by Paul Scully | Dec 11, 2016 | News |
People’s Health Trust is an independent charity which funds local groups and charities with great ideas in order to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age. They distribute funds raised by Health Freedom through The Health Lottery.
They have just opened Active Communities, a funding programme which may be of interest to groups and charities in Sutton, Cheam and Worcester Park. They are offering grants of between £5,000-£50,000. The deadline for applications is 1pm on Wednesday 21 December 2016.
Applying couldn’t be easier – the form is online (and available in other formats) and there is detailed guidance to support applicants through each step. You can apply here.
by Paul Scully | Dec 10, 2016 | News |
I am backing the Energy Switch Guarantee, an industry initiative to make switching supplier simpler, quicker and safer.
More than 88% of households in Sutton, Cheam and Worcester Park could be missing out on hundreds of pounds of energy savings that can be made by switching energy provider.
The Energy Switch Guarantee – launched in June – is a set of ten commitments designed to offer customers more confidence in the switching process.
The signatories of the Guarantee will make sure the switch is completed in twenty-one days. The Guarantee gives customers the extra assurance that the switch will be fast and reliable.
I want to see 88% of households in Sutton and Cheam save hundreds of pounds by switching their gas and electricity supplier this winter.
People tell me that if you’ve been with the same supplier for years switching can seem like a daunting task that is why I support the Energy Switch Guarantee which promises to make switching simple and smooth for everyone.
Tina Tietjen, independent chair of the Energy Switch Guarantee said: “I encourage people to shop around this winter for the best deal for them. Customers can save hundreds of pounds and with the Energy Switch Guarantee they are assured a simple, speedy and safe switch.
“The Guarantee is a major commitment by suppliers – from the largest to some of the newest suppliers in the market – to make switching simple and quick. It is designed to reassure consumers who may have reservations about switching.”
To find out more, visit their website here.
by Paul Scully | Dec 9, 2016 | News |
The charity Freedom from Torture held an event in Parliament to launch their new ‘Proving Torture’ campaign hosted by my colleague Dr Tania Mathias MP.
The event was to highlight the findings of their Proving Torture report, which outlines the failings in how medical evidence of torture is being used in asylum applications.
For torture survivors the decision over their asylum application can mean life or death, and if their application is refused it can be very distressing. The report reveals some very worrying evidence of people having their medical evidence mishandled and being let down by the system.
I have joined calls for improved handling of torture cases. To find out more about the report and the work of Freedom from Torture, click on the links above.
by Paul Scully | Dec 8, 2016 | News |
November was Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and I joined calls for further investment into pancreatic cancer research.
I am a keen supporter of Pancreatic Cancer UK. Last year I also supported Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and earlier this year hosted an event in Parliament with the charity.
During an event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for pancreatic cancer the event, I learned that around 840 people in London are diagnosed with the disease each year. In the UK, just five per cent of patients will live for five years or more after diagnosis. Yet, over the last decade, the disease has only received one per cent of the UK’s cancer research budget.
I also heard the results of a recent survey commissioned by Pancreatic Cancer UK, which found that three quarters of people across the UK were unable to name a single symptom. Symptoms include tummy pain that can spread to the back, significant and unexplained weight loss, yellow skin or eyes or itchy skin (jaundice), oily floating poo and indigestion. I am now joining Pancreatic Cancer UK in encouraging local people to find out more about the disease by taking part in the charity’s new symptoms quiz here.
Pancreatic cancer is a disease which sadly affects many people in London, and that’s why I am calling for increased research investment into the disease, and encouraging people to know the symptoms.
It truly is crucial that this disease attracts far more funding for research, so new and more effective tests and treatments can be created. And at the same time, we all need to raise awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. I was shocked to hear how few UK residents are able to name a symptom, but I’m confident that people in Sutton and Cheam will rise to the challenge of finding out more about the disease this pancreatic cancer awareness month.
Alex Ford, Chief Executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, who spoke at the APPG on pancreatic cancer reception, said: “We are delighted that Paul Scully MP has joined us in taking on this tough disease together. So little progress has been made for patients and their families in decades. In fact, survival rates for the disease have barely improved in over 40 years. This is partly due to a pitiful lack of research which has meant we have not seen the developments in tests and treatments which we have in so many other cancers in that time.
“This simply must change, so it is great to have Paul Scully MP’s support in our ongoing efforts to increase pancreatic cancer research funding. His support will also be vital in helping us raise awareness about the symptoms. We are urging people in Sutton and Cheam to join us by taking part in our new symptoms quiz, and sharing that crucial knowledge with their loved ones.”
The APPG on pancreatic cancer was created in 2012, and aims to keep the disease high on the political agenda, through debates and oral and written questions. The APPG allows MPs and Peers to meet people affected by pancreatic cancer, researchers, GPs and other healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to share ideas to ultimately change the future for people affected by the disease.
For more information about the APPG on pancreatic cancer, please visit their website here.
by Paul Scully | Dec 7, 2016 | News |
I was delighted to attend an event in Parliament hosted by Kellogg’s to celebrate the importance of breakfast clubs.
While they may seem small and simple, breakfast clubs can often be vital for parents and children, so it is right that we recognise their importance and thank the teachers and staff that give up their time to provide them.
Over the past 18 years, Kellogg’s has invested over £3million in the breakfast club programme, which currently supports 2,500 breakfast clubs, and hosts an annual Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards Ceremony to acknowledge this.
Winning entries receiving a prize of £1,500 to help fund their club. More information on the Breakfast Club Awards can be found here.
I want to thank all the teachers and staff in Sutton, Cheam and Worcester Park that provide our children with a place to have breakfast and prepare for the day, which is often such a relief for working parents.
