Easter is just around the corner and Parliament breaks up for recess later this week. With the schools now off, I’m looking forward to a bit of time at home with my family and hopefully some spring sunshine if it decides to show up!

It’s been a really positive final week in Parliament for Telford and I’m glad to be able to share some progress on things I’ve been pushing for as I stand up for Telford.

Last week, we secured £670,000 for Telford & Wrekin Council through the Government’s Operation Valour programme. We’re the only town in the West Midlands to get this funding, and I’ve worked closely with local partners and met with ministers to make sure Telford’s case was heard.

This money will help expand the Christopher Turley Armed Forces Community Hub in Dawley so it can support even more veterans and their families in our community. In just six months, the Hub has already made a real difference, and this funding means more people will be able to get the help and advice they need. There’s still more to do, but I’ll keep pushing to make sure our veterans get the support they deserve.

There’s also been good news for local families. Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge CofE Primary School will be part of the next wave of new school-based nurseries, joining Wombridge and Lawley Primary School. It’s great to see more of these opening in Telford, helping children get off to a good start and giving parents a bit more flexibility to return to work. I’ll keep working with our schools to make sure this works as well as it should.

Last month, we welcomed Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education to Telford. It was a good chance to show what we’re doing well as a town when it comes to education and supporting our young people, but also to be honest about where we need to go further. We travelled right across Telford, visiting Wombridge Primary School Nursery, Thomas Telford Free School, Telford Park School, Telford College and Harper Adams University at The Quad. It was a real opportunity to showcase the work happening at every stage to support young people to succeed. I also passed on feedback I’ve heard directly from parents, carers and local partners, including concerns around SEND support.

Better train services are something I keep hearing about from you, and it’s something I’m continuing to push. That includes a direct line from Telford to London, as well as better connections across the West Midlands. I’ve recently met again with Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway to talk through the latest application for a proposed Telford to London service, and I’ve made the case that a growing towns like Telford need this kind of investment. The proposal is being reviewed, and I’ll keep pressing the case.

I also brought together Network Rail, West Midlands Railways and the council here in Telford to talk through local rail issues, things like capacity on services to Wolverhampton and Birmingham, better connections and improvements to Telford Central station. It’s about making sure our transport keeps up with the way Telford is growing and this was an opportunity to raise the feedback you share with me when it comes to travelling from or to Telford by train.

You can find details of where to meet me over the next few months on my website, along with my weekly updates which I send out every Thursday evening to keep you updated on what I have been working on each week.

There’s been a lot of progress but there’s still lots more to do.