Visiting the wonderful Betel House in Hexham

Betel House in Hexham is a special place. I recently revisited the site and met with Sir Peter Vardy, and David and Brenda Cox, who run Betel House in Hexham. The site is part of Betel UK, an independent charity (not funded by the state) for people affected by the hardships that lead to social exclusion, long term unemployment, homelessness, and addiction. The Hexham site provides a tried and tested model of recovery and retraining in a safe, structured, family-like environment with consistent peer-support. Residents are encouraged to aspire to a new and healthier lifestyle and learn character-building principles at home, and through work, to enable them to build a stable and drug/alcohol-free future for themselves. Residents also help to fund their own recovery by working in a charitable business, which in Hexham includes furniture repair and gardening. I have visited several times and featured Betel in my book Doing Time. It was also inspiring to meet and listen to David and Brenda and to learn all about the work they are doing that is helping local people to recover and make a better life for themselves. I am a massive supporter of what they do. 

#TalkDemocracy

The very first National Democracy Week kicks off on Monday 2^ndJuly 2018, marking the 90^thanniversary of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act, which gave women the same voting rights as men. The aim of the week is to encourage democratic participation, with a particular emphasis on the fact that every single voice matters. There is still over a month to go until the event begins, however there are plenty of resources available to help you mark the week. Whether you want to engage young people in our democracy or would like to hold or participate in a National Democracy Week event to celebrate progress and champion future democratic participation, the link below contains information, ideas and resources to help you get involved.

https://democracyweek.campaign.gov.uk/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=MinisterPhoto&utm_campaign=EVENTSPACK

That's how to put on a show

I had a great day at the Northumberland County Show yesterday, where I judged and presented prizes to some of the brilliant stands on display. I really enjoyed looking around the stands, which showcased some of the best products Northumberland has to offer, and meeting the people behind our great local businesses and organisations. Everyone I spoke to was having a great day, and with so much to see and do, the Show made for the perfect bank holiday day out. It was a fantastic day with great weather- well done to everyone that helped organise it!