December '25 and January '26 Roundup!
Every month, I'm out and about across Southend West and Leigh as well as working hard in Westminster as your voice in Parliament.
As well as voting on new legislation to improve people's lives here at home and across the country, I'm also meeting brilliant local people and championing local voices.
Here's what I got up to recently!
My December and January Roundup!
As always, December and January were very busy months with work in both Westminster and Southend West & Leigh. Here are SIX highlights of those months' work!
Spreading Festive Cheer!
1
A particular highlight for me was my visit to the Children's Ward at Southend Hospital to give the children Christmas presents! I hope that the children enjoyed their gifts and everyone, including their parents and the wonderful staff looking after them, had a lovely Christmas!
2
A Frosted Dip!
On 7 December 2025, I joined the Mayor and some incredibly brave cold water swimmers for the Mayor's Charity Sea Dip! Raising money for Southend in Sight and Southend Hospital, this was certainly an interesting way to spend a Sunday afternoon! A huge well done to all involved!
3
Ramping It Up!
On 23 December, I joined the Leader of the Council, Daniel Cowan, the Mayor, and many other residents to celebrate Ramp Day! We finally saw the installation of a temporary ramp at Chalkwell Station! Well done to Cllr Cowan and all the council officers for meeting their promise to me and most importantly local residents!
Next Steps for SEND
4
I held a See Every Need workshop on 9 January with local parents, and representatives from the Southend SEND Independent Forum, SEND The Right Message, and the ICB as we discussed tangible ways to fix the broken SEND system. A detailed report was then sent to the Education Secretary!
5
Mental Health Matters
Ahead of "Blue Monday", on 18 January I held my first Walk and Talk focusing on supporting men's mental health in Belfairs Woods, supported by the brilliant Andy's Man Club. It was a hugely successful event, and I am proud of the work we have done to raise awareness and fight for better mental health outcomes for men and boys.
6
Casework Wins
Across December and January, my team and I helped constituents with over 900 new cases and answered more than 2,160 emails. Particular highlights included helping constituents raise road quality concerns, secured housing support for a constituent in need, and channelled local voices in debates about animal welfare concerns.