Shadow Home Secretary in Bradford West

Chris Grayling, the Conservative Shadow Home Secretary, came to my campaign office to gain an insight to an organisation called Con – Sequence.

Con-Sequence is a West Yorkshire based organisation set up to deliver workshops and presentations to young people highlighting the consequences stemming from getting involved with anti-social and criminal related activities.

Encourage and support young people to manage their own learning in order that they maximise their potential.

The workshops and presentations delivered by Con-Sequence tackle a range of issues including: Drugs, Knife crime, Gun crime and Prison life.

If you need further information about this organisation then you can visit their web site at – www.con-sequence.co.uk

Visit to Bradford University

This week I took the opportunity to visit Bradford University and discuss with some of the students the issues that were facing them.

In Bradford we have fantastic educational facilities for higher education and a rich and diverse curriculum that caters for a wide range of employment opportunities.

The students showed me some of the studies that they were currently undertaking and how they work in a relaxed environment.

Haiti Earthquake

Recently, the poorest country in the western hemisphere was hit head-on by an enormous earthquake.

I’m sure you’ve seen the heart-wrenching images of Haiti. The full impact of the earthquake is still emerging, but it’s clear that hundreds of thousands of people have either been killed or left homeless.

It’s essential that this small nation gets the help it needs as quickly as possible.
Britain is an incredibly compassionate and generous nation.
We showed that five years ago when the British public raised £350m in the wake of the Boxing Day Tsunami, and I’ve no doubt we will show it again.

The best way for you to help, if you haven’t already, is to donate directly to the Disaster Emergency Committee. Whether you can afford to give £5 or £500, it all makes a difference.

Call 0370 60 60 900 or visit the DEC website now to make your contribution.

In the meantime, I know our thoughts and prayers are with all those people who have suffered so much in that country over the last few days.

Year for Change

A very Happy New Year to you all. I want 2010 to be a Year for Change across Bradford West and the country.

I’ll be keeping in touch with you in the coming months and many of you should have already received my latest magazine with what I’ve been doing, plus a feature on David Cameron.

You can download the magazine here >>

Visit to the Kidmat Centre with Chris Grayling

This week I invited the Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling MP, to see the work that is being done at the Kidmat Centre on Spencer Road.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling MP (centre) with Zahid Iqbal

This fantastic centre provides useful information and advice on essential issues, such as home safety, health care and employment. After answering questions from those who gathered, we both took time to discuss important local issues that matter to the local community.

Chris and I were extremely impressed by the level of care that was being offered to the whole community and especially to those who suffer from disabilities.

As well as offering practical advice the centre also has a community café, provides training rooms and has a well equipped sports hall. I believe that community centres like this can deliver key local services and tailor themselves to suit specific needs.

Christmas lights switch-on

Thornton Christmas lights switch on was a fantastic event, although it was a cold damp evening!

I had the opportunity to meet a number of families and chat to local residents who were all excited about Christmas, especially the children.

I hope that every one has a Happy Christmas and I look forward to meeting many more people in the New Year as I go canvassing around the Bradford West area.

Taking a closer look at health issues

I have taken a tour of the Listening For Life Centre in Bradford, which has just recently opened. The facility, which has the latest state of the art equipment to test people with hearing difficulties, is a first for Bradford.

On entering this new facility you immediately get the feeling of quality, not just in the building, but in the service that is being provided. One of my family members has suffered from a hearing defect so I know how important it is to get the right treatment at the right time.

Having a good quality health care service in Bradford is something that I believe every one has the right to and I will continue to campaign for this to be maintained.

You can find further details about this centre at http://www.eartrust.org.uk/contact_us.html

Bulb planting in Thornton

The local environment is getting a spring clean in Thornton.

Over the past few weeks there have been thousands of daffodil bulbs planted on the main roads in to Thornton village. I joined some of the volunteers and lent a hand!

I really enjoy getting involved in community projects like this and in spring next year the whole area will be a wash with colour.

Road Safety Campaign

I have been highlighting road safety issues during my campaign, which affect so many people across my constituency area.

Recently I had the opportunity to take Theresa Villiers MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, on a tour of Clayton.

I have actively been supporting Local councillors who have been working with residents to introduce traffic calming measures. 

I would like to see more powers devolved to local authorities to make it easier for local issues to be addressed.

Please let me know if you have a highways issue in your area.

Giving Blood

Last week, I went to the blood donor centre in Bradford to see the work they do.

I’m a big supporter of the campaign to get more people across the city to give blood because of the huge demand every day.

If you want to get involved visit www.blood.co.uk – I’d really encourage you to think about helping save lives.