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News from Your Local MP

Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 09:15, Wed 8 August 2012:

WELCOME!

Here’s the latest edition of my regular newsletter.

VISIT TO ROLLS ROYCE

Last week I visited Rolls Royce at their site in Filton to meet staff, managers, apprentices and union representatives, and to learn more about the current projects and future plans of the successful company. Rolls Royce employs more than 3,500 staff at its Bristol site, 120 of whom live in Bristol South, including one of the apprentices I met during my visit. I was given a fascinating tour of the defence aerospace assembly factory and the state-of-the-art operations centre and was interested to hear about the company’s contribution to the local economy and commitment to education. It was fantastic to witness first-hand the work of Rolls Royce staff and to hear directly from employees about their experiences of working for the company. At a time of high unemployment it’s great to see a successful organisation providing a large number of jobs in the Bristol area.

WINDMILL HILL CITY FARM HISTORY PROJECT

Earlier this week I was interviewed for a project which focuses on the history of Windmill Hill City Farm. As many of you will know, the Farm is a wonderful community resource with a wide range of facilities and activities available for local residents. I was one of a group of people who helped to establish the Farm 36 years ago and I’m very proud that the Farm has flourished over the years and remains a focal point of the community today. More information about what’s on offer at the Farm is available on the following website: http://www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk/

CELEBRATING A WONDERFUL TEACHING CAREER

Last month I attended an event at Hartcliffe Children’s Centre held especially to mark the retirement of their long-serving and popular Headteacher, Lynne James. It is clear that all the children, parents and many people from the wider community value the enormous contribution Lynne has made to early years education in the Hartcliffe area since she started work there in 1977. Lynne’s determination and commitment has been truly inspiring and I wish her all the best for a happy retirement.

PLAY DAY

I went along to the annual celebration of Bristol Play Day which took place on College Green last week. The event is a great opportunity to promote the importance of play in children’s lives and I was interested to see the range of activities on offer for children and young people to try out. As a former Children’s Minister I know how important it is for children to have time to play – it can be a great learning experience, and active play is important for health and well being. More information about the history of PlayDay is available on the following website: www.playday.org.uk

BTEC AWARD

Apprenticeships are vital to getting our economy back on track. Over the last few years, I have met a number of outstanding apprentices from all spheres. I recently attended an Airbus Awards evening where I met a range of apprentices, including several young people as you might expect, but also older people who had decided – either following redundancy or just wanting a change – to retrain. Whatever their age, the apprentices were incredibly committed to learning new skills.

That commitment was evident in abundance at a Parliamentary event I attended in July to celebrate those taking the BTEC apprenticeships. I was especially delighted to meet the Apprentice of the Year, who lives right here in south Bristol. James has done an outstanding job at the BBC’s world famous Natural History unit and I’m sure his apprenticeship will lead to a very successful career.

ANY QUESTIONS?

If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Just email me at dawn.primarolo.mp@parliament.uk, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH.