Page 36 - Demo

36 Phonebox Magazine | April 2025As always, I have been out and about across Milton Keynes over the past few weeks, meeting residents and community champions and working to tackle the issues that matter most.This month, I fi nally got to attend the event I%u2019ve been most excited about since the election %u2013 the annual Olney Pancake Race. As traditions go, this one is hard to beat: flipping pancakes while sprinting t h r o u g h t h e streets is certainly more entertaining than most of my time on the green benches. It was fantastic to see so many local residents taking part and cheering on the runners, including visitors from further afi eld. Congratulations to this year%u2019s winner, Eloise Kramer, who will now go on to compete against the winner of the equivalent race in Liberal, Kansas. There aren%u2019t many sporting events where a frying pan is essential kit, but events like these are a perfect reminder of what makes our historic market towns so special.Later in the month, I had the privilege of speaking at the Milton Keynes Rose at an event organised by Help Ukraine BAMK UK CIC. The generosity and solidarity shown by our local community towards Ukraine continues to be inspiring. Whether through fundraising, direct support for refugees, or simply raising awareness, the people of Milton Keynes are showing what it means to stand in solidarity with those aff ected by war. It was an honour to take part in an event that reaffi rmed our commitment to peace and justice. I will continue to do what I can in Parliament to ensure we stand up to Russian aggression, on a path to a more peaceful future. That same sense of togetherness was also felt on the National Day o f Re f l e c t i o n , marking fi ve years since the Covid-19 pandemic began. I attended a moving ceremony at the Peace Pagoda at Willen, organised Chris Curtis MP for MiltonKeynes Northby Covid19Families UK. Many families, including mine, are still feeling the impact of the pandemic, and the work of organisations off ering support remains as important as ever. These moments remind us how vital it is to support one another, especially in diffi cult times.But probably the most nerve-wracking event in the calendar was being back in my old headteacher%u2019s offi ce at Ousedale School. Thankfully, this time it wasn%u2019t for a telling-off , but to congratulate them on their fantastic Ofsted report and to discuss how we can continue working together to improve the school in the future. I owe so much to the great start in life that Ousedale gave me, and I want to ensure it can continue to provide that to the next generation. If there%u2019s an issue you%u2019d like to raise or a local organisation doing great work that you think deserves recognition, please don%u2019t hesitate to get in touch. I try to get out and about as much as I can when I%u2019m not needed in Parliament and am always keen to attend events %u2014 or just grab a coff ee and chat!Investing in Our Future Beyond community events, my focus this month has been on making sure Milton Keynes, and our towns and villages, get the investment and support they need.During the election campaign, I made the case that our area has been left behind because we haven%u2019t had MPs who fi ght for it. Unlike our pancake race, that is a tradition I am determined to bring to an end.One of the biggest concerns for residents is fl ooding, and I recently met with the Environment Agency to discuss how we can ensure funding for fl ood mitigation in Lavendon, Newport Pagnell, and Stony Stratford is used eff ectively. This includes %u00a3150,000 for Lavendon%u2019s Flood Alleviation Scheme and %u00a320,000 to protect Newport Pagnell from surface water fl ooding. Residents deserve real action, not delays, and I will do everything I can to make sure these funds are used eff ectively to deliver long-term fl ood resilience.Investment in healthcare remains a serious issue, so I have continued conversations with the hospital, local hospice, and GP surgeries to ensure we can get the government investment we have secured into the system as soon as possible. I am also working with various groups on how we can unlock S106 money to support our surgeries, including in Olney and Hanslope.I have also met representatives from the government%u2019s housing department to discuss how we can get proper support for infrastructure to go alongside new homes. While we all know that new homes are going to continue to be built in Milton Keynes, we need to ensure the correct investment in infrastructure comes alongside them. I will keep campaigning to ensure that happens.If you would like to get in touch with me or attend one of my surgeries, please feel free to email me at chris.curtis.mp@parliament.ukAs always, please follow my Facebook page (@ChrisCurtisLabour) for frequent news and updates from both Westminster and our constituency.