I started my week with one of my Evening in Westminster events. I began this initiative when I was first elected in 2010 and realised that, despite being right on our doorstep in Finchley & Golders Green – and free to access – a lot of people had never visited Parliament. I provide wine and soft drinks and give a tour of the Palace of Westminster. It is also an opportunity for constituents to have direct access to their elected representative. I will be hosting a number of these events over the coming year so do look out for an invitation, which will be hand delivered, if you haven’t yet had an invite to attend one of these events.
On Thursday, I popped into Sunridge Court as part of my regular visits to care homes in the constituency. Sunridge Court is a residential care home for Jewish elderly residents and also home to one of my Christmas card competition winners, Dennis Frank, who won the competition in the second year I ran it. At the end of the week I met with McDonalds UK, based in East Finchley, one of the UK’s largest employers and providers of apprenticeships. I discussed issues facing the company and how I could represent their views to Government. On the same day I also visited Archer Academy with the Regional Schools Commissioner, Chair of Governors and Head Teacher, Lucy Harrison to talk about the ongoing plans to expand the school into a sixth form. I ended my week with a meeting about the possibility of setting up a jobs and apprenticeship fayre specifically for people with disabilities.