submit your entry The entries for 2020’s Best Small Shop competition are now open. Submit your entry at www.bestsmallshops.co.uk. Entries close on Friday 11th September 2020. More entry guidance is available here.   Each week I'd like to take a moment to celebrate and recognise the hard work of those who have done so much to help us get through this difficult and troubling time. Thank you to everyone who nominated their Gower Hero!
Here is the third wave of Gower Heros. If you have someone you'd like to nominate, you can do so here This week's Gower Heroes are: Ruth Cronin Nominated by: Sara Keeton I am in awe of Ruth and her tireless work to help West Cross, Mumbles and Gower be an even better place! Many people locally in Mumbles know Ruth as an ardent campaigner for using refilable water bottles and free water stations in shops and restaurants (Refill Wales) as well as an advocate for drinking fountains locally. The picture of her was taken with Rebecca Evans AS at Mumblesfest 2019 giving out free refilllablevwater bottles. Ruth did not stop there though! Ruth set up the St David's Recycling Scheme that has seen her raise funds for the local primary school by setting up and processing (by hand herself, with her family and other willing helpers) Terracycle items including crisp packets and pet food pouches! When Covid-19 struck, Ruth temporarily closed the recycling scheme and offered her experience in the military to volunteer in the making of the FieldBay Hospitals in Swansea! After this, Ruth set up the Corona Lockdown Charity Flour Shop in West Cross selling flour, yeast sugar and eggs direct to the public raising over £1000 for Red Cafe Food Bank in Mumbles. Ruth is a Gower Hero as are her family all too for letting her be one! The Shared Plate Covid-19 Emergency Kitchen Nominated by: Carrie Townsend Jones The Shared Plate responded to the pandemic by opening the Covid-19 Emergency Kitchen. They provide hot cooked meals to anyone in the Mumbles area who needs one, no questions asked. They are run by volunteers, both cooks and drivers, and are reliant on donations and the small amount they received from people who can afford to pay for their meals. Fantastic people just quietly getting on with helping those in need. Mathew Williams Nominated by: Angharad Bendle This gentleman has transformed the lives of so many adults and children by teaching them martial arts. The children look up to him. All through lockdown he has continued to run weekly online sessions as well as lots of different challenges for the club to do to whilst unable to attend. He always goes the extra mile to help anyone who needs it and has made a huge difference to my son with special needs who has attended the club for a number of years. Lucie Rees Sudbury Nominated by: Paul Thomas In early March a team of volunteers met up in the Lamplighter in Bishopston to discuss how they would care for the vulnerable in their community, in what was likely to be the worst situation some had experienced in their lifetime. They acted quickly and established a core team of unpaid coordinators and became one of the first sets of [Covid/ lockdown] volunteers in the area. They set up a telephone line and called out for volunteers in the area. They made contact through their own networks and printed and delivered thousands of leaflets. They made badges for volunteers- Gower Isolation Support; set up COVID related groups on facebook; and, created a rota system to answer calls. It worked well and within a couple of weeks the group had connected with many vulnerable individuals. On about week 3 the group started undertaking door step collections for food bank donations. At week 5 they decided to set up a "Grub Club" and now have 10 families cooking in rotation. The group have answered over 200 calls for assistance, and have catered 35-40 meals every week- over 350 meals. The group of volunteers continue to shop; collect prescriptions; collect for the food bank and other donations; and to deliver home cooked meals. This has been a great team effort, set up (with assistance from local councilors) and facilitated completely by volunteers, and coordinated by Lucie Rees Sudbury. Volunteer Lucie has stressed this is a team effort, and also highlighted that the initiative has no links with politics or religion, and that it is completely community and kindness led. Gower Neighbourhood Policing Team led by Sergeant Christopher Dix Nominated by: Melanie Dix As the Gower Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant, Chris has worked relentlessly hard throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Ensuring the safety of locals & protecting the Gowers beauty spots over lockdown urging people to stay at home, advising the council to lock up car parks until safe to re-open. Chris has been dedicated to keeping these places protected and free of any anti social behavour that has followed as the pandemic restrictions ease. He works tirelessly for those in need at this difficult time along with his amazing team of PCSOs and beat managers. They do a first class job of keeping the Gower safe. Thank you this week's #GowerHeroes This week I was pleased to be able to speak in a debate on the Covid recovery, where I raised this issue of delayed cancer treatment. In my role as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer, I have grown increasingly concerned throughout this crisis at the impact the pandemic is having on those facing cancer. Experts have warned that as many as 35,000 people could die unnecessarily as a result of delays and disruptions to their treatment because of lockdown. Our frontline cancer workforce are phenomenal and many of them have been redeployed to fight the Covid pandemic from their usual duties. Cancer departments across the UK were already struggling to cope pre-pandemic and it is vital that they are adequately supported as the recovery begins so that patients going through treatment or awaiting treatment, and those waiting for a diagnosis are given the best chances to beat cancer. Along with other chairs of Parliamentary Groups who tackle issues related to cancer, I have written to the Secretary of State for Health regarding a cancer recovery plan but have yet to receive a response. We need the UK Government to take this seriously and consider those ordinary people who are facing something just as scary as the Covid pandemic. You may have seen the BBC Panorama programme on Britain’s cancer crisis last week which laid bare the current situation. People are concerned and, quite rightly, angry. Kelly Smith tragically passed away aged just 31 from bowel cancer after her life expectancy was drastically cut short as her chemotherapy was stopped as a direct result of Covid-19. Her parents, Craig and Mandy Russell, in collaboration with Radiotherapy for Life have set up a Catch Up with Cancer petition on Change.org which has received over 166,000 signatures. The comments people leave about why they’ve signed really do hit home: “My cancer surgery was postponed because of Covid-19,” “Cancer doesn’t go away because of Covid.” “Cancer deaths are every bit as tragic as Covid deaths and deserve and equal amount of effort to prevent them.” You can sign the petition here. It’s hard to know how to help people with cancer, particularly if you aren’t a close friend or family member, so it’s great to see that Macmillan are offering training and support to employers to enable them to best support employees affected by cancer. They’re offering masterclass webinars which are led by their expert trainers, either open sessions or bespoke training. 1 in 2 people will develop cancer at some point in their lives and so it is vital that there is as much awareness and support available as possible. To find out more about the webinars and to register, visit the Macmillan website here. The Welsh Government have this week announced that there will be a Land Transaction Tax (the Welsh equivalent of Stamp Duty) holiday in Wales until March next year and that £30 million in funding will be released for the building of energy efficient social houses. It’s vital that we build more social housing to support our population needs, but also that these houses are energy efficient. Not only will this help us reach our climate goals, but it will also help those most at need keep their energy bills low. With no wasted energy and homes that keep heat in, families can afford to keep their families warm in winter and have a few extra pounds in the kitty. I’m delighted to hear that the Cycle to Work scheme is going really well this year as participation more than doubled last month compared to 2019. With the benefits to your mental and physical health (as well as your finances), this scheme is a great way to incorporate physical activity into busy lifestyles in an affordable way. Employees who participate in the scheme can save up to 42% of the total cost of a new bike and, on average, scheme users have saved more than £700 on their annual commute. I would encourage Gower constituents to look into the scheme and take advantage of the benefits of cycling to work! You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Keep well and remember – keep washing your hands! The big news from Parliament this week was the Chancellor’s financial statement. There have been a number of good policies from this Chancellor and the Job Retention Scheme, while failing to protect all workers during this crisis, has undoubtedly saved jobs. However, withdrawing it from all sectors at the same time is nonsensical. There are many people already returning to work, who no longer need as much support, but at the same time, for those in the hospitality and theatre industries, there is no such security. We have no idea when it will be safe for theatres to return so why are we arbitrarily being given a date for their support to be withdrawn? There are so many people who are struggling as a result of the crisis and 50% off meals at restaurants is probably the last thing on their minds. Our food banks are still handing out food parcels to those who cannot afford to put meals on the table for their kids and the UK Government really need to consider how their proposals are going to help the hardest hit in our communities. This is sorely lacking at the moment.
This week, I spoke in the debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the paucity of services available to victims of domestic abuse with funding having been decimated over a decade of austerity. This Bill has been a long time coming, but it is very welcome. We now must ensure that at the heart of it is the provision of services to everyone and anyone affected by domestic abuse, be they male or female, LGBT+, migrants, or children. The Teenage Cancer Trust launched its report on Cancer and Coronavirus: the Impact on Young People this week. We’re all aware that the virus has had a huge impact on those with complex medical needs or facing treatment for other illnesses and conditions. The NHS has naturally had to redirect resources to tackle the immediate crisis, but that has been challenging for many. Those who have still had treatment have shared their experiences of feeling isolated during hard treatment without family able to be with them to support them and many found having to reiterate to people the necessity of strict isolation stressful and upsetting. It’s heart-breaking to hear some of the stories of teenagers who should be out enjoying themselves having to deal with situations that most adults would find difficult to ensure. We need to ensure that there is adequate support in place to ensure that no one feels alone, and everyone can find the help they need. You can read the full report here. Sport Wales have this week announced a £4 million fund to support some of the most valuable assets in our communities – the sports clubs and community groups that help people stay active and take part in sport. Issues around our levels of health, from the coronavirus being exacerbated by air pollution and obesity levels, have come to the fore and it is vital that our recovery post-covid takes sports into account. Particularly considering the mental toll the pandemic has had on us and the positive role sport and physical activity can play in supporting mental health as well as the physical benefits. We must ensure that sports are able to get back up and running as soon as possible to support both children and adults get back into physical activity and having fun with friends and teammates. Grassroots sports groups are invited to apply for a grant through the Sport Wales website here. The First Minister has today announced further easing of lockdown measures in Wales, with a number of changes expected in the coming weeks and covering hospitality, the beauty industry, tourism and leisure. It has also been announced this week that all children in Wales will be able to return to school in September, with an additional £29 million of funding provided to recruit teaching staff and help children catch up. As things change it's even more important that we continue to practise good hygiene and make sure we are up to date on what we can and can’t safely do. You can keep up with Welsh Government announcements on their dedicated Coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!  Each week I'd like to take a moment to celebrate and recognise the hard work of those who have done so much to help us get through this difficult and troubling time. Thank you to everyone who nominated their Gower Hero!
Here is the third wave of Gower Heros. If you have someone you'd like to nominate, you can do so here This week's Gower Heroes are: Lisa Stokes Nominated by: Samantha Thomas Lissa has worked tirelessly throughout Lockdown to help others. She has delivered face masks to me for my colleagues working in Social services with children and she has coordinated care bags for NHS Staff. She's always helping others and is always kind and thoughtful. She's amazing! Suzanne Stevens Nominated by: Kelly Evans Suzanne has worked tirelessly through the covid 19 pandemic ensuring all animal owners have the supplies they need, where people have been unable to collect she has taken extra time after work to deliver supplies. Suzanne goes above and beyond to help anyone she can. Rhi Gibbs During this pandemic Williams pets in Gowerton have gone above and beyond for their customers, opening early, closing late, delivering to those in isolation, contactless collections and all whilst smiling and keeping up beat, a local family run business that is the heart of the community that's even visited by the local pet lamb! Suzanne and her daughter Tiffany are always there to help no matter if your purchase is pence or pounds. I really think they should be recognised as this weeks Gower hero's Tiffany Stevens My mother owns a family run pet shop in Gowerton. She has stayed open throughout the whole pandemic. She has been offering delivery to people who have been shielding and haven’t been able to get out. She has stayed positive throughout making sure that everyone has their supplies for their pets. She has helped the Old Mill Foundation in penclawdd by selling their items from the shop. She has also been selling cards from We are Gower with proceeds going to the NHS. And even though she hasn't had the best two years personally she has made sure that everyone else is put first. We are celebrating 21 years in business in September and i think she truly deserves to be called a Gower Hero. She always goes above and beyond for her customers and the community. Joanne Barnett Suzanne is there for the local community going well over and above, not only running her own business working hours over her business opening delivering all over the Gower to those who are self isolating. She also is selling products for local businesses The Old Mill Foundation, GG's ice-cream and Joe's Ice cream. Also selling Frenchic paint in her shop for many families to help with boredom and not forgetting plenty of plants!! Gower Riders Nominated by: Phil Walton Since lockdown was very first announced we had to end all cycling activity but decided to convert it to a virtual platform, using Zoom. 6 coaches have worked a rota to deliver a 1 hour training session EVERYDAY during lockdown . We made the sessions open to anyone who wants to join and we've had people join from riders join from West Wales, Cardiff, Bristol, Newport, Rhyl and even Bolton. We felt it was important to provide a dedicated time for our members to join each other everyday, take regular exercise, see friends and have a little normality in a world that has changed considerably in the past few months. The response has shown the dedication of the coaches to have been completely worthwhile and has maintained a sense of normality for riders who have joined. Sunday 28th June will be our 100th session and we're celebrating with a 5 hour epic session where participants are covering the distance from Swansea to Nice (where stage 2 of the Tour de France would have been taking place on that day) - riders will be measuring the total distance they cover and we hope to cover a combined total of almost 1700km in that time. For this event, the club are raising money for the Young Carers service at the YMCA - https://gf.me/u/x9mny5 In addition, one member, Ben Fox (15 yrs) has participated in every session and himself has raised more than £1500 for the Morriston Hospital ICU. Coaches to recognise as heroes: Gareth Govier Sherryl Bellfield Christian Fox Kathryn Elias Marcus Heuberger Phil Walton And of course, our young rider, Ben Fox for his inspirational effort. Gower Gin Company Nominated by: Steve Nelson My wife and I deliver parcels throughout Gower, on behalf of Hermes, and did so every day throughout lockdown. Hermes wouldn't supply us with hand sanitiser, despite us sorting, handling and delivering +150 parcels each day. We delivered and collected very many parcels, each day, from households that had signs on their front door saying that someone there was infected with COVID19. Of course, we have no hot water in our vans. I desperately tried to purchase hand sanitiser, in shops or online, but couldn't do so as everyone had sold out. I was very worried about spreading COVID19 to people across Gower, many of whom are old or were shielding for various reasons, or contracting the disease myself. Siân and Andrew Brooks of Gower Gin Company very kindly gave me, and other people delivering parcels and letters across Gower, free bottles of hand sanitiser. My family and I will be forever grateful for their kindness. Thank you. Thank you to every Gower Hero! We’ve had a win this week with the UK Government’s pledge to overhaul the family courts in order to better protect domestic abuse victims and their families. I have been supporting the #EndThisInjustice campaign for over a year alongside activists Rachel Williams and Sammy Woodhouse, and fellow Labour MPs, Jess Phillips, Carolyn Harris, Louise Haigh and Keir Starmer. There are far too many outdated views on domestic abuse within the courts which compound the suffering and injustice faced by too many families. I’ll now be watching carefully to make sure Ministers take the action they have pledged to change this. I also called on colleagues this week to join the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), a growing network of large and small businesses who work to enable employers to take action on domestic abuse – to raise awareness, to support those facing abuse, and to provide access to services to help perpetrators to stop. Our lives have changed beyond recognition over the last few months, and while I know some have found that a change in pace and more flexible working has brought benefits, for those facing domestic abuse, it has had terrifying consequences. Many have felt trapped at home with an abuser and with no way out. Work is such a big part of all our lives and the role employers can play in supporting employees to find help cannot be underestimated. You can read more about the EIDA and the work that they do here. The Welsh Government have announced that from Monday, two households will be able to join together to form a ‘bubble’ and meet indoors. This will enable families to reunite and spend more time together, something that I’m sure everyone has been looking forward to over the past few months. It will also help working families with childcare arrangements and allow greater flexibility for people to get back to work. The two households must remain the same for the foreseeable future, however, and should one member display symptoms of the virus, both households will need to self-isolate. Monday will also see the lifting of the ‘five mile’ rule, meaning Welsh citizens can travel further afield to see friends and family. With these changes being made, it's even more important that we stick to the social distancing guidance to keep the spread of Coronavirus down - we’ve worked so hard to look after each other and we cannot sacrifice the progress we have made. On Tuesday, during FCO questions in the Commons, I asked Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly about the UK Government’s current sanctions against Israel for their plan to illegally annex the West Bank. These clearly are not working. Strong words are not enough for the Palestinian people - they need strong actions. The Minister said that the Government was maintaining a dialogue with Israel and attempting to persuade them from this course of action. The vast majority of the international community considers the Israeli settlements within the West Bank and the Israeli intentions to extend its sovereignty over the region as illegal under international law and the UK must stand firm in asserting the rights of the Palestinian people. I want to say a huge thank you to Google, the Federation of Small Businesses, and all the Gower businesses who attended the Digital Marketing Webinar on Friday last week. Rebecca Evans MS and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from you all and there were plenty of tips for operating businesses in this new and strange world! It’s been heartening to see the innovation that has happened in Gower and how businesses have rallied round to continue operating during this crisis. I am cautiously optimistic for the future of the amazing place we call home. This weekend is the 72nd birthday of our wonderful NHS. On Sunday, 5th July at 5pm, I will join with everyone around the country as we celebrate and thank all the marvellous people who make up the NHS workforce. From the doctors and nurses, to the porters and cleaners, you have worked so hard and with such dedication during this crisis and we all owe you so much. It’s fantastic to see the support that has been shown to our brave men and women on the frontline of this crisis and I hope that our gratitude and appreciation for what a remarkable institution the NHS is long outlives this pandemic. Thank you all. You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!  Each week I'd like to take a moment to celebrate and recognise the hard work of those who have done so much to help us get through this difficult and troubling time. Thank you to everyone who nominated their Gower Hero!
Here is the second wave of Gower Heros. If you have someone you'd like to nominate, you can do so here This week's Gower Heroes are: Ryan Jermin Nominated by: Emily Jermin Ryan has volunteered throughout the entirety of the Covid-19 pandemic with Gorseinon Council. He helps out by picking up and delivering prescriptions in the local area. He delivers door to door by foot, often going out of his way in all weather (including the recent heat wave!). He also volunteers at Gorseinon’s food bank which offers individuals in need extra food and supplies. Ryan volunteers having recently graduated from the University of Durham with a Masters degree whilst looking for a job. Ryan is incredibly selfless and does things only with others in mind and doesn’t seek any recognition. He is autistic, which has presented challenges throughout his life but has raised to the occasion to advance his social skills and help others in need. Shepherds Shepherd’s fruit and veg Nominated by: Dawn Latham Shepherd’s have been working flat out to provide fruit and veg for all their customers, old and new. They have coped marvellously at this difficult time and always with a smile!Thanks to everyone there! David Huxtable Nominated by: Sara Nabialek This man has been absolutely fantastic during the current crisis. David runs a martial arts club called G&K Kickboxing and runs classes for all ages in Gorseinon and Killay. When the crisis started he closed his club and started immediately running classes on Zoom. My children and many others have been able to carry on with their lessons in our living room. They even managed to complete their 3 monthly gradings via zoom. He has been absolutely fantastic with the kids and has even given up his time to give extra 121 lessons free of charge. It’s been lovely for them to have a bit of normality during this time. He has been absolutely dedicated to his students and has made sure that they don’t miss out on anything. Despite the crisis he has been highly organised and everything has been well run. David and his team should be very proud of themselves and I’m very proud that my children are part of his club. Mr Hux as he is fondly known by his kickboxing family at G&K Martial Arts Academy has worked tirelessly since lockdown began to ensure his students can continue to train in order to progress with kickboxing. He has held sessions via zoom to ensure training can take place and recently students did the first ever online grading via zoom!!! He has offered not only ongoing training but emotional support to students and their families all whilst worrying about his daughter, a doctor for the NHS. In fact he organised a zoom Q&A for younger students about Covid-19 with his daughter, Dr Amy Huxtable-Harvey, so they could ask about anything that was worrying them!! His son, Daniel, has been supporting him and the students the entire time so I guess they are all heroes in their own right. Mr Hux always goes the extra mile but since lockdown he has gone even further!! He truly deserves recognition and I know that every single one of his 400+ students will agree with me when I say Mr Hux is our hero!! Francesca O'Brien Nominated by: Juliet Rees Francesca created a group of volunteers in the Gower and she has worked tirelessly for months, seven days a week, to support local community residents. She has delivered food, collected prescriptions, picked up shopping (even a birthday cake from Mumbles, which she took to Llanmorlais), amongst many other things.I have been working as a local area coordinator, covering South Gower and there have been many occasions when I have had cause to seek help for residents across this area. Whenever I have contacted Francesca, she has always been so chearful and helpful and she resolves the issues swiftly and efficiently and without complaint. Francesca is also a volunteer for the army cadets and she has a young famiily. Her dedication to the community during this difficult period is exemplary. Thank you to every Gower Hero! |