WORCESTER’S MP Robin Walker writes for the Observer…
As the weather turns cold and Worcester’s Christmas lights start to brighten up the Winter sky it is a good time to be thankful for all the brilliant local businesses who make our city such a special place to be in the run up to Christmas.
Alongside the Victorian Christmas Fayre, which is a great draw for the city at this time of year, the strong local offer of independent shops is something we should celebrate and cherish.
Like all businesses on the high street they have been through an incredibly tough couple of years and whilst I am glad that interventions such as furlough, business rates rebates and bounce back loans have helped many to weather the storm of the pandemic so far, the crucial thing they need to bounce back strongly is support from customers.
As we go about our shopping over the coming weeks there has never been a better time to shop local and the later opening hours in the city centre should help more of us to do our shopping in great local independent shops.
The government have announced a third round of funding to support arts and cultural organisations through the Cultural Recovery Fund, with Worcester organisations once again benefitting from hundreds of thousands of pounds in support. Worcester Theatres (formerly known as Worcester Live) will receive £122,000 and the Museum of Royal Worcester £52,108. Museums Worcestershire, who manage the Commandery and Worcester City Art Gallery will get £48,000 and the English Symphony Orchestra, which is based in the city, will receive £74,400. The latest round of funding takes the total allocated to Worcester to £984,000 and will protect jobs, while keeping our vibrant arts and culture offering in the city vibrant.
I have been visiting a lot of schools lately in my new ministerial role and it has been a pleasure to be able to thank some of the heads and teachers who have done so much to support pupils through tumultuous times. It was great to catch up with pupils, teachers and heads from Regency and Fort Royal special schools in Worcester to see the incredible support and care they have offered to some of our most vulnerable children, and see the pride that those children take in their work. I am glad that the recent spending review has given us more resources for the high needs sector, both in terms of capital funding for new facilities and revenue funding, and I want to ensure that as much of this as possible reaches frontline organisations such as these. I know in our primary schools and nurseries that many pupils and teachers will have been working incredibly hard to put on nativity plays and I have been clear that wherever these can go ahead safely, they do. Nativities are such a great tradition and one that gives many children their first opportunity to perform, something that too many missed out on during lockdown last year.
Like many others I have been concerned to see the emergence of Omicron, a new Covid variant in Southern Africa, but I think it is essential that policy makers give the scientists the time they need to better understand it and take measures to ensure that vaccines continue to be able to keep the vast majority of people safe. Travel rules to the most affected areas have been tightened and masks have been reintroduced in areas they are most likely to help, such as on public transport and in crowded shops, but I think it is right to set a higher bar to masks in the classroom that risk diminishing the quality of learning, especially for younger pupils. I would urge Worcester constituents to take full advantage of the booster jab campaign and I am hopeful that by taking crucial steps swiftly, we can avoid further disruption in the run up to Christmas.
