Speaking in the House of Commons, Shailesh Vara pays tribute to NHS staff for not only caring for those who are ill, but also the wonderful emotional support they give to their loved ones.

Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

May I join in the congratulations to the Prime Minister and Carrie Symonds on the birth of their son? I was recently speaking with a lady who, very sadly, lost her husband in hospital to covid-19. She spoke of the fantastic care given to her husband by the NHS staff, but she also spoke of the incredible support she and her family received from those same NHS workers. ​Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating NHS staff not only on caring for those who are ill, but on the wonderful support they give to their loved ones? [902030]

Dominic Raab

First, may I pass on my very deepest condolences to the widow in my hon Friend’s constituency? I, along with other Ministers, have the grim task of reading out the total death toll at the press conferences, and I always walk away ashen-faced at what this must mean for individual families up and down the country. He is right to pay tribute to those in the NHS, who are doing an amazing job, and I think all of us across the House paid tribute to them and the care workers, particularly with our minute’s silence yesterday. My hon. Friend is absolutely right also to say that they are not just there to treat the physical condition, whether coronavirus or otherwise; they do an amazing job as providers of emotional support for patients and their families, and that is too easily overlooked as we come through this crisis.

Hansard

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Shailesh Vara MP officially opened a new building at Sawtry Village Academy last Friday in Sawtry near Huntingdon.

The Academy was successful in receiving £2 million funding for the building from Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People Committee. This followed a long campaign which included a Government ministerial meeting arranged by Mr Vara as well as considerable effort by Cllr Simon Bywater, Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People Committee. Also very active with the campaign were Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust CEO Mark Woods and members of the local community.

The additional funding has meant that the buildings in the school most needing renewal could be replaced by the new purpose-built building, which includes 18 new classrooms.

Mr Vara was joined at the opening ceremony by Cllr Simon Bywater, Headteacher Simon Parsons, Academy Trust CEO Mark Woods, former principal and now executive Principal of the academy Sarah Wilson along with pupils from the academy.

Following the opening Mr Vara said:

“I am delighted to see this fantastic new building completed. Students, parents and staff at the academy can rightly be very proud of these new facilities.

“The school was in desperate need of refurbishment and the funding from the County Council has been monumental in moving this new build project forward.

“All of this would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of so many people including Cllr Bywater, Mark Woods and the local community.”

Cllr Simon Bywater added:

“It has been a long campaign to secure the funding for this project, but it has all been worthwhile and I am very pleased to see the new building completed and in use.

“The new classroom facilities are wonderful and will now provide an excellent learning environment for the students, giving them the opportunity to succeed with their education”.

Photo: Mark Woods, Cllr Simon Bywater, Simon Parsons, Shailesh Vara MP, Sarah Wilson, Amy Fullam and Ben Tomsett.

Shailesh Vara MP recently met with Stuart Foster, Chief Executive Officer of RECOUP, a leading authority on plastic waste and resource management, to discuss the importance of plastic recycling and the need to change the behaviour of industry.

In the UK it is estimated that five million tonnes of plastic is used every year, nearly half of which is packaging. Without urgent action to cut demand, it is estimated that 34 billion tonnes of plastic will have been manufactured globally by 2050.

Mr Vara is keen to see changes made to plastic waste, which can take centuries to decompose. Plastic has many benefits but change is needed to reduce the amount of plastic that is sent to landfill, discarded in our local communities and which pollutes our rivers, oceans and natural habitats.

RECOUP is based in Peterborough and it recognises the pressure and attention that has been placed on reducing plastics in recent years. The company works across various sectors to deliver change through increased recycling and better use of plastic resources.

Mr Vara discussed with Mr Foster the need to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste and heard of the work that RECOUP are doing locally and nationally to support many organisations including Peterborough City Council, Unilever, Coca Cola and many more.

Mr Vara said: “It was good to meet with Stuart to hear of RECOUP’s work to implement change with plastic and their plans to expand their expertise to the Greater Peterborough region.

“There are a number of benefits to plastic, but it is important that it is recycled and reused in the correct way so that we can protect our natural environment for future generations. Large organisations play an integral role in this but we also need to do all we can to encourage people to recycle and use resources more efficiently.”

Stuart Foster, CEO for RECOUP added: “It was fantastic to have the opportunity to discuss environmental issues and particularly plastics resources and recycling with Mr Vara. His enthusiasm and support for our work is very much welcomed.

“Our work now is more important than ever before with the environment and plastics firmly in the media, consumer and political spotlight. We are keen to continue supporting local and national activities to help consumers and businesses make a real difference through recycling more, reducing waste and preventing litter”.

Photo: Shailesh Vara MP and Stuart Foster from RECOUP.

Shailesh Vara MP recently met with Tracy Hyland, Chief Executive of Disability Huntingdonshire who are based in Papworth and work throughout the local area. Mr Vara saw the wonderful work that they do to support people with disabilities in the local area.

Disability Huntingdonshire (DISH) provides a range of support to disabled people so they can continue to live an independent life. This includes benefit and mobility support as well as guidance on educational provisions for children with disabilities.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:

“It is great to see the work that Tracy and her team are doing to support those with disabilities in Huntingdonshire. Disabled people face many barriers across a wide range of aspects of their lives and it is encouraging that there is a dedicated team available locally to help support them.”

Tracy Hyland added:

“We were very pleased that Mr Vara visited DISH to learn more about the work we do and how vital our service is for our local Disability community in Huntingdonshire & South Cambridgeshire. It was a very useful and informative visit.

Shailesh Vara MP recently visited the Sue Ryder Furniture Shop and Café in Stanground with Councillor Chris Harper to see the excellent work that the charity does in the community.

The Central Square shop is the first Sue Ryder of its kind locally offering affordable furniture and homeware in addition to having an onsite café.

Mr Vara and Cllr Harper met with Assistant Store Manager Serena Bull and discussed the vital work being done by volunteers and staff and how the charity’s presence in the community helps towards supporting care at Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough.

After the visit Mr Vara said:

“It was a pleasure to meet with Serena and her colleagues who offer a very friendly service in both the shop and café. Sue Ryder plays a significant role for many families in Peterborough at some very difficult times and it is good to see so many local residents supporting them.

“This is a great charity and I was very impressed with the commitment and dedication of all those involved. I very much hope that even more people will visit and support the café and shop.”

Cllr Harper added:

“It was great to welcome our MP on his visit to our ward and I'd particularly like to thank Shailesh for taking the time to visit and speak to the staff and patrons and enjoy lunch in the Sue Ryder Café. This is one of the great meeting points in our ward and Shailesh's support for those that work selflessly for a much loved local charity will be I know hugely welcomed. Ray, Brian and I regularly meet in the cafe for a coffee and chat and always receive a lovely warm welcome.”

Serena Bull, Assistant Manager for Sue Ryder Stanground said:

“What a lovely surprise staff and volunteers had at Sue Ryder Café/ furniture shop. Mr Vara and Councillor Harper popped into our café for lunch. They introduced themselves to all the staff and lovely volunteers and were both very interested in what Sue Ryder do and the impact our community café have in the Stanground area. We are looking forward to another visit soon as it helps the community realise the help and support they can access from their MPs and Councillors.”

Photo: Shailesh Vara MP, Ken Davies, Serena Bull, Linda Martinez-Christian and Cllr Chris Harper.