Category Archives: Achievements

Kingston and Elmbridge Junior Snorkelling Club

Last night, I went along to a reception at the House of Commons to congratulate Nick Stevens and Adam Curtis of Kingston and Elmbridge Junior Snorkellers Club (KEJSC) on their £10,000 award from the Aviva Community Fund.

The Club was awarded the money last year and the prize money will allow KEJSC to buy a much-needed safety boat for use in open water safety training, as well as purchasing other safety measures such as life jackets and rescue equipment.

The Club was founded in 1974, and is run entirely by volunteers. It now has around 50 members, meeting every Tuesday at the Xcel Leisure Centre in Walton, with annual trips to Dorset so that the more senior members can enjoy snorkelling in the sea.

Snorkelling is a fun activity that people of all ages and abilities can become involved with and the junior snorkellers gain confidence and qualifications by undertaking new experiences and adventures. 

You can read more about KEJSC here, and more about the funding they received from the Aviva Community Fund here.

Catch-up with Browns Community Services

On Friday, I met with Angeline Gore (pictured) and Charlotte Waldron from the inspirational not-for-profit social enterprise Browns Community Services.

Ms Gore, the Chief Executive, briefed me on how the organisation provides bespoke social care for vulnerable adults across Surrey and Berkshire, including here in Elmbridge. Browns works with individuals – from young victims of grooming to ex-offenders – to build-up their confidence, help them to address any substance abuse or personal challenges and support them back into work and training.

The group runs a number of programmes, including the ‘Rebuild Project’, which supports families by providing vulnerable children, teenagers and adults with a 26-week course of counselling. It also operates the ‘4Es to Employment Course’, which has an impressive 98% success rate for getting ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed into one of paid work, volunteering or education. The Rebuild Project has recently won financial backing from the National Lottery Fund, which has enabled Browns to appoint a dedicated Rebuild Child Exploitation Parent Support Worker to work one-to-one with families.

Ms Gore also introduced me to a local resident who has benefited from the Rebuild Project. She told me first-hand about the invaluable support she and her family had received from Browns.

You can find out more information about Browns here.

Maori Oxshott Cricket Club Wins Funding for a New Astro Wicket

In November, I blogged about the Aviva Community Fund, which awards funding for community projects across the country. You can read the post here. So, I was pleased to learn that Maori Oxshott Cricket Club has been awarded £1,000 towards the installation of a new Astro wicket surface at their ground on Steel’s Lane, Oxshott. The club had already raised an impressive £7,000 themselves, and the extra boost from the Aviva Community Fund has enabled them to reach their target. The new Astro surface is more durable than the old grass one, which has suffered wear and tear over the years. The Astro wicket will save money in the long-term, and enable practice sessions and some matches to take place in bad weather conditions.

Maori Oxshott Cricket Club is open to cricketers of all ages and abilities, from age 4 to 80, and is located in the heart of the village. The new wicket is due to be installed ready for the beginning of the 2018 season. You can read more about the club here.

Back to the Ministry of Justice

I was honoured and delighted to be asked to join Theresa May’s new government. I am returning to the Ministry of Justice as a Minister of State under Justice Secretary David Lidington, and with a terrific ministerial and civil service team. I’m looking forward to supporting the department’s reform agenda, from the criminal justice system to law reform.

You can read my bio on the Ministry of Justice’s website here.

Elmbridge Young Persons Awards

Last Friday, I presented the awards at the annual Elmbridge Young Persons Awards. The ceremony pays tribute to youngsters across the borough, who have demonstrated courage in adversity, proved exceptional carers in their families, and raised money for charity.

Organised by Surrey Police Volunteers, led by Lynn Hunt, the awards recognise the inspirational character and achievement of young people in our community. Surrey Police Commissioner David Munro listed the winners and pictured the event on his blogsite here. I felt honoured to be invited and join the occasion to show my support.

The Great British High Street Awards

The Parade in Claygate has been shortlisted for the final three in the Great British High Street awards in the local centre/parade of shops category! There were over 900 entries to the awards this year, so it is great that Claygate has made it this far. The winner of each category will be decided via a public vote (50%) and a judging visit (50%).

The public vote is now open, and you can vote here. Voting is free and open until Friday 18th November.

Local Unemployment at Lowest Level for 9 Years

The monthly unemployment figures published by the Office for National Statistics this week, yet again, showed a welcome fall in national unemployment. The unemployment rate is at its lowest since mid-2008, with more people in work than ever before and average earnings rising by a healthy 3%. It was particularly encouraging to see a sharp drop in youth unemployment, with the number of unemployed 16-24 year-olds falling by 40,000, down by 5% from the previous quarter.

But, Esher & Walton constituency has done even better! The local unemployment benefit claimant count (312) is now lower than at any point since January 2006, falling by 30% over the last year alone. This gives us the 8th lowest claimant rate of any parliamentary constituency in the UK, with just 0.6% of the local working-age adult population claiming unemployment benefit. Similarly, we have the joint fifth-lowest claimant rate among 18-24 year-olds of any constituency in the country.

It’s fantastic to see such vibrant local job creation. It’s a credit both to the many entrepreneurs and small businesses across the constituency, and the economic stability and competitiveness the government has instilled since 2010. We need to keep working hard to cut the deficit, cut taxes, and return the revenue from local business rates back to the local community – that will make a big difference here in Elmbridge.