As the nights draw in, the ground is covered in leaves and bonfire night is over, so it comes to that special time of the year when we remember those in our armed forces and across the Commonwealth who lost their lives in the line of duty. I have never served in the armed forces but have absolute admiration for all those who do. As a young girl I was fascinated listening to both of my Grandads tell tales from when they served on ships during World War Two, one in the Navy and the other as a merchant seaman on the arctic convoys to Murmansk in Russia. The incredible bravery of normal men and women is something that was a primary feature of both world wars and it is important that we continue to remember those who lost their lives defending our country. This year, as a new MP, I am honoured to be taking part in Chichester’s Annual Remembrance Sunday Service and Parade which starts in East St and heads towards the War Memorial in Litten Gardens. Amongst those I will be thinking of include my husband’s uncle who died in Faenza, Italy in December 1944, aged only 21, so young and so close to the end of the war. We visited his resting place last year and it was wonderful to see how well the graves were tended and served as a moving memorial for family members and visitors from all over the world.
Fittingly, during a visit to Chidham Primary School I became aware of the existence of national #citizenshipweek. It was heart-warming to see the children in this fantastic school fully embrace the idea of being a good citizen and look for ways to help people in their community and beyond. This involved taking on extra chores at home, donating items to St Wilfrid’s Hospice and Stonepillow charities and visiting a local residential care home to play board games with the elderly residents. They were also concerned to help children in other countries who don’t get the chance to attend school and were supporting a campaign to “send my friend to school”. This included handing me my homework and a number of actions where I can help the campaign. This is something I’m very happy to support and will incorporate with my work as co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on UN Sustainable Development Goals which includes a goal to help the 57 million children worldwide, who don’t go to school, gain access to primary education.