Sharon has again backed the Royal Life Saving Society’s Drowning Prevention Week campaign in a bid to prevent summer tragedies.

Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for children in the UK, with the latest stats showing that in the last five years, 48 children aged nine and under had drowned, with 147 young people aged 10 – 19 having lost their life due to drowning.

Annually, around 400 people accidentally drown and summer months pose a particularly high-risk as people escape the warmer weather to cool off. Last year, 85 people drowned in July and August alone.

Drowning Prevention Week, run by the Royal Life Saving Society, aims to ensure everyone knows how to have fun and stay safe near water. This year’s campaign runs from 16 – 26 June and will see leisure centres, schools, businesses and youth groups utilising RLSS’s UK’s water safety resources in their communities.

To find out how to stay safe around water this summer, contact your local leisure centre to see if they are running an event, or visit the RLSS UK’s website www.rlss.org.uk to access their water safety advice.

Sharon said:

“Here in our local area, we have all too often heard about young people drowning, especially during the summer months. That’s why it is important to back national campaigns like the RLSS UK’s Drowning Prevention Week and encourage activity in our local area.

“Raising awareness of the dangers of drowning is crucial to reducing the numbers of deaths we see every year, but also it is just as important to be pushing for an improvement in life-saving skills for everyone, especially children and young people during their school years.

“I hope as many people as possible will get involved in RLSS UK’s campaign this year and get involved locally at events across our area, and remember to stay safe as the weather heats up.”

Drowning Prevention Week also aims to raise money for the RLSS UK’s wider drowning prevention work, which includes providing support for families affected by drowning or near drowning. Donate now by texting DPRW17 and an amount to 70070.

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Mar-Apr 2017 number 94

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Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Feb-Mar 2017 number 93

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Sharon is backing the Royal Mail Children’s Stamp Competition which will see children across the country showcase their creative designs featured on the official Christmas stamp for 2017.

This will be the fourth time in Royal Mail’s history that the official Christmas stamp has been designed by children – previous years included 1966, 1981 and 2013, and this year’s stamp could be designed by a child from Washington and Sunderland West.

The theme of the competition this year is: “What does the Christmas season mean to you?”. Out of the submissions, two designs will be selected by a panel of judges and these two winning designs will feature on the 1^st Class and 2^nd Class stamps this Christmas.

The stamps will also be approved by the Queen herself, who approves all special stamps that go out via Royal Mail. This means the winning designs will appear on millions of letters and parcels that are sent over the Christmas period.

All entries must be received by the closing date of Friday 17^th March 2017, and details about getting one of the 8,000 available resource packs can be found by visiting: www.royalmail.com/stampcompetition

Sharon said:

“Creativity is something we should always aim to nurture and support, that is why I am backing Royal Mail’s Children’s Stamp Collection so the next generation of artists and designers can have their creative visions featured up and down the country during the Christmas period this year.

“I hope that parents and primary schools in my constituency will get involved with this competition and help light the spark of creativity within our children so they can inspire to become the next top designer or famous artist, and celebrate all that the UK talent has to offer when it comes to creativity.”

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Jan-Feb 2017 number 92

Read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - News from Westminster - Jan-Feb 2017 number 92

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Jan 2017 number 91

Read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - News from Westminster - Jan 2017 number 91

Sharon has launched a Brexit Listening Exercise ahead of the triggering of Article 50 later this year.

The listening exercise will include two public hearings: one at Harraton Community Centre on the 21^st January and one at South Hylton’s Tansy Centre on Saturday 25^th February.

The exercise will also include a questionnaire, as to allow those who cannot attend the public meetings to still have their thoughts fed into Sharon Hodgson MP’s work as the local Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West as she continues to scrutinise the Government’s approach to Brexit.

Following the launch of the listening exercise, Sharon said:

“Brexit is the most momentous constitutional, economic and diplomatic issue facing our country at the moment and it is important that we get it right.

“It is now six months since the referendum result, and three months out from when the Prime Minister has proposed to trigger Article 50, yet still we are none the wiser about what Brexit will look like.

“The voices of local people must be heard as these negotiations begin and that is why I am launching this listening exercise so that residents from Washington and Sunderland West can help inform my work as their local Member of Parliament when scrutinising the Government’s approach to Brexit.

Further information about the Brexit Listening Exercise:

1. Constituents can contact Sharon's constituency office to RSVP and register for either of the two public meetings, by emailing [email protected] or calling 417 2000, and can also request the Brexit questionnaire be posted out to them.
2. Due to capacity of the venues, constituents of Washington and Sunderland West must RSVP and register for one of the two public meetings well in advance and will receive a confirmation letter letting them know further details.

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Nov-Dec 2016 number 90

Read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - News from Westminster - Nov-Dec 2016 number 90

Sharon met with ex-service men and women volunteer poppy sellers, who are giving up their time this month once again, to raise money and awareness, for this year’s appeal.  2214 (Usworth) Squadron, Air Training Corps Cadet volunteers were also out in good force to help make sure the appeal is a big success.

(pictured above) Sharon with the volunteer poppy sellers - the Washington Branch of the Royal British Legion and the 2214 (Usworth) ATC Cadets - at ASDA in the Galleries, Washington

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - Oct-Nov 2016 number 89

Read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - News from Westminster - Oct-Nov 2016 number 89