The shelter which was organised by Churches Together (which is made up of 21 churches in the Redditch area), and Redditch Nightstop UK (local homeless charity) organised and ran a homeless shelter for the Christmas period. This was staffed and supported by over 100 local volunteers who worked in shifts to prepare 3 daily meals, provide clean fresh clothes and toiletries, provide a safe warm place to stay and sleep, a friendly face to talk to and much much more to the guests of the facility throughout the time including Christmas Day when a festive lunch was served.

Sharon McCall, Volunteer Coordinator for Redditch Nightstop UK said “In the short space of time we had to organize the Shelter we were overwhelmed and inspired by the response of the local community in Redditch and surrounding areas – over 100 volunteers helped us to ensure all the guests were well looked after and cared for.  As the Shelter draws to a close staff will continue to work closely with the guests to support them in the future.”

Karen Lumley MP for Redditch County joined the volunteers to cover a shift at the Shelter and could not help to be overwhelmed by the generosity of local people not only in giving their time but also providing food, clothes, bedding and money to ensure this pilot project was a success.

Karen said “It was lovely to meet and spend time with some of the guests at the shelter over Christmas and interesting to hear their stories and find out how I could help them. I was greatly impressed by the commitment to help from all the volunteers at the shelter and was interested to hear about the groups plans for the future. I look forward to meeting with the group again soon to identify any further areas I can help them with going forward.”

Sarah Hooks, Night Shelter Manager – and one of the driving forces of the project draws on her past to work alongside the underprivileged and spoke of her life experiences used to improve the life chances and well being of others. She said “The Night Shelter has been a challenging and rewarding experience which has united the Redditch community in valuing the importance of each life. This project which has incorporated an incredible number of volunteers has been responsible for changing the lives of everyone who was supported by the program. No price can be placed on the success of this Night Shelter.”

The project opened its doors for those in need on 22nd December and concludes Wednesday 4th Jan due to location availability issues. However, talks are underway to see what else can be done in the community to help such individuals on a more regular permanent basis.

During this time, every single person who came to the shelter has been helped in terms of gaining access to the correct type of accommodation and/or support system they require to match their individual needs.

The photo shows Connie Swann volunteer, pastor Jim Hidderley, pastor Robin Baker, Sarah Hooks Night Shelter Manager and Karen.

Redditch MP Karen Lumley helped to launch a wide-ranging survey of local businesses at an event at NEW College’s Osprey House on Friday 16th December 2011.

The survey – believed to be the most comprehensive undertaken in the town – will be sent to some 500 businesses in the constituency in an attempt to find out what skills and qualifications expanding employers in the town are looking for when they recruit staff.

The survey is a joint initiative by Redditch Borough Council’s Economic Development Unit, Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Member of Parliament, and has been put together with help from town employment recruitment agency e-response. It will be sent out early in the New Year and came about after a meeting of business leaders in November highlighted a potential gap between the skills required by expanding business in the town and some of the qualifications being offered by local candidates for jobs.

Karen said: “One of my priorities in the coming months is to do all I can to help local businesses to expand, as well as to encourage new businesses to locate themselves in Redditch, which offers a superb central location and easy links to the national motorway network. This survey will give us vital information about what businesses in Redditch are looking for from their workforce, as I know many will be wanting to expand in the coming months and years.”

The photo (courtesy of the Redditch Standard) shows New College Principal John Callaghan, Redditch Borough Council Chief Executive Kevin Dicks, MP Karen Lumley, Dean Atwell from Oakland International and County Councillor David  Thain.

Safer charity giving with new Charity Commission mobile website …

Karen Lumley MP and the Charity Commission encourage safer giving this Christmas with new mobile website.

Karen Lumley is encouraging people to use the new mobile version of the Charity Commission website, making it easy for people to check charities’ details on their phone before making a donation.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has launched the site, http://m.charitycommission.gov.uk, specifically designed for use on mobile phones.

It means that when people are out and about they can immediately check if an organisation asking for donations is a registered charity.

Lots of charities fundraise over Christmas, and almost all charity collections are genuine. However, there are some people who will try to abuse the generosity of others for their own gain.

The mobile site, which holds the register of over 180,000 charities, will help to give members of the public confidence that the money they donate will reach its intended destination. As well as showing whether a charity is registered with the Charity Commission, the site includes details of what individual charities do and where they work. It also shows contact details for registered charities, so if you are still unsure whether a collection is genuine you can contact the charity directly to find out.

The site is also useful for charity trustees, providing helpful summaries of our guidance on issues including fundraising and trading.

Karen Lumley MP says: “I think this is an excellent idea and will enable people to have the peace of mind, especially during these difficult financial times when money is tight, in that any money they do donate to a charity will get to the people who need it most via reputable organisations. ”

Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission says: ““Many charities appeal for funds over the festive period and they currently need the public’s donations more than ever. But give smartly; make sure your money is going to a genuine registered charity. The Charity Commission new mobile site will help you quickly check that the charity asking for your money is a proper registered charity. The site also provides useful information about individual charities so you can see what a charity will do with your money.”

“In addition to double-checking details of street charity collections, I would also encourage people making donations to watch out for email scams and fake websites. If you are suspicious of any appeals for donations, always check the charity registration number on the Charity Commission site or contact the charity directly.”

Bryn Parry, CEO and Co-founder of Help for Heroes says: “This is a fantastic initiative that will certainly reassure supporters that their hard-earned money is going exactly where it should. During the Christmas period it is so important to remember those that are going through a tough time, and anything that makes charitable giving a safer, more straightforward process is welcomed by Help for Heroes.”

Follow the Charity Commission’s tips to avoid charity scams this Christmas:

• If you are in any doubt about a charity collector, collection bag or fundraising materials, check the charity’s name and registration number. You can find these on the Charity Commission’s website at www.charitycommission.gov.uk, or on the mobile version of the site http://m.charitycommission.gov.uk which makes it really easy to check this on your phone when you’re on the move.
• Always check whether a collector is wearing a proper ID badge.
• Check that the collecting tin seal is not damaged.
• Ask the collector for more information – a genuine charity should be happy to answer questions.
• Check whether a collector has authority to collect. A permit or license is usually needed if raising money in a public place. Collections in private places like train stations and supermarkets need the owner’s or manager’s permission. Collections in pubs need either a license or an exemption.
• If you receive collection bags or fundraising materials from non-charitable organisations claiming to be charitable, and/or using a false registered charity number, you should contact the police, your local trading standards office, the Advertising Standards Agency or your local council.
• If you want to donate online to a particular charity, visit the charity’s website – check that you have the right web address.
• Be very careful when responding to emails or clicking links within them to ensure that they are genuine. If you have any concerns about a request for donations that appears to come from a charity, don’t hesitate to contact that charity directly.
• If you are worried that you may have been targeted by a fundraising scam, you should contact the police and inform the Charity Commission through its website.
• If in any doubt, send your donation directly to the charity.

How to check whether an organisation is a registered charity and look-up its details:

On the mobile site http://m.charitycommission.gov.uk

• Click on ‘Search for a charity’
• Type in the charity’s name or registration number
• All charities with an income over £5,000 are required to register with the Charity Commission. If a charity is registered, it will be listed.
• Click on the charity you want to view and open up the different sections to see what the charity does, its income and spending levels, where it operates and its contact details.

On the normal, PC-based website www.charitycommission.gov.uk:

• Type the name or charity registration number into the ‘Search for a charity’ box at the top of the webpage.
• All charities with an income over £5,000 are required to register with the Charity Commission. If a charity is registered, it will be listed.
• Click on the charity you want to view and see its entry details on the Register of Charities. For charities with an income of over £25,000 you can also view their accounts.
• If you are looking for particular type of charity, perhaps if you would like to make a donation but aren’t sure which charity to give to, click on ‘View the register of charities’ then … select ‘Advanced search’ on the left-hand side.
• Here you can search for different types of charities by where they operate, the type of work they do and their income levels.

Karen Lumley MP and Rebecca Aubrey-Fletcher, Property Manager, celebrate the return of two 18th-century Qianlong vases, stolen earlier this year.

The National Trust’s Hanbury Hall, near Droitwich Spa, is thrilled to be able to report that the two Qianlong vases have been safely recovered and returned to Hanbury Hall.

They were on display in one of the upstairs rooms before they were stolen and were a favourite item of the staff, volunteers and visitors. They will be back on view for visitors to admire from January 7 2012, when Hanbury Hall is open at weekends only, 11am – 4pm, through guided upstairs tours. From 11th February 2012, visitors will be able to come and view them, along with the rest of the house, Saturdays – Thursdays 11am – 5pm.

Michelle Hill, the House Steward at Hanbury Hall said “I, along with the rest of the staff and volunteers here at Hanbury, were devastated when the vases were stolen. However with help from the police we’re all very pleased that they have been returned to us in the same condition they were in before they were stolen.”

Karen Lumley MP recently had the pleasure of taking a tour and meeting staff members of Worcestershire Steels Co in Redditch, where she took time to learn more about the industry and their business in general.

The company, which is part of a family run business, Tamworth Steel Stockholders  – founded in 1973 by John Ratledge Snr, – started in Redditch in 1992.

Through hard work and determination through some challenging and difficult times, the business and has seen steady growth over the years which has enabled them to recently move into their much larger new unit.  This extra space enables the company to stock a wider range of sizes & specifications of steels, administer faster turnaround for customers, which in turn makes them a complete one stop facility for all steel requirements.  The company is hopefully that with this growth comes, in time, the recruitment of more staff into the business.

Karen Lumley MP said “I was extremely interested to learn about the organisation and their ideas for the future, in particular, the creation of more skilled jobs to the area. It is encouraging to see a local company go from strength to strength and take the decision to stay within the town as they do so. Redditch is a fantastic place for business to start, grow, develop and expand as it boasts several positives many industries expect and rely upon including the fantastic transport links we have along with an ideal central location.”

General Manager, Trish Chambers said “It was lovely to meet Karen and discuss our plans for the future and to give the MP a tour of our new facility to enable her to become more familiar with us as a business. It was nice to see our local MP take a genuine interested in what we do and to lend her support with the growth of local businesses such as ours.”

The photos show Karen with Jon Ratledge Jnr, Managing Director and Trish Chambers, General Manager

Many families will sit down after their Christmas dinner and fall asleep by the fireside. But have they eaten or drunk too much, or are they suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning?

That’s the question posed by Lynn Griffiths, founder and president of the charity Carbon Monoxide Awareness, whose own family suffered the debilitating effects of carbon monoxide poisoning in their home for more than a decade.

Lynn Griffiths said: “I want everyone to think about the health and safety of their families, friends and the old person who lives next door or down the street as we approach Christmas. If they haven’t got an audible carbon monoxide alarm, buy them one. It could be the best present you’ve ever given to anyone and it may just save a life over Christmas or New Year.”

Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that is difficult to detect because it is colourless and has no taste or smell. It is produced by faulty or poorly maintained or ventilated fossil fuel burning appliances and by blocked or partially blocked flues.

Carbon monoxide poisoning causes around 50 deaths each year in England and Wales and there are numerous near misses, many of which go unreported. At lower levels, carbon monoxide causes symptoms that are similar to flu or food poisoning, including headaches, tiredness, nausea and difficulty in thinking clearly.

“As I know only too well from the experience of my own family, people can have their health devastated by low levels of carbon monoxide without knowing what is causing the debilitating illness,” Lynn said.  “However, we were lucky compared to some. When there are faulty appliances or blocked or partially blocked flues, carbon monoxide will quickly build up in confined spaces to levels that kill. We’ve seen too many fatalities over the years and almost every one is a tragedy that could have been avoided.

www.co-awareness.org

Karen Lumley MP paid a visit to AT&T’s Internet Data Centre in Redditch on Friday (9th December 2011). The centre is one of the US telephone giant’s 38 global IDCs, providing internet hosting services for large multi-national companies, as well as 24-hour customer call centre support.

Karen was given a presentation on the company’s history in the town, which goes back to the early 1980s, as well as a tour of the impressive facilities. She also got to meet and talk with some of the staff about their jobs.

“It was fascinating to know what goes on behind the scenes of one on the largest employers in Redditch,” said Mrs Lumley. AT&T has been in Redditch over 30 years and is a major employer in the town. As such it is helping to lead the way in maintaining the local economy by employing local people. I would like to place on record my thanks to AT&T for a most interesting day and for having faith in Redditch.”

Mike Corkerry, head of government affairs for AT&T’s European region, said the team was delighted to welcome Karen and show her around. “It was a chance for us to demonstrate the important link that AT&T has with the Redditch community – we now employ some 700 people here,” he said. “We had a good discussion with Karen – especially around the area of professional development and training. It also meant that Karen could see first-hand the secure and resilient environment that AT&T has developed to offer maximum security for business-critical equipment and applications, meaning our customers can place their trust in us.”

Pete Wild from AT&T is seen showing Karen how to manage the internet during her recent visit to AT&T’s Internet Data Centre in Redditch.

Karen Lumley MP is supporting an international campaign to press for women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Karen took part in an event in Parliament on Wednesday 23 November which saw a cross-party group of MPs and peers having their photograph taken in front of hundreds of handmade kites designed by campaigners from around the country to symbolise their support for women’s rights in Afghanistan.

The campaign – led by ActionAid UK, Amnesty International UK, CARE UK, GAPS, Womankind Worldwide and Women for Women International – has seen 18,000 campaigners petition the UK government to support Afghan women’s rights, with more than 8,000 kites designed.

Campaigners are using the kite symbol because in Afghanistan women and girls make kites but are effectively prevented from actually flying them because of cultural attitudes that make it socially unacceptable.

Karen said: “This is an important campaign which I’m very pleased to support. If the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan are not front and centre of peace negotiations, it will be an absolute tragedy. I will be following up on this issue with the Foreign Secretary William Hague at the earliest opportunity.”

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: “We’d like to see all Parliamentarians supporting this campaign for women rights in Afghanistan. There is a clear and present danger that the rights of Afghan women and girls could be sacrificed in deals with the Taliban as the international community looks for the exit sign in Afghanistan. Numerous MPs have been vocal on the subject of Afghan women’s rights during the past decade. Now’s the time for them to stand up and be counted.”