One of the privileges of being an MP is the opportunity to visit some of the remarkable organisations that flourish in my Constituency. In recent weeks I have been able to see the work done by two of them.
The Thames Valley and Chilterns Air Ambulance service is based at RAF Benson and provides a vital service for my Constituents and many others across a broad, very rural area. It is a charity which receives no government funding for the helicopter or the team who maintain and fly it, but works very closely indeed with the South Central Ambulance Service which provides the paramedics and doctors who are transported to wherever they are needed. The standard of equipment on the helicopter was a great surprise to me – it really is almost a flying A&E department in its own right. The professionalism and teamwork evident in a service which can get to the most remote and difficult areas to help patients after accidents or with severe medical conditions such as strokes or heart attacks were truly awe-inspiring.
I was also inspired when I visited Mission Motorsport, a charity based near Wantage which works with both serving members of the armed forces and veterans to use motorsport as a means of rehabilitation. That ranges from organising trips for wounded veterans to motorsport events to setting up work experience placements and even finding jobs with major motor employers. The dedication of the small but very focused team was really impressive, but what really struck home was – again – the way everyone worked together as a team to achieve their aims. It’s a serious organisation with a serious purpose, but the sense of camaraderie and humour I saw was fantastic.
As charities, both the Air Ambulance and Mission Motorsport need all the support they can get from the public, so I thoroughly recommend taking a look at their websites – www.missionmotorsport.org and www.tvacaa.org to find out more about them. I hope you’ll be as fascinated and inspired as I was.
This month, as well as correspondence about the situation in Gaza, I’ve received a number of emails and letters regarding climate change. Climate change is one of the twenty-first century’s biggest policy challenges, and I was pleased to be able to reassure those who got in touch that the UK is taking a leading role in tackling climate change on the world stage, working towards a binding global deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit change to manageable levels. The Government is clear in its commitment to meet the 2050 target to reduce emissions of all greenhouse gases by 80%. In the meantime, Ministers will continue to work with their European counterparts to push for an ambitious 2030 EU target.
As ever please feel free to contact me on any matter at the House of Commons, SW1A 0AA, 020 7219 6350 or vaizeye@parliament.uk. Email is the quickest and most reliable way to get in touch, as I keep a very close eye on my emails and can reply very quickly. Surgery details can be found at www.vaizey.com.
Ed Vaizey MP