What levelling up means for Dales
LEVELLING up is a phrase I am sure all of you have heard, but I wanted to talk briefly about what that means for Ashbourne and the surrounding villages.
For me, in the simplest terms, levelling up means a level playing field for the UK’S regions, no matter if they are rural, cities or coastal.
Levelling up is about harnessing public and private sectors to create sustained progress to better our area.
Levelling up accompanies work being undertaken to repair the damage done by Covid to public services, with backlogs in hospitals and courts prioritised alongside school catch ups and jobs.
It is about rebalancing the economy and bringing highquality, well-paid jobs to Derbyshire Dales and this Government is delivering on that promise.
Here in Derbyshire huge amounts of funding has been provided to key projects to level up our area and the second round of levelling up bids are about to be submitted.
I have met with Ashbourne Town Team to discuss their views and their hopes that Ashbourne could benefit from levelling up projects.
I was very impressed with the local enthusiasm for the proposed project and the team are approaching this with a high level of professionalism. Ashbourne is a fantastic place to live, work and raise a family, but it doesn’t mean that it cannot be further improved by accessing levelling up funding.
Last week the Levelling Up white paper was announced, and it provides a blueprint for levelling up in our region.
I am glad to see a continued focus on challenges including improving living standards, growing the private sector, and increasing and spreading opportunity.
Regeneration is key to improving rural areas and to incentivise businesses and entrepreneurs. I am working alongside Derbyshire MPS and local government leaders to get more help in levelling up for our area.
Education plays a vital part in the levelling up agenda and on Friday I was delighted to visit Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Ashbourne Academy.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr Garrity, the headteacher, Anne Martin, CEO of QEGSMAT, and Steven Bembridge, assistant headteacher and SENCO.
I very much enjoyed being shown around the school and seeing the pupils engaged with their teachers in a range of fascinating subjects.
The students behaved impeccably well, clearly enthused by the quality of the material being presented and inspired by their teachers – a credit to their parents, the staff, and the leadership at the school.
I was impressed to hear that Mr Garrity’s team offer over 60 clubs to the students, and that whilst around 90% of the pupils go on to university, great value is held on vocational training and apprenticeships.
The most valuable resource on the planet is the human resource. We must make sure that our young people get the best possible education so that all young people have the knowledge and skills needed to unleash their potential.
We must make sure that no one misses out on opportunities simply because of where they live or their family background.
This week is National Apprenticeship Week 2022. This week brings together everyone passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit, and opportunity that apprenticeships bring.
The theme of National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is “Build the Future”, a continuation of the theme used in 2021 and allowing the week to link to the key pillars of the Build Back Better campaign.
On Friday I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit Bowmer Bond near Ashbourne, and to meet Glyn Sellers, managing director, Mark Allender, financial director, and Julie Froggatt, human resources manager.
Bowmer Bond employs apprentices and the company have formed links with Aston College, Derby College and Chesterfield College, and the company sees apprentices as a long-term investment for the company.
Last Sunday, Her Majesty the Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
I am looking forward to the events across Derbyshire Dales this year to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
Rebalancing the economy and bringing high-quality, well-paid jobs to Derbyshire Dales is all part of the Government’s plans to create a level playing across the UK, as SARAH DINES explains