David Kirsopp- Haydon Bridge United's MVP!

Earlier this week I met with David Kirsopp, a recent winner of my Hexham Constituency Community Champion Awards, and his wife Avril. David was nominated for the award for his decades of devotion and service to Haydon Bridge United AFC, a club which is a huge part of his family tradition as David's father and grandfather were also stalwarts of the club.

I really enjoyed looking around the facilities at the football club. Despite flooding at the end of 2015, the Club House has been repaired and is now home to teams ranging from the Development Squad (aged 5 years) right through the age ranges up to adult. There are five pitches, one of which is full-sized, and it was great to see this brilliant facility and to speak with people who are so enthusiastic and devoted to the football club.

Founded in 1880, Haydon Bridge United AFC is such an important part of the Haydon Bridge community, and David and Avril, along with many others, do a fantastic job. I would like to congratulate David once again on his well-deserved award.

If you are in the Haydon Bridge area and passionate about football, I would definitely encourage you to get in touch with Haydon Bridge United AFC!

http://www.haydonbridgeunited.co.uk/home.html

New Jobs, New Opportunities, New Beginnings- Success at my Tynedale Jobs Fair!

Yesterday was third my annual Tynedale Jobs Fair, and with hundreds of people attending and nearly 50 businesses and employers there looking to hire, it really was a fantastic day. It was great to see so many people come along and talk to businesses across a wide range of sectors- there was something for everyone, with jobs available in retail, construction, the Royal Navy and much more! And best of all, I spoke to many people who left having filled out application forms and having found a new job- one person may well be starting their new job as soon as Monday!

It was also great to welcome local secondary school children from Prudhoe Community High School and Corbridge Middle School, giving them the chance to find out what jobs and opportunities are available both in school holidays and in the long-term before they make important choices at GCSE level. It's never too early to start thinking about future career plans and volunteering opportunities!

Employment levels in Northumberland are remarkably high, with only 3% of the Hexham constituency population unemployed, and the North East employment rate is at a record high. This government has already done so much to tackle unemployment, with 4380 new apprenticeships created in the constituency since 2010, but there is still more to be done. That's why it is so important to hold events like the Tynedale Jobs Fair to help as many people as possible find the right job for them, and so I am delighted that yesterday's event was such a success.

People left the Jobs Fair yesterday with a job that they didn't have when they woke up that morning. New opportunities and new beginnings- that's got to be a success!

24 hour care to resume at Hexham Hospital - a great result for my long campaign

I was delighted to be invited to Hexham Hospital yesterday for the long-awaited announcement that after nine months of closure the Overnight Care Service at Hexham Hospital is to be reopened and 24 hour care reinstated.  

I have led a long and robust campaign to get the Centre reopened since it was first closed on a temporary basis last December, and have been supported in my campaign by many people.  Many constituents have contacted me to reiterate how important this service is to Hexham and Tynedale and since the closure was first announced I have had numerous meetings with patients, nurses and Trust managers to stress the fact that overnight care must restart and that promises were made at the time of the opening of the Cramlington Specialist Emergency Care Hospital that Hexham would keep its 24 hour service. 

Following the recruitment of 65 extra nurses, the reopening of Hexham overnight will mean that capacity is released for the Cramlington hospital to deal with the most serious emergencies.  I have been able to convince the Trust of the financial, and indeed the clinical case for reopening the overnight facility - the nurses are delighted and so are the people of Hexham and Tynedale.  A great result.