The people of Ukraine remain resolute in the defence of their country and this week their leader President Zelenskyy addressed the House of Commons by video feed. His passionate speech was deeply moving and was welcomed by us all in Parliament. It came on a week where the UK created the new International Ukraine Support Group along with Canada and the Netherlands, to coordinate global efforts and provide long-term humanitarian, economic, and military support to Ukraine. To this end, we have also pledged an additional £100 million in aid – making the UK the largest bilateral humanitarian donor to Ukraine.
Closer to home, there has been an incredible outpouring of support – with Chichester’s Market Cross lit up in yellow and blue, as well as, donation drives organised by local community groups. One such endeavour is Ukraine Sunflower Aid, which has collected donations from the Midhurst community, they are due to be driven to Ukraine on Monday next week.
I recently visited the wonderful team at Chichester Job Centre Plus to catch up on their work and that of The Chichester Youth Hub, which supports 18 to 24-year-olds find employment, work experience, apprenticeships, or Kickstart roles. Kickstart alone has already provided 240 local young people with six months paid work placements to gain key skills and experience that will help them to find long-term employment.
Whilst there it was great to meet Sally Funnell, the senior leader for our area, and Tim Claydon, who supports people with disabilities find work. This is a massive challenge for me personally in my role as Minister for Care and Mental Health – as often disabilities, and/or mental health issues can be a significant barrier to the workplace. It was fantastic to hear the huge amount of work they’re doing locally to break them down.
Lastly, I want to wish all the women and girls across the constituency a very happy International Women’s Day 2022!
