While Parliament is adjourned for Summer recess, I have been spending my time here in the constituency catching up with community groups and stakeholders and hearing about all the great work they’re doing, as well as how things are going since opening up from lockdown.
I had a great time joining Gorton Visual Arts for their first in-person session since the start of the pandemic. It was wonderful to see all the art work that had been created at home and to see people reconnecting again after such a long time in lockdown. While in Gorton, I also attended the re-launch of the Gorton Butterfly Garden on Hyde Road.
I also visited Youth on Solid Ground in Whalley Range to see the great activities they’ve got on offer for young people during the summer holidays. Likewise, I dropped in on the Circus House in Longsight which teaches circus skills as a tool for helping young people to develop resilience and social skills, I also tried my hand at some tricks! There is a growing need for these services across Manchester and I’m proud to see such great provision in Manchester Gorton.
I’ve also attended a number of festivals and community celebrations this month, including Fallowfield Family Fun Day, Lev Square Festival and Levenshulme Pride. Community spirit is definitely alive and well across Manchester Gorton!
On top of all this, I hosted two stakeholder roundtables in August – one for Manchester Gorton Community Centres and one for ‘Friends of’ Park groups. These were really useful for finding out what challenges our community centres and our parks are facing, but also for connecting up groups across the constituency and seeing how we can all support one another in our work to make Manchester Gorton a great place to live.
It’s always a joy spending time catching up with constituents and checking in with the great work that’s going on across Manchester Gorton. While Parliament returns in September, meaning my time will be split between Manchester and London, I will continue to engage with stakeholders and community groups year round.
