Karen Lumley, MP for Redditch County recently met with the Underwood family again to hear about the campaign they are behind to encourage schools throughout the country to have defibrillators on site which have the potential to save young lives.

Robert Underwood said “As a family we know the true extent and the heartache suffered following the loss of a child, in our case our wonderful daughter Charlotte who sadly, at the tender age of 16, passed away from the silent killer SADS – Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. Our aim is to raise awareness and to hopefully ensure that no other family has to go through what we have been through unnecessarily. Today we now back demands to get this potentially lifesaving equipment (defibrillators) installed in all schools and youth establishments to protect our children. We are very grateful for the help and support offered to us from our local MP, Karen Lumley.”

Maggie Underwood went on to say “We know there are costs involved in getting this equipment into schools but the upset for families and those close to a person who is swiftly taken in this way, such as their fellow classmates, teachers and friends, is a far greater price to pay. There are many children dying from SADS each year, and although some may display symptoms, they are often ignored or mistaken for other ailments such as asthma. I think it is time that we all get together and do all we can to protect our kids, after all, the children we are trying to protect are our future. Having a defibrillator can and will save lives, so please help and sign now.”

Anne Jolly Founder of SADS UK explained, “The cardiac charity SADS UK is pleased with the support shown for the Big Shock Campaign, urging Government to bring forward a strategy to make defibrillators available in all schools.  The amount of people signing the SADS UK online petition shows how passionate the public are that schools have this potentially lifesaving equipment in place. We are delighted that Karen Lumley MP is backing SADS UK’s important initiative and that she is hosting an event for fellow MPs in Parliament to help further highlight the need for urgent action to be taken.”

Karen said “I met with the Underwood family last year and I was extremely saddened and moved to hear about the tragic loss of their daughter Charlotte. Since then I have been more than happy to lend my support to the family and to SADS UK to help raise awareness. I will soon be hosting an event for my colleagues in London to further emphasise the importance of this issue and the work that SADS UK does, and I am currently in the process of trying to secure a Westminster Hall Debate on the subject.”

To sign the SADS UK petition on line please visit www.change.org/petitions/sads-uk-big-shock-campaign-schools-must-have-defibrillators

If anyone would like to help sign and circulate the SADS UK’s paper petition please call 07794637073 and Robert and Maggie will gladly make arrangements to send one to you.  If anyone would like to donate to Charlotte’s fund where all money raised will go directly into buying defibrillators for local schools, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/margaret-prentice

Anyone who would like further information about Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome or the Big Shock Campaign should contact Anne Jolly, SADS UK, Tel:  01277 811215 email: info@sadsuk.org  www.sadsuk.org

Redditch MP Karen Lumley called into the offices of a local employment and training specialist to witness at first hand the encouraging success of helping the long-term unemployed back into work.

Karen met staff from Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) including CEO Steve King at their Albert Street offices and was interested in the training and help on offer to the unemployed in the area. Karen also had the opportunity to meet with local people looking for work.

One of the people shown meeting with the Redditch MP was 40-year-old Carl Smith from Studley. He had spent 14-years with his previous company and has 22-years experience as an operator/assembler.

“I’ve really been helped forward in a positive direction by the team at the Redditch office,” he said. “I particularly like the open-door approach and the flexibility around the times I can use the facilities, just being able to drop in rather than having to always make an appointment is fantastic. I’ve gained new qualifications, made new friends and it is really paying dividends.”

After enjoying but not achieving at school Carl says he has learnt more with PPDG than he ever did in his school days gaining numeracy and literacy qualifications through learndirect courses. Carl is determined to find work and has been mailing over 20 CV s a week. A local company has offered him an interview in April that brings hope to the former factory worker.

PPDG Employment Coach Helen Barrett has worked alongside Mr Smith in his quest to return to work. “Carl is an inspiration to other job seekers,” Helen explained. “He has had family problems in the past but has moved himself forward very well and has exciting news to come with a new baby on the way in May.  He is one of the most positive job seekers I have met and it would be wonderful if all job seekers were alike.”

Karen said following the visit “Employment opportunities and business growth in Redditch are huge priorities for me. I have had many meetings with local business, job seekers, local colleges and other providers to ensure that we attract a wide range of jobs in all fields to the area and provide the facilities for local people to acquire the necessary skill sets to gain long term employment. Most recently I’ve met with the Chamber of Commerce, local LEP and the Council and along with launching the Skills Survey that was sent to local businesses in January, we now have a better understanding of what gaps need filling in Redditch and a clearer idea of how to move forward and get people into work. It was encouraging and impressive to see the hard work and focus that PPDG and their customers put into finding a job and I wish Carl the best of luck for his interview in April!”

To learn more about PPDG in Redditch, please telephone 01527 592080.

Karen Lumley MP’s portrait has appeared in a one off unique parliamentary photographic exhibition to raise awareness of lung cancer, the most common cancer worldwide . In the UK alone lung cancer causes around 35,000 deaths a year .

Karen is among a group of politicians who have had their photographs taken for a parliamentary photographic exhibition. The exhibition is a joint project between the charity Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and pharmaceutical company Boehringher Ingelheim. The exhibition shows images of parliamentarians holding lung x-ray images, which are accompanied by statements explaining the reason for their involvement in the project.  The photographs were on display in a pop-up exhibition in the Jubilee Room, in the House of Commons.

Paula Chadwick, interim chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “Every 15 minutes somebody in the UK dies from lung cancer. Although we’ve recently seen some improvements in survival rates there is still so much to be done. This exhibition will help to raise awareness among parliamentarians of three key issues:  supporting the introduction of a national lung cancer awareness publicity campaign; tackling regional variations in treatment and care; and backing plans to introduce plain packaging on cigarettes in order to prevent the next generation of lung cancer victims.”

John Dixon, Boehringer Ingelheim UK and Ireland’s Managing Director commented: “Boehringer Ingelheim is proud to have worked in partnership with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. We have had a fantastic response from parliamentarians who wanted to participate and raise awareness of this devastating disease and issues around early diagnosis, signs and symptoms and access to treatments. The exhibition is a means of highlighting to politicians and the wider public how early detection and diagnosis is key in the treatment and management of this disease for patients, their families and carers.“

The main signs and symptoms of lung cancer are:

•    A cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks
•    Worsening or change to long standing cough
•    Repeated chest infections
•    Coughing up blood
•    Unexplained persistent breathlessness
•    Unexplained persistent tiredness
•    Unexplained persistent weight loss
•    Persistent chest and/or shoulder pain

If you have any of these symptoms for more than three weeks, make an appointment with your GP today. It may be nothing serious but it is worth getting checked out.

For information on local support groups and general information on lung cancer issues call the freephone helpline on 0800 358 7200 or visit www.roycastle.org

Karen Lumley, Member of Parliament for Redditch County, is calling on local residents to take advantage of a free energy efficiency offer, help a friend or a relative, and pocket £50 for their efforts.

People will be given £50 for every person on qualifying benefits they refer to British Gas for free insulation.  The money will be paid once the installation has been completed and there is no limit on the number of people they can refer. As well as getting free insulation which will save them hundreds of pounds off their energy bills each year, the referred customer will also be paid £50 once the installation has been completed.  Both the referrer and the customer receiving the insulation do not need to buy their gas or electricity from British Gas to qualify for the deal.

Loft insulation can save households up to £175 from their heating bills and cavity wall insulation can save up to £135.  According to DECC, nearly half of Britain’s homes do not have adequate basic insulation.  Only 57% of Britain’s lofts have been properly insulated and only 58% of cavity walls have been filled.

The deal builds on British Gas’s other current free offers on insulation.  Currently all British Gas energy and services customers are also eligible for free insulation.

Karen Lumley, Member of Parliament for Redditch, said: “We have a great community in Redditch and we all want to make sure that our friends and family are getting all the help they can in these difficult times.  I would encourage people who perhaps have an elderly relative or someone they think might benefit from this offer, to ask them to call British Gas on 0800 975 1195 to find out more.”

Jon Kimber, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy, said: “With household budgets stretched we know that people are looking at ways to save money.  £1 in every £4 spent on heating is wasted due to poor insulation so energy efficiency can have a massive impact. We want to get people looking out for others who need help.  That’s why we’re offering £50 to anyone who refers vulnerable family, friends or neighbours to us for free insulation.  We’ll also pay the vulnerable customer £50 for having the free insulation installed”.

Calls must be made by the customer who is having the insulation installed and they should give the details of the person who referred them.

Jenny Saunders, Chief Executive of National Energy Action, said: “I applaud this offer from British Gas which aims to deliver energy saving measures to the poorest households and at the same time reward those who are identifying and helping more vulnerable members of our communities.”

“It’s ALL of us versus cancer.” That’s the rallying cry from Redditch MP, Karen Lumley, who is urging her constituents to unite for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

Joining fellow MPs at a Westminster event, she backed the charity’s call to join the fight against all cancers – by taking part in Race for Life, volunteering on the day or helping to raise vital funds.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an amazing women-only series of events which raises millions of pounds every year for life-saving research into 200 types of cancer – helping men, women and children across the Redditch area survive.

Mrs Lumley said: “It’s all of us versus cancer and Cancer Research UK needs you to join the fight as soon as possible. Money raised through Race for Life is crucial to the charity’s life-saving work. Whether you take part on the big day, sponsor friends and family or lend your time as a volunteer, you’ll be making a stand against the disease and a real difference to people with cancer here in our community.”

As part of the fight against all cancers, Cancer Research UK is working to reduce the number of young people who start smoking – nearly 160,000 11 to 15 year olds – every year.

At the Westminster event, Mrs Lumley met experts who explained why Cancer Research UK is campaigning to give young people one less reason to start smoking by putting tobacco products in plain packaging – this means with no branding, so all packs look the same with big health warnings. Research shows glitzy tobacco packaging is attractive to young people.

Sarah Woolnough, Director of Policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “The battle against cancer never stops, so we’re grateful that Karen is helping to rally new recruits to our cause. It is money raised through Race for Life that helps us to continue our ground-breaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We have already saved millions of lives through our research. Now we want plain packaging for all tobacco products to help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers.”

To join Redditch versus cancer, enter Race for Life at www.raceforlife.org or call 0871 641 1111. Karen has signed up!

The Department for Communities and Local Government has today launched two new schemes, NewBuy, which helps those for whom finding a big enough deposit is the barrier to home ownership; and a re-invigorated Right to Buy Scheme.

NewBuy is a bold project that makes it possible for first time buyers and existing home owners to get a mortgage on a new-build property with only 5 per cent deposit. In addition; the Right to Buy scheme, which allows council tenants to buy their home at a discount, will have its maximum discount cap for tenants increased to £75,000. This will quadruple the current cap in London and triple it across most of the country and these announcements underlie the Government’s genuine commitment to helping people to meet their aspiration for home ownership.

Local MP for Redditch County, Karen Lumley said, “I fully support the Government’s announcements and believe that this is fantastic news for the people of Redditch and for everyone across the country who wants to own their own home. These changes are all about giving people a chance to achieve their ambitions of home ownership and are practical steps to make this a realistic goal. This is hugely positive development for the country, as it defines a clear commitment to growth and provides incentives for the provision of much needed new housing.”

Karen Lumley has backed new Home Office rules which mean unskilled immigrants will no longer have an automatic right to settle in the UK.

Until now someone who had lived in the UK for five years was virtually guaranteed to be allowed to settle here permanently.  Those who have settled here in the past have tended to be lower-earners than those who have not. Now in order to settle workers must be paid at least £35,000.

Karen said, “In 1997 fewer than 10,000 migrant workers and their dependants were granted the right to settle permanently in the UK, but after thirteen years of Labour government this rose to 84,000. Conservatives are now getting a grip and ensuring that only the brightest and best are allowed to remain here permanently. At a time of high unemployment, we owe it to workers in Redditch to ensure that our migration system does not cause a reliance on migrant labour.”

Immigration Minister, Damian Green MP said, “Settlement in the UK is a privilege. We are sweeping aside the idea that everyone who comes here to work can settle and instead reserving this important right only for the brightest and best. Our reforms of the immigration system will ensure we are more selective not only about those who are allowed to come here but also those who are allowed to stay permanently.”