Kim Leadbeater MP:

Kim Leadbeater MP writes: The cost of living crisis is growing week-by-week and month-by-month. I recently visited Heckmondwike Food Bank and, while it’s sad that such vital support is needed, I’m very proud of people’s generous response in helping those in greatest need.

I love to see people talking to one another and working together, so I was delighted to speak at Celebrating Community Power in Batley and Spen, a very busy voluntary and community sector conference focusing on the great work that goes on in local communities. Among the charities, social enterprises and charity groups taking part were One Community Foundation, Serendipity Creative Writers, the West Yorkshire ADHD Support Group, and the outreach team from Loving Hands.

It was such a pleasure to join children from across Batley and Spen at the Kirklees Youth Climate Festival, which was packed with fantastic ideas about tackling climate change and protecting the environment. Well done to the organising team from Kirklees and to children and staff from Gomersal St Mary’s, Roberttown Junior and Infants School, Windmill CofE Primary, BBG Academy in Birkenshaw, Whitechapel School in Cleckheaton and Upper Batley High School for being involved in such a successful event.

And it was lovely to meet members of Scholes Discussion Group recently. We covered issues including loneliness, buses, Ukraine, abuse in politics, and the role of an MP.

I had another enlightening meeting with representatives of the National Farmers’ Union. It was useful to hear farmers speak with candour, and I will support them by pressing government for more support and by urging people to shop local and buy British.

All Saints’ Church in Roberttown celebrated its 175th anniversary on October 29, and I called in to meet parishioners and catch up with the wonderful Rev Dr Sally Wallace-Jones. It’s an amazing place, and I enjoyed looking at all their historic documents and photos over tea and

biscuits.

The volunteers at Keep Hecky Tidy do a fantastic job. Last week they were clearing and replanting land at Sparrow Park at the bottom of High Street in Heckmondwike, and I was delighted to lend a hand. It’s good to be outside and doing something productive for our local area.

I was really pleased to see hundreds of people attending my second annual jobs fair at Tesco in Batley, where dozens of local employers and training providers offered advice to people looking for a job.

With a dark cloud hanging over the economy, and fears that a new period of austerity is on its way, much of my focus at Westminster is on doing all I can to ensure that the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the people of Batley and Spen are not sacrificed to pay for the government’s economic failures.