[New] A NEW YEAR FOCUS ON NEW CAMPAIGNS

appreciated, especially on those late nights and weekends when we are still busy working to help people.

It is hard to believe that a year has now passed since local residents gave me the greatest honour in electing me as the first homegrown MP for our area. In that time, my small office team and I have sent over 25,000 emails and letters to help local people, alongside my many duties in Westminster and supporting excellent community initiatives every week.

Whilst my first year in parliament has been very challenging, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for all the messages of support, which really are

As we leave 2022, it is also a good time to reflect upon some highlights of what we achieved as a community in Sidcup. This includes two new post offices and a range of new businesses opening on the high street, new modern trains on the Sidcup Line, additional funding to help local schools including successful bids for new buildings and playgrounds, the patriotic Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late HM The Queen, a Green Flag Award for the brilliant volunteers at the Sidcup Place Community Garden, the fantastic events organised by Sidcup Partners and other community groups throughout the year and the outpouring of heartfelt support from the Sidcup community for Ukraine. It was a real privilege to support many of these excellent community and charitable initiatives, and most recently to have been able to donate hundreds of books to local schools and also boxes of toys for St. John’s Ukrainian Orphanage Toy Appeal.

I know that Sidcup residents will also join me in welcoming the further investment at Queen Mary’s Hospital, including the two new operating theatres to help with NHS backlogs, and the openings of the Crisis Call Centre to help people with their mental health and “The James Brokenshire Conference Room” in honour of our late friend. After much hard work, I am pleased that our bid for a new community diagnostics hub in Sidcup is now at an advanced stage within the NHS. If successful, this would be a multi-million-pound investment in our local hospital and would help patients access more health services in Sidcup.

As we enter the New Year, my focus continues to be on delivering for our area and supporting local people with cost of living pressures, which are predominantly being caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine and the global economic hangover from the pandemic. This includes working to deliver further investment and extra services at Queen Mary’s, continuing to encourage local GPs to deliver more face-to-face appointments, supporting funding bids for local schools and for investments in our high street, ensuring access to cash by lobbying the banks, campaigning for a reversal of Southeastern’s train timetable changes and fighting against the London Mayor’s ULEZ expansion to Bexley, which is opposed by thousands of local people because of the negative impact it will have on businesses, families and the likes of nurses and police officers working in Sidcup.

I will end this update by wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year, and if anyone requires assistance, please do get in touch. You can also keep up to date with my work via my regular newsletter by subscribing at www.louiefrench.org.uk

Most people who step into Indian Rose, the fashion and gift boutique located on Sidcup High Street, remember the experience.

As co-founder of Indian Rose, Jane Elsden explains it is often just as much about soaking up the mood inside the store as it is about actually making a purchase.

“Our customers frequently tell us they love to come to spend some time and soak up the mood, Its Ibiza meets Shoreditch…. exotic and slightly bohemian”

Jane and her business partner and co- founder Veronica have known each other since school – age 11 to be exact.

Jane’s background is in retail and estate agency – so she has been ‘selling’ in one form or other since her teens.

Veronica enjoyed a career in banking until joining her school friend in the Indian Rose venture. Their skill sets complement each other well and Jane is also keen to stress the superb effort of all the boutique’s staff.

“Our customer service is superb because of the fantastic team we have – five people, plus myself and Veronica.