I am proud to have hosted many local events since I was elected as your MP including an Apprenticeship Fair, Pensioners’ Fair, Farmers Forum, Crime Summits, Climate Summits and more.
This next month I am hosting two events. The first is my SEND Fair which will bring together local and national organisations that provide support to children and young people with special educational needs and their families.
It will be held at Didcot Civic Hall on Tuesday 28 May from 12:30pm to 4:30pm. It is free to attend, and children are welcome. If you plan to attend it would be appreciated if you can register at www.david-johnston.org.uk/SEND.
Helping local families access the support they need for children and young people with special educational needs has been one of the top issues that I am written to about since I was elected. Reforming the system nationally is one of my top priorities as a Minister, but as a local MP I have always tried to help resolve any issues that are raised with me.
Various great organisations that support SEND families will be at my SEND Fair including Autism Family Support Oxfordshire, Clear Sky Children's Charity, Family Action, KEEN Oxford, SOFEA, Flexicare, Action Deafness, MyVision Oxfordshire, Vale Community Impact, Driving Miss Daisy Didcot, Carers Oxfordshire and more! I look forward to seeing you there too.
Speaking of SEND, Autism Family Support Oxfordshire in particular provides vital support to parents across my constituency. Local families wrote to me after Oxfordshire County Council announced they were going to cut their funding which would have had a huge impact. I wrote to them on behalf of all my constituents who rely on this vital service and was glad to hear that the Council have (finally) listened and reversed their funding cut for this year which will be a relief to many families.
The other event is my second annual Wantage and Didcot Science and Technology Forum, which the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation has kindly agreed to speak at.
We should be very proud that our area contains some of the UK’s leading scientific organisations including Diamond Light Source, the Rosalind Franklin Institute, and the European Space Agency. Harwell Campus is the UK’s leading Science and Innovation Campus, containing £3 billion of scientific infrastructure, 200+ organisations and is an integral part of the UK’s space sector through their Space Cluster, while Milton Park is home to over 250 dynamic science and technology businesses.
I have invited all these organisations to attend to discuss the opportunities and issues that the sector is facing, and the Minister will take questions from attendees.
It will take place virtually on Monday 13 May from 3:15pm to 4:30pm. If you work in the local science and technology sector, email me at [email protected] if you would like to attend.
I also want to wish everyone a Happy St George’s Day!
