Stephen Metcalfe MP bringing some Christmas cheer to children at Basildon Hospital

Stephen Metcalfe MP with staff and volunteers at Basildon Hospital

Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, was today joined by Council Leader Tony Ball and Local Olympic Hopefuls from South Essex Gymnastics Club; Reiss, Anthony & Brinn together with their coach, Scott Hann and Club Chairman, Roy Short, to spend the morning giving out Christmas presents to children in Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital.

 

Having recently met local representatives from the hospital and hearing about the children that would spend time over Christmas in hospital, Stephen Metcalfe launched a Christmas toy appeal which he hoped would bring a little Christmas cheer to the patients.

 

Stephen Metcalfe said: “I was overwhelmed by the response to the appeal. In a little over two weeks, we have had gifts and money donated by individual well wishers including Conservative Party Members, staff at Basildon JobCentre Plus, Community Service clubs such as the Buffalos and the Rotary Club and businesses across Basildon and Thurrock. I was also delighted when South Essex Gymnastics Club also wanted to get involved. I would like to thank everyone for their generosity and for getting on board with this appeal.”

 

Mr Metcalfe’s visit comes at a difficult time for the hospital that are having to make a number of immediate changes to improve its paediatric services and ensure safe care for young patients.

 

Stephen Metcalfe commented: “I hope the visit raised the spirits of both children and staff at this challenging time at the hospital.”

 

He continued: “No one would want their child to be in hospital at anytime, but over the Christmas period it can be especially difficult. I hope that this small gesture will bring a little Christmas cheer to the patients and their Carers.”

 

“I would again like to thank all those who have generously donated gifts and it was my privilege to give them out and to spend time with the children and their parents today.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP welcomes new immigration controls

Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, has welcomed new policies announced by the Home Secretary to combat immigration abuses and to cut net migration further.

Theresa May has this week set out new plans to extend the use of interviews in visa applications instead of relying on paper applications alone.

The new measures come shortly after the latest migration statistics showed that the government’s reforms of all the routes of immigration have cut net immigration by a quarter, with the total number of visas issued is at its lowest since 2005.

Mr Metcalfe commented: “Thanks to Conservative reforms we have already seen net migration cut  by a quarter compared to last year and the total number of visas issued is at its lowest since 2005”

“Under Labour immigration was out of control. It accounted for more than half the growth of the English and Welsh population between 2001 and 2011 – with total net immigration of 2.2 million.”

"This new approach will help us to root out the abuse of British visas, improve the integrity of our immigration system and bring the numbers down even further."

Stephen Metcalfe MP: New community sentences will give victims a voice

Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Justice
hearing about anti-social behaviour
 from local residents in Felmores in the run up to
the General Election in 2010

Victims of anti-social behaviour in South Basildon and East Thurrock will be given their say on out-of-court punishment of offenders under new powers announced by the Home Office last week.

The new’ Community Remedy’ will put the public in the driving seat by giving victims of crime the chance to choose from a list of punishment options, agreed with their local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Stephen Metcalfe MP commented: “Victims of anti-social behaviour can feel powerless but these tough new community sentences will give victims their voice.”

“Under the Community Remedy the punishment could be restorative or punitive, carried out nearby or as far away as possible but all will have one thing in common: they will be chosen by the victim.”

“I know local people want to see tough and fair punishments. These new sentences will mean just that.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP supports Longwood Equestrian Centre at show-jumping event

Stephen Metcalfe with two of the numerous winners.

Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, attended the Longwood Equestrian Centre’s show jumping Christmas fun event last week to present prizes to two of the eight classes competing.

The event saw hundreds of riders take part in events such as the ‘Evening Clear’ round, one of many show-jumping and equestrian events that take place at the centre throughout the year.

Mr Metcalfe commented: “I thoroughly enjoyed the event. There is some fantastic talent at the Centre and I would like to congratulate all those involved, both competitors and organisers.”

Having been established on the site for over 30 years as both a competition centre and an Approved Riding School, Longwood Equestrian Centre has a long and valuable association with Basildon.

Mr Metcalfe added: “This is a great facility and it was great to see so many people making use of it.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP: Make checks before donating to charitable collectors

Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock is warning local residents to check they are giving to a registered charity when approached for donations.

2 in 5 adults across the UK do not make any checks when approached by a collector for a charitable donation, according to an independent ICM poll* commissioned by the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB).

Christmas is a traditional time for giving and charities work hard to raise money during this time to fund their work. Almost half (44%)** of donors give directly to charity at Christmas time, giving an average of around £46 to the good causes they care about. 81% of those who give at Christmas stated they will be donating similar amounts this year as they did in 2011.

Almost all collections are genuine, but some people will try to abuse the generosity of others for their own gain. With some charities having experienced fraud, it is vital that the public know that their donations are going to the right place. The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, and Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB), the self-regulatory body for UK fundraising, have come together to highlight the risk of fraud to donors and charities alike, and to issue their tips for giving this Christmas.

Stephen Metcalfe MP commented: “Christmas is undoubtedly a time for giving and thinking of others but unfortunately there are a minority of collectors who may seek to take advantage of the season’s good will. I urge my constituents to listen to the advice of the Charity Commission so that they can give confidently this Christmas.”

Sam Younger, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, says: “Whilst it is encouraging to see many people do take steps to check whether a charity is registered before giving, this poll shows there is still much to be done to raise awareness of charity fraud to donors and charities. It only takes a few minutes to check for a registered charity number and for the FRSB tick, but these are vital steps in ensuring your money goes to the right place. In a tough economic climate it is heartening to see that 81% of Christmas donors will continue to give similar amounts this year as they did last Christmas, and the Charity Commission continues to work hard to maintain the public’s trust in charities, and raise awareness of fraudulent activities”.

Follow these tips to avoid charity scams this Christmas:

1.               Before giving, check the charity’s name and registration number.  You can verify this at the Charity Commission’s website at www.charitycommission.gov.uk.

2.               When approached by collectors, check whether they are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed.

3.               If in doubt, ask the collector for more information - a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity.

4.               Genuine fundraising materials should feature the charity’s name, registered name and a landline contact number.  Be wary of those that list only a mobile number.

5.               Look for the FRSB tick logo indicating that the charity is signed up to fundraising regulation, encouraging you to give with confidence. www.givewithconfidence.org.uk

6.               To check whether a fundraiser is authorised to collect money in a public place, contact your local authority or, if in London, the police. If it is a private place, check with the owner.

7.               Take care when responding to emails or clicking links to a charity’s website to ensure that they are genuine. Instead, search online for your favourite charity to check you have the right web address.

8.               Carefully review collection bags for clothing and household goods to ascertain whether they are from a genuine charity.

9.               After making these checks, if you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and inform the Charity Commission.

10.           If in any doubt, contact your favoured charity direct to make a donation.

Alistair McLean, Chief Executive of the Fundraising Standards Board – the charity fundraising regulator across the UK, says: “Although charity fraud remains rare, it is essential that we all do what we can to make it increasingly difficult for criminals to cheat charities and their supporters in this way. And that simply means being aware and, if in doubt, making a few checks to ensure your money ends up where you want it to be. Above all, don’t stop giving. Charities need your support now more than ever”.

Stephen Metcalfe MP to bring some Christmas cheer to children at Basildon Hospital

Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, will be spending this Friday morning giving out Christmas presents to children in Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital.

 

Having recently met local representatives from the Hospital and hearing about the children that would spend Christmas in Hospital, Stephen Metcalfe launched a Christmas Toy appeal  which he hopes would bring a little Christmas Cheer to the patient.

 

Stephen Metcalfe said: “I have been overwhelmed by the response to the appeal. In a little over two weeks, we have had gifts and money donated by individual well wishers, Community Service clubs such as the Buffalos and the Rotary Club and businesses across Basildon and Thurrock. This truly will be a community led and inspired occasion and I would like to thank everyone for their generosity.”

 

Mr Metcalfe’s visit will come at a difficult time for the Hospital who are having to make a number of immediate changes to improve its paediatric services and ensure safe care for young patients.

 

Stephen Metcalfe commented: “I think this will be an extremely timely visit that will raise the spirits of both children and staff at this challenging time at the hospital.”

 

He continued: “No one would want their child to be in hospital over the Christmas period and I hope that this small gesture will bring a smile to their faces and spread some Christmas cheer.”

 

“I would again like to thank all those who have generously donated gifts and I look forward to the privilege of giving them out and spending time with the children on Friday.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP joins Stanford-le-Hope for Carols on the Green

Stephen Metcalfe with Stanford-le-Hope Town Crier and Rev. John Guest

Last Sunday, Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock joined Stanford-le-Hope residents for their annual Carols on the Green service.

The annual event organised by St Margaret’s Church and the local ‘Hope Committee’, was the perfect opportunity for the community to come together and get into the Christmas spirit; to sing a few carols and to see local school children re-enact the traditional nativity play.

Proceedings were led by Rev Jon Guest, disguised as the Prophet Isaiah, who retold the story of the very first Christmas.

Mr Metcalfe gladly accepted the invitation to take part in the event and reflected on some of his own experiences of nativities and carol services before reading a passage from Isaiah 9 to the many onlookers.

He later commented: “I thoroughly enjoyed Carols on the Green. It was a fantastic opportunity to come alongside local people to celebrate Christmas and to reflect on the Christmas story and the true meaning of Christmas. Being outside created a fantastic atmosphere and I hope that everyone who attended enjoyed it as much as I did.”

“I would like to thank St Margaret’s and the Hope Committee for the invitation and for organising this great event. Finally, can I take this opportunity to wish all those present and all my constituents a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”