At the start of November, I held a Senior Citizens Advice and Information Fair at Lincombe Barn, Downend. The exhibitors were a combination of intervention-based support providers catering for health or care needs that unfortunately affect older constituents, as well as activity and community-based groups that help to keep people active in everyday life and provide an opportunity to learn new skills. Many constituents came along to hear information and advice from the exhibitors on a wide range of topics. It was great to be able to bring a range of those organisations together in one place for constituents to be able to drop by and discuss issues in person.
Each November, the attention of the whole nation turns to Remembrance Sunday, which is a poignant reminder of the enormous sacrifice made by service personnel in the defence of our freedom and way of life in both World Wars, as well as conflicts since. This year was particularly moving and significant because it was the centenary of the end of the First World War, but also because it fell on Remembrance Sunday itself.
It was an honour to attend services and lay wreaths at remembrance events both at MOD Abbeywood, and at St Peter’s Church, Pilning. The Stoke Gifford British Legion, which I am honoured to be Vice-President, has been doing fantastic work in raising money with the Poppy Appeal, so that the British Legion can continue to do its fantastic work right across the country.
I visited the Wild Place Project to discuss their plans for a new exhibit, Bear Wood, which will open in summer 2019. The exhibit is aimed to transform you back in time to when the Woodlands were inhabited by European brown bears, European wolves, Eurasian lynx and wolverine. The project highlights the effects of woodland loss on our native wildlife, as well as represents the past and present, as well as what is at stake. I am glad that Wild Place Project has included a classroom to allow for Bear Wood to be utilised for education. This project shows Wild Place's continued commitment to developing our areas leisure offering, as well as to their conservation work.
I also recently met with representatives from the Environment Agency and South Gloucestershire Council, as well as local resident and campaigner, Lisa Presland, to discuss plans for the improvement of flood defences that may mean the loss of 500 poplar trees in Pilning. I will continue to work to ensure that the views of local residents are heard.
If you would like to discuss anything with me, be it as a resident, organisation or business, please contact my constituency office in Bradley Stoke on 01454 617783 or email me on jack.lopresti.mp@parliament.uk to arrange a surgery appointment, or to arrange a visit to your premises. For further details, visit www.jacklopresti.com.
