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MP Column May 30: Alex Burghart MP, Brentwood and Ongar

This week, Alex talks about the businesses and charities in his constituency

Nicola Lloyd

InYourArea Community, Nicola Lloyd

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MP Column May 30: Alex Burghart MP, Brentwood and Ongar

BRENTWOOD AND ONGAR MP: Alex Burghart

Written by Alex Burghart MP, Brentwood and Ongar

We are blessed with many successful businesses, charities, schools and individuals in Brentwood and Ongar who make up our thriving and busy community. Brentwood Chamber of Commerce invites me every year to address one of its meetings.

It is always a pleasure to meet members of this group which provides support and information to so many local businesses and business people in the town. I always enjoy hearing about the work its members do and sharing some of the behind-the-scenes tales of life as a Member of Parliament and, currently, Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office.

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It was a great pleasure to talk to them earlier in May and let them know that the outlook for the national economy is improving. Inflation is coming down, as are energy prices, and the IMF and the Bank of England have both substantially revised their forecasts suggesting now that the UK will, unlike Germany, avoid recession and grow over the next year.

This month, I have also visited the wonderful staff and fundraisers at St Francis Hospice, which lies just outside the boundary of my constituency but provides palliative care and end-of-life and bereavement support to many families in Brentwood, Ongar and the villages. St Francis Hospice is an admirable place and adept at running some wonderful events to raise its profile and keep funds flowing in to help those who are most in need.

Another organisation, set up to mentor and support young people in Brentwood and beyond who are in danger of veering from the straight and narrow path of law-abiding life, is the 21UP Movement led by Perry Blake. Perry is young, enthusiastic and a great mentor to teenagers who are in danger of falling in with the wrong crowd.

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I spoke to him and was very impressed by his enthusiasm for his work and the plans he has in place to help young people in the town. I'm putting Perry in touch with some great local groups and contacts who should be able to help him find funds to bring his myriad ideas to fruition.

If you would like to help too you can find a GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/21up-movement.

As the summer weather finally arrives in time for half-term, I hope you have great plans to spend time with your children and families. Should you feel the urge to get out and raise money for local charities, do consider St Francis Hospice and the 21UP Movement, and so many other groups which can only survive due to the generosity of friends and strangers.

The Brentwood Gazette covers areas including but not limited to Billericay, Brentwood, Hutton, Shenfield and Wickford in Essex.

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