Cat Smith MP

CAT SMITH MP

A happy December to you all! What an odd year this has been!

Having started the beginning of 2021 in lockdown, I’m glad to say the first occasion I had of being able to get back out into the constituency, was

to visit Over Wyre. After months of virtual meetings, it was lovely to visit the two primary schools in Preesall and watch the children enjoy being back in each other’s company. In both schools the children were doing something really special. At Fleetwood’s Charity every family was invited to purchase a young fruit tree and to plant it in person on the perimeter of the playing field. I was delighted to attend the opening of their fruit orchard. Over at Carters, the pupils had designed, built and sown a new allotment area. They’ve gone on to grow and sell their produce to fund the purchase of new seeds for the next growing season. It occurred to me that following a period where it felt like time almost stood still, it was interesting that school staff, youngsters and their families came together to mark a new beginning, by planting something. Planting is such a hopeful thing to do and it was a fantastic, life affirming experience, that after months of uncertainty, youngsters were using their time to focus not on the past but on the future.

Since then, I’ve been back regularly visiting local businesses in Over Wyre and its remarkable how diverse they all are – from agriculture to manufacturing and from engineering to logistics. Some companies with a global reach have faced difficulties this year travelling overseas. I’ve been pleased to help them navigate the constantly changing rules caused by Brexit and Covid. At the time of writing, I’ve so far received 11,000 emails this year requesting help or highlighting a concern. Myself and my fantastic team of caseworkers have helped 6,000 people – from finding emergency accommodation, supporting asylum seekers, advocating on behalf of people, helping to overturn wrong decisions on benefits, supporting people with employment issues, writing to Ministers, helping people with health concerns, supporting struggling businesses and running the London Marathon to raise money for the Lancaster and Fleetwood foodbanks!

When you run for charity you want to be able to help everyone but sadly that’s impossible so I’d like to give a big shout out to Natasha Wright and her team who have set up a Community Interest Company and provide food parcels for those in need across Over