Erith and Thamesmead MP Becomes A Teal Hero In Support of Women With Ovarian Cancer

Teresa Pearce MP has shown her super-powered support for women with ovarian cancer across Erith and Thamesmead at a special event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ovarian Cancer on 20 March.

MPs were given the chance to dress as ‘teal heroes’ to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer at an event organised for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Teal is the colour of ovarian cancer awareness, which is alarmingly low in the UK. Data from Target Ovarian Cancer, which provides the secretariat for the APPG, shows just one in five women can name bloating as one of the key symptoms of the disease. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

  • Persistent bloating- not bloating that comes and goes
  • Feeling full or loss of appetite
  • Tummy pain
  • Needing to wee more often or more urgently

Teresa Pearce MP said: 

“Too many women die of ovarian cancer.  We all must act to ensure that more women know the symptoms to look out for, are diagnosed sooner and get the treatment they need. That’s why I was delighted to take part in this year’s Teal Hero event to support women with ovarian cancer and their families. “

 

Ovarian cancer can be devastating. Every year 7,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK, and 4,100 women die from the disease. Target Ovarian Cancer works to raise the profile of ovarian cancer, spread the word about the symptoms, and train GPs in early diagnosis.

Visit targetovariancancer.org.uk to find out more.

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MORE LIFT MISERY AT ABBEY WOOD STATION

 

The new lifts at Abbey Wood station will be out of action for major repairs from Tuesday, 26 March, until mid-June 2019.
While rail services will run normally, step-free access will be affected in the following way:

• From 26 to 31 March, both lifts on Gayton Road will be closed. A step-free route along Wilton Road, Knee Hill and Harrow Manorway will be signposted to customers, who will be able to access the station through its main entrance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• From 2 April to mid-June, the access to both lifts on Felixstowe Road will be closed. A step-free route along Felixstowe Road and Harrow Manorway – leading to the main station entrance – will be signposted to customers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am told that a member of staff will be by the lifts at all times, providing assistance to customers. These closures are needed while Network Rail undertakes major repairs to a leak in an underground duct; the London Borough of Bexley improve the footpaths and roads leading to the station; and repair works on the lifts is completed.

I am very disappointed that new lifts have to undergo major repairs and that long suffering Abbey Wood residents will have to contend with long pedestrian diversions – AGAIN!

I met with the Managing Director of Network Rail recently and made it very clear that this was unacceptable.

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Erith and Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce calls for Southeastern Trains to immediately offer compensation for train delays in excess of 15 minutes

 

In a Westminister Hall debate today about rail services in south east London, Teresa Pearce MP said the delay in awarding a new franchise for the Southeastern Network was denying passengers better compensation for delayed and cancelled trains. 

Under the new delay/repay scheme, passengers are able to claim compensation for journeys delayed by more than 15 minutes. However this will not come into operation until the new franchise is awarded. Given that the new franchise has been delayed twice already, rail passengers are missing out on better compensation for the ongoing poor service.

Teresa Pearce MP said:

 

“It is incredibly frustrating that delays in awarding the new southeastern franchise are depriving passengers of the compensation they deserve. In these circumstances I would like the current train operator to introduce the new delay/repay scheme immediately as a gesture of good faith to its customers.”

 

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Teresa Pearce MP and Peabody welcome the Google Digital Garage Bus To Thamesmead

Teresa Pearce MP for Erith & Thamesmead is delighted to be working with Peabody to bring The Google Digital Garage Bus tour to Thamesmead, providing free digital skills training and great opportunities for residents and local business owners.

The Digital Garage is a place where anyone can come and learn how to harness the power of the internet to grow their business, learn more about the internet, or develop new vocational skills.

The bus will be at Thamesmead Town Centre outside Poundland on Saturday, March 2nd from 10am onwards. Sessions will include: First Steps Online; Spreadsheets for Beginners; Intro to Digital Advertising; Build a Digital Marketing Plan and How to Keep Your Family Safe Online as well as one to one mentoring sessions throughout the day.

For more information visit: https://events.withgoogle.com/free-in-person-training-from-google-1/

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Teresa Pearce MP Shows the Love for a future where the UK no longer contributes to climate change


 

Teresa Pearce MP has joined hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country proudly wearing green hearts to show they want to protect the people, places and lives they love from climate change.

The Erith and Thamesmead MP wore the heart as part of The Climate Coalition’s ‘Show The Love’ campaign which celebrates things that could be lost without efforts to tackle climate change – from beaches to bees and cricket to coffee.

A report released last week from the Coalition warned that extreme weather is hitting British fruit and vegetable yields – and even leading to smaller chips.

Teresa Pearce MP said:

“It’s really important to take a moment to reflect on what could be under threat in our own lives.

“I’m proud to be wearing my green heart and supporting a net zero future before 2050. I want to be part of leaving a legacy for future generations that we can all be proud of.”

 

Clara Goldsmith, Director of Campaigns at The Climate Coalition, said:

“Climate change is already changing the things we love in the UK. It’s also hitting the most vulnerable people, whether that’s very young or elderly people struggling with heatwaves here at home or those in poor communities overseas affected by a loss of crops or more severe disasters.

“That’s why we need to take action, including calling on the government to set an ambitious target to reduce the emissions which are driving climate change.”

 

To find out what’s happening up and down the country, visit theclimatecoalition.org or search #ShowTheLove on social media and join the nation’s biggest climate change conversation.

Posted in Environment, Press Notices | Tagged , ,

Teresa Pearce MP Supports Bill to Prevent Future Bus Tragedies

Teresa Pearce MP Supports Bill to Prevent Future Bus Tragedies

On Wednesday 13th February Teresa supported a Parliamentary Bill that seeks to limit the driving hours worked by bus drivers on local routes, to prevent bus crashes caused through driver fatigue.
The Bill has been introduced in response to the Coventry bus crash in 2015 which killed seven-year-old Rowan Fitzgerald and 76-year-old Dora Hancox. The driver had been working 70+ hour weeks leading up to the crash and was judged to be the critical factor in the trial of the bus driver and company that followed.
The British laws which regulate bus drivers’ hours on local routes (of less than 50km) limit driving to 10 hours a day, with no weekly or fortnightly limit except that in any two consecutive weeks there must be at least one period of 24 hours off duty. This means it is legal for a local bus driver to drive 130 hours over a period of two weeks. On average, local bus drivers currently work nearly six hours per week more than average workers. Under EU law however, a long-distance bus driver or lorry driver cannot drive more than 56 hours a week, or more than 90 hours over any two consecutive weeks.
The Bill seeks to change the law so that driving hours for local bus drivers are capped at 56 hours a week, and no more than 90 hours over any two consecutive weeks, as it already is for long distance bus drivers and lorry drivers.
As the Bill is a 10-Minute Rule Bill, it is unlikely to pass into law at this stage, but campaigners hope that this will be the first step in a big push to get the Government to adopt the legislation. The Bill already has the support of the Shadow Chancellor, Shadow Transport Secretary, the Chair of the Transport Select Committee, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, the Mayor of Manchester, Brake and others.
Teresa said “I was pleased to recently support this Bill in Parliament. I was shocked to hear of the case with the Coventry bus crash a few years ago, which needlessly took the lives of two people. Our laws around working hours for local bus drivers clearly aren’t keeping the public safe and it’s time to legislate to make sure another two people aren’t killed the next time a bus driver is asked to work too many hours than is safe.”

A statement from the family of 7-year old Rowan’s Fitzgerald who was killed in the crash says, “We strongly feel that there should be a change to the current law. If this proposal had been in place on the 3rd October 2015, then perhaps our beautiful boy Rowan Fitzgerald, and the pedestrian, Mrs. Dora Hancox, who were both killed in this tragic bus crash, would be alive today.”

 

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Teresa Pearce MP Encourages Local Charities in Erith and Thamesmead to Apply for up to £20,000 of Funding

 

 

 

 

Erith and Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce, is encouraging local charities and good causes to apply for over £3million of funding that has been raised by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Applications are open from 6 February until 20 February, where a whole host of good causes from social enterprises to voluntary groups and registered charities are eligible to apply for grants of between £500 and £20,000.

The financial support is available through three different trusts:

  • People’s Postcode Trust looks to fund projects that are aimed at promoting human rights, combatting discrimination and the prevention of poverty
  • Postcode Community Trust supports initiatives working to improve the health and wellbeing of communities, including arts and physical recreation projects, as well as those with a  focus on reducing isolation
  • Postcode Local Trust want to hear from groups working on flood prevention measures and those looking to implement renewable energy strategies. They also want your application if you’re dedicated to improving outdoor space, whether that’s a play park, a skate park or even something else!

Sports groups for military veterans, counselling support services for young carers and accessible play parks are just a few examples of projects that were successful in their application and received funding in 2018.

Teresa Pearce MP encourages good causes in Erith and Thamesmead to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity by reading the short funding guides available and applying to the trust that best fits the aims of their project.

Teresa Pearce MP said:

“Funding from People’s Postcode Lottery’s players makes a huge difference to thousands of good causes across the country. I know that there are many good causes in Erith and Thamesmead that would love a cash boost for a specific project. I therefore encourage any local charities or good causes who are looking for funding to apply as soon as possible.”

For more information, to view the funding guides and to apply please visit the trusts’ websites directly:

www.postcodetrust.org.uk

www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk

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Teresa Pearce MP and Google, Visit Belvedere Junior School To Boost Student’s Online Safety

 

Today, Teresa Pearce MP, joined forces with Google, Parent Zone and Belvedere Junior School, to learn how children can stay safe online, through the Be Internet Legends programme.

Be Internet Legends is an educational programme aimed at 7 – 11-year-olds to help them be safe, confident explorers of the online world – through online platforms, teaching resources, face-to-face workshops and assemblies, and free training resources to over 19,000 UK teachers.

The Be Internet Legends programme has reached over a million children across the UK. It consists of five key pillars, which children at Belvedere Junior School were taught today, to help them learn the essentials of how to stay safe online:

  1. Be “internet sharp” – think before you share
  2. Be “internet alert” – check it’s for real
  3. Be “internet secure” – protect your stuff
  4. Be “internet kind” – respect each other
  5. Be “internet brave” – when in doubt, discuss

Children at Belvedere Junior School were also shown Interland – a fun-filled adventure game to make learning about online safety fun and informative. Children learn about avoiding hackers, phishers and bullies practising the skills learnt with the programme.

 Teresa Pearce MP

“It was wonderful to join the students at Belvedere Junior School today as we all learned the various ways to keep safe online. In today’s ever evolving technological world, it is imperative that we arm young people with the tools they will need to navigate the online space safely. Teaching young people to be kind online, never share personal information, or simply to be cautious when they come across “fake news” we can ensure that they have a positive experience online. Today’s session was fun and informative, even I found out things I did not know before!”

 

Rosie Luff, Online Safety Public Policy Manager

“We are delighted to visit Belvedere Junior School today to help teach children about how to Be Internet Legends. By getting acquainted with what we believe are the five core areas of online safety, we want to prepare children to have a safe and positive experience online,” said

Vicki Shotbolt, Founder and CEO of Parent Zone

“It is essential that, from a young age, children learn to think carefully and critically about what they see and do online. Parent Zone has teamed with Google to teach children the tools they need to keep them safer, spot scams and unkind behaviour and to understand how their online actions can affect others. These are vital skills for being more confident in the digital age.”

To find out more about the Be Internet Legends programme please click here: https://beinternetlegends.withgoogle.com/en_uk

To find out more about Parent Zone, please click here: https://parentzone.org.uk/about-us

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Teresa Pearce MP raises Home Office service standards at Home Office Question Time

 

The question in full:

 

The Home Office has a service standard to deal with indefinite leave to remain applications of six months, unless they are complex, when there is no timescale at all. Reviewing my casework, I noticed the worrying trend of cases being badged complex just before the six months, and therefore having no service standard at all. Will the Minister let me know the current percentage of applications that are badged complex compared with each of the previous eight years?

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Teresa Pearce MP attends the First Waves: Exploring the Impact of the Race Relations Legislation in the UK exhibition

Earlier this week, Teresa Pearce MP attended the First Waves: Exploring the Impact of the Race Relations Legislation in the UK, exhibition in Westminster Hall.

In 2017 artist Scarlett Crawford was appointed by the Speaker’s Committee for Works of Art to develop and lead the new celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Race Relations Act.

This was a community focussed project and its aim was to capture the voices of generations who have been directly impacted by the Race Relations Acts (1965 – 76), but also those who may have had little opportunity to have their voices heard in Westminster.

Working with partner organisations, the First Waves artist has led workshops with communities in host locations. Over 200 participants took part in the project across the country, including people from Erith and Thamesmead.

Teresa Pearce MP said:

It was great to see our constituency represented in the exhibition and I was pleased to support the curation of it and the launch event itself.










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