Fiona speaks to Sandbach Rotary about Aid work in Ethiopia

Fiona Bruce MP speaks at Sandbach Rotary

The guest speaker at this week’s Sandbach Rotary Club meeting was Fiona Bruce MP. Fiona spoke of her work on the International Development Select Committee, whose role is to scrutinise the use of the Government’s aid budget. She spoke with particular reference to her recent trip to Ethiopia with other members of the Select Committee and showed a number of slides of the visit.

Whilst speaking Fiona highlighted the fact that international aid helps recipient developing countries strengthen their own economies with the ultimate aim of moving out of aid dependency and highlighted therefore the projects being supported through aid in Ethiopia to help local communities there strengthen their economies. Projects she described visiting included support for a group of small sales cooking oil producers to become a co-operative, help for hillside small holders in a remote region of Ethiopia to develop bee-keeping and honey production businesses and projects promoted in conjunction with the charity Farm Aid to help women set up micro businesses such as chicken rearing.

President of The Rotary Club of Sandbach Stuart Blackwell said "From the reaction of my members I can say that it was a truly very enjoyable event and much appreciated.   We enjoyed Fiona's company greatly, and learnt a lot about the value of overseas aid".

New Rights for Park Home Residents

Fiona Bruce MP welcomes new rights for park home residents

New rights giving park home residents the protection they need from unscrupulous site owners come into force this week.

Park homes offer many people an affordable opportunity to escape to the country, but some dishonest park home operators abuse their position to make a profit at their residents’ expense. In some cases, site owners have lied to prospective purchasers about the conditions of homes and even dug holes around homes to make them unsaleable.

The new laws will make these underhand tactics a thing of the past. The rules will:

• remove site owners from the park home buying and selling process, meaning that residents cannot be forced to, or prevented from, selling their park homes to fill the landlord’s pocket;
• make it harder to impose unexpected charges or changes of rules; and
• give local authorities more power to enforce breaches, making it easier to prosecute a site owner who harasses residents.

The Government has also launched a new national helpline, operated by the Leasehold Advisory Service, for residents to get advice on their rights when selling or gifting their home.

Commenting, Fiona Bruce said:

‘I’m delighted that the Government is safeguarding park home residents. For too long, some unscrupulous operators have made residents’ lives a misery, intimidating people and manipulating the rules to turn a quick profit.

‘These new protections will close the loopholes to root out the rogue operators and ensure those who run an honest business will continue to flourish. Councils will also now have the powers to protect the vulnerable, so park home residents will be able to enjoy their rural retreats in peace.’

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITOR

• The Mobile Homes Act 2013 gives more rights to people who live in a park home on a residential pitch. Changes include:

o   a modern reformed local authority licensing regime for park home sites, to ensure local authority are properly funded for exercising their powers and have sufficient tools for enforcement action;

o   a new regime for selling and purchasing park homes, which excludes the need to seek the approval of the site owner;

o   certain site rules to be banned and all remaining rules to be re-made in consultation with residents, to prevent site rules being used inappropriately to block sales etc.;

o   reform to the pitch fee review process to ensure greater transparency and reduce the opportunity for exploitation; and

o   changes to the criminal law (relating to park homes) to make harassment easier to prove and to create an offence of providing false information when a home is sold (DCLG Press Release, 28 May 2013, link).

• There are approximately 85,000 owner occupied mobile homes (commonly known as ‘park homes’) on 2,000 sites in England (ibid.).
• A new Park Homes advice line, run by the Leasehold Advisory Service is available on 0207 383 9800 (ibid.).

Fiona Bruce MP Presents First Ever 'Westminster Award'

Fiona Bruce MP presents world renowned blind Chinese Human Rights Activist, Chen Guangcheng, with first ever “Westminster Award”

On Monday 20^th May in House of Commons, Fiona Bruce MP presented blind Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng with the first ever “Westminster Award” for his contribution to human rights, human life and human dignity.

 

(left to right) Chris Whitehouse, (Trustee of the Right to Life Charitable Trust), Lord Alton of Liverpool, Fiona Bruce MP, Chen Guangcheng and Yuan Weijing (Chen’s wife)

Intimidated, beaten, arrested and imprisoned, Chen Guangcheng, blind from the age of one, is a self-taught lawyer and human rights activist who has exposed and challenged the brutal practices the Chinese Authorities regarding their One Child Policy which have left whole communities in China with a high imbalance of young men and women – in some villages there are up to thirty more young men than women. The policy involves forced abortion and compulsory sterilisation of women pursued by the authorities in China which have led to tens of millions of babies being killed, predominantly girls.

Under attack from the authorities, Chen escaped house arrest, fled to the American Embassy in Beijing and was eventually permitted to fly to the USA with his wife and children. Chen refuses to be silenced and visited London and Brussels to share his experiences with senior politicians and to call for tough international action to put pressure on the Chinese Government to end these barbaric practices.

The award, an engraved silver platter to be known as the Westminster Award for Human Life, Human Rights and Human Dignity, was presented to Chen in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons, London, by the Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-life Group, Fiona Bruce MP, in the presence of an invited audience of MPs, Peers, human rights activists and the media.

Fiona Bruce MP speaking after presenting the Award in the House of Commons said: 

“Chen Guangcheng’s fight for respect for life from its earliest moments  -  at great personal cost to himself  -  stands out as a beacon of bravery across the world.  It was an honour to present him with his very much deserved human rights Westminster Award in the House of Commons. We must do more as a nation to challenge China’s One Child Policy which is having devastating consequences – for example there will very soon be a complete imbalance of the age groups in China’s population with millions of old people with no one to care for them.”

Chen Guangcheng commented through a translator saying:

“I am truly honoured and delighted to receive this first ever Westminster Award on this my first ever visit to the British Parliament. I have always been encouraged in my work by the knowledge that I had friends here in the Palace of Westminster and throughout the United Kingdom. I thank them all for their support.”

Lord Alton of Liverpool, Chair of the Human Dignity, said:

“Chen must rank as one of the great men of this generation. He loves his country and its people but not its coercive one child policy. One day he will be celebrated in China as a national hero who bravely stood against the system and paid a heavy price for doing so".

• Chen’s campaigning work is supported by China Aid. For more information about please visit www.chinaaid.org
• During Chen’s visit to London he was featured on Channel 4 News, BBC World, BBC World Service, BBC Newsnight and presented at the Oxford Union
• Chen had interviews with the Daily Mail, The Economist, the Spectator, the Daily Telegraph and spoke at a press conference attended by 80 media outlets
• Meetings during Chen’s visit included; Shadow Foreign Minister Kerry McCarthy MP, Lord Alton, Baroness Cox, Amnesty International and David Blunkett MP.

Fiona Bruce calls on schools to take part in 'My Money Week'

Fiona Bruce MP calls on local schools to take part in My Money Week

Fiona Bruce MP has called on local schools to take part in My Money Week (3 to 9 June), giving pupils the chance to learn more about money and personal finance.  Every primary and secondary school in Congleton is being given the chance to take part for free in My Money Week, which has returned for its fifth year.

Fiona Bruce MP, Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Financial Education for Young People and Chair of the APPG’s second Inquiry which is currently taking place in Parliament, this one focusing on Financial Education for Vulnerable Young People, commented:

“Financial Education is vitally important and is an issue I have focused on since I was elected in 2010 – I firmly believe it is critical that children are equipped to manage their finances. Debt is such a huge problem in our society and there is tremendous value in teaching our children how to manage their money. I believe that, over time, investment in financial education will reap exponential benefits for our society and firmly believe that financial education is necessary – prevention is better than cure.

I am currently chairing a Parliamentary Inquiry on Financial Education for Vulnerable Young People. One clear theme that has come out of the work of this Inquiry already is that the majority of parents feel ill equipped to teach their children how to manage money and in a sense therefore virtually all children are vulnerable when it comes to knowing how to handle money. Secondly, it is also clear that we need to start building awareness of how to manage money when children are younger than seven and work jointly with parents and children in this regard.

I would therefore encourage all schools in my Constituency to take part in My Money Week to improve young people’s financial skills, knowledge and confidence.”

Tracey Bleakley, chief executive of the charity pfeg, which is dedicated to improving financial education, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Fiona Bruce MP in promoting My Money Week this year, and I hope all schools in the Congleton Constituency will seize the opportunity to take part through our free activity pack, advice and support.”

Fiona and colleagues who are also passionate about this issue met with the Prime Minister last year to call on the Government to introduce financial education to the curriculum following an Inquiry of the APPG which resulted in financial education being introduced into the National Curriculum.

Fiona Bruce MP, welcoming this huge victory in the campaign for financial education in schools commented: 

“Our first Parliamentary Inquiry into Financial Education in 2011/12 recommended that personal financial education should be a compulsory part of every school’s curriculum, that it should be assessed and that financial education should be cross-curricular, overlapping with maths and PSHE. I am absolutely delighted our hard work has borne fruit and that the Government is implementing our recommendations.”

Teachers in Congleton can pre-order their free My Money Week Activity Packs at www.pfeg.org/mymoneyweek

 

·         Photograph shows a Hearing of the Inquiry into Financial Education for Vulnerable Young People in the Houses of Parliament with (left to right) Kristina Leonett (Quaker Social Action), Jerry Jarvis (Chairman of Maths Action and former Chief Executive of Edexcel), Shirley Conran OBE (author and founder of MONEY STUFF), Dr Samantha Callan (Centre for Social Justice), Fiona Bruce MP (Chair of the Inquiry), Scott Craig (Bite the Ballot) and Tracey Bleakley (Chief Executive of pfeg).

·         More information about the Inquiry can be found at http://www.pfeg.org/policy-campaigning/pfeg-and-parliament/appg-vulnerable-young-people-strand

About My Money Week 2013

·         My Money Week will improve young people’s financial skills, knowledge and confidence through special lessons, activities and debates in schools and other settings across the UK.  Teachers in Congleton can order a free Activity Pack, developed by pfeg, full of creative and engaging financial resources and ideas for how to deliver financial education to young people, from the age of four up to 19.  Young people in Congleton can also take part in the ‘A-Z of Money’, a national competition challenging them to learn more about money through creative writing.

·         My Money Week is taking place in schools throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 3^rd June – 9^th June 2013

·         Since the first My Money Week in 2009, more than three million young people have been helped to understand more about money and personal finance through focused activities in schools.  In 2012 around 500,000 young people took part in My Money Week activities, with 99 percent of teachers reporting an increase in skills and knowledge and 91 percent of teachers reporting a shift in students’ attitudes towards money.

·         My Money Week is a financial education programme developed and executed by pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group), the UK’s leading financial education charity.  My Money Week 2013 has been made possible by funding from Barclays

·         Over the last four years the week has become the most widely recognised personal finance education initiative in England, and has helped a total of more than three million children and young people understand more about money

·         For more information see www.pfeg.org/mymoneyweek

Funding available for Commemoration of the Centenary of the First World War

Fiona Bruce MP encourages local communities to apply for new Heritage Lottery Fund to commemorate the Centenary of the First World War

Fiona Bruce MP wants every community group in the Congleton Constituency to hear about the launch, in the House of Commons, of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s  (HLF) new small grants programme this week,  First World War: then and now.

Through this funding scheme people can obtain money to for an event to mark the Centenary of the First World War. 

The Heritage Lottery Fund is making at least £1million available per year for six years until 2019.  It will provide grants between £3,000 to £10,000 enabling groups right across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict.

Successful project ideas could include:

• researching, identifying and recording local heritage;
• creating a community archive or collection;
• developing new interpretation of heritage through exhibitions, trails, smartphone apps etc;
• researching, writing and performing creative material based on heritage sources; and

The new programme can also provide funding for the conservation of war memorials.

Fiona Bruce MP said: “I’m delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this money available to local communities and I don’t want anyone in my constituency to miss out.  The First World War was a major event and this is a wonderful opportunity to commemorate the events of a hundred years ago when so many people made so many sacrifices for us today.   To find out more about how to obtain funding go to http://www.hlf.org.uk/ThenAndNow for an online application pack.  If a group wants a grant of more than £10,000 for a first world war project it can apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund through its open programmes on www.hlf.org.uk. HLF’s First World War grants programme is an opportunity for everyone to commemorate the events of a hundred years ago and for younger people to learn more about what it meant.”

Welcoming the programme at the launch in the House of Commons, Culture Secretary of State Maria Miller said: “It is completely right that we mark the centenary of the First World War with a national programme capturing our national spirit and saying something about who we are as a people.  But what we do also needs to help create an enduring cultural and educational legacy for communities.  The HLF grant programme announced today will play a big part in this, and builds on the substantial investment they have already made towards the Centenary.”

Fiona Bruce continued: “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond.  The Heritage Lottery Fund’s new programme will enable communities to explore the continuing legacy of this war and help young people in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world, which is why I am so keen to tell all local schools in particular about this funding availability.”

HLF has already invested £12million in projects – large and small – that will mark the Centenary of First World War. If a group have a project idea to mark the Centenary of the First World War, an online application pack is available http://www.hlf.org.uk/ThenAndNow.  If a group needs a grant of more than £10,000 for a First World War project, it can apply to HLF through its open programmes. 

Funding Success for Middlewich Skate Park

Fiona Bruce MP congratulates Middlewich Vision on funding for New Skate Park

Middlewich Vision has been awarded a grant of £37,160 towards replacing the existing skate equipment on Booth Lane by the Veolia Environmental Trust as part of the Landfill Communities Fund.

The skate park will be built alongside a youth shelter for the young people to meet in. Another such shelter in Middlewich has already led to a drop in anti-social behaviour.

Work will also be carried out to repair the entrance gates, install bins and have benches installed, and plant new foliage. Another project running alongside this is the replacement of the playground with new equipment for younger children following a campaign by the Residents Action for Middlewich Parks group of which MP, Fiona Bruce is Patron.

Fiona Bruce MP said “I am very pleased that Middlewich Vision has been awarded this money. As Patron of RAMP I am most keen to see that the parks in Middlewich are restored so that they can be fully utilised by the thriving Middlewich Community.”

Alison Roylance-White of Middlewich Vision, says, “It is fantastic that The Veolia Environmental Trust has awarded this grant. The new skate equipment will have far more features than the present pieces, which will help the young people develop their skills and encourage them to be more active.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, McNabb Laurie, adds, “Projects like this one make a real difference to our communities and our Board awarded this grant on its merits. We will now start working with Middlewich Vision to develop a project that will really benefit young people in the town.”

Town Partnerships to hold prestigious Action for Market Towns Convention

Fiona Bruce congratulates her Constituency’s Town Partnerships on securing national Market Town’s Convention

The Annual Action for Market Towns Convention will be held on the 6^th and 7^th November and this year the honour of hosting the important Market Towns event has been given to not one, but five communities in the Congleton Constituency.

Fiona Bruce MP with Chris Wade of AMT in Parliament discussing plans for the Convention

The Partnerships of Congleton, Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Middlewich and Alsager joined together recently to successfully bid to host the 2013 Action for Market Towns Convention. The arrival of the Market Towns Convention will help to showcase all that this area has to offer in terms of its retail and business opportunities.

This successful bid follows Sandbach and Alsager being awarded Town Team Partner status along with a grant of £10,000 to improve the High Street and will be supported by the five partnerships.

Fiona Bruce MP, who strongly supported the bid for this prestigious annual event to be held in her constituency said

“I am thrilled that my Constituency has been chosen to host this important Convention. I cannot think of better people and places to act as hosts for this prestigious national event which will draw people from market towns right across the country. Simply having been chosen to act as host shows how our communities are regarded as leadership exemplars and is a tribute to the joint working of the strong Partnerships in all five communities. I hope that the delegates who attend will see what I do, an area with a thriving community spirit, forward thinking, with dedicated and inspiring community leaders, that works together to promote and strengthen both the business and social communities. This is a wonderful opportunity for the five communities, Alsager, Congleton, Holmes Chapel, Middlewich and Sandbach that are involved and I look forward to what I know will be a hugely successful convention.”

Events and workshops will be held in each of the towns. The five partnerships will also share their knowledge of becoming an active Town Team in special Convention sessions.

Previous Conventions have generated over £100,000 for the economy of host towns. The 2012 Convention brought delegates from all over the UK and even the BBC television cameras!

Chris Wade, Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns, said:

“With strong proposals received from all bidders, the decision of host town for the 2013 Convention was tougher than ever. With towns all over the UK needing to develop strong Town Teams and Partnerships, the superb proposal from Congleton’s five Town Partnerships will enable the Convention to showcase how five thriving, distinct but collaborative, community led Partnerships were established.

“Town Teams, Partnerships, Town and Parish Councils and Local Authorities of all sizes must come to visit these towns in Cheshire East in November to learn how to create thriving partnerships and pickup other new ideas to sustain and develop their towns and high streets.”

Fostering and Adoption

Fiona Bruce MP supports the launch of Fostering Fortnight in Cheshire East.

Before Foster Care Fortnight is over this year another 916 children will need a foster carer. If you think you could help go to www.spacesforfaces.co.uk



St Luke's Holmes Chapel, Barnabas Organ Marathon

Fiona Bruce MP supported the St Luke's Holmes Chapel, Barnabas Organ Marathon earlier this month which has so far raised over £2,254 including gift aid  for the Barnabas Charity which helps the homeless and vulnerable in Manchester. Christine Jones played an incredible 14 hour sponsored marathon on the organ to raise this sum!

Fiona Bruce MP in the congregation during 'Land of Hope and Glory'

Human Trafficking exhibition in Parliament

MP continues campaign against Modern Day Slavery

Fiona Bruce MP is a member of the Cross Party Group in Parliament against Human Trafficking. This group, the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Human Trafficking, recently held one of the most dramatic and distressing exhibitions ever promoted in the House of Commons, highlighting the hidden nature of Modern Day Slavery. 

The exhibition depicted different kinds of slavery hidden away in our society.   Curtains, doors, drawers and tea chests concealed the stories and photographs of the survivors of this modern day trade. 

As Fiona Bruce MP says:

 “Drugs can be sold only once – that is bad enough – but tragically, a young girl can be sold over and over again. This is a horrendous and highly lucrative trade.”

The survivors who shared their stories included Cristina, a Romanian girl sold by her mother into prostitution in Birmingham when she was 16.  There was also a man, duped by a job advertised in Hungary, and on arrival here forced to work without pay, compelled to open a credit card account operated by his slave master, forced to claim benefits for non-existent children.

No one knows the real numbers involved.  The Serious Organized Crime Agency knows that at least 2,000 victims are found each year, but believe could be the tip of the iceberg and that for every victim found, another ten remain hidden. 

Of these victims that have come to light, 5% are known to have come from here in the North West. 

Fiona Bruce continues:

“Human trafficking happens in every part of the country including here in Cheshire. I want to ensure that everyone is more alert to the signs of modern day slavery, and pay tribute to the students at Sandbach High School who have done so much to highlight this within the school and beyond. As the recent tragic case in Cleveland, America, of Amanda Berry and, her child, and two other girls, hidden away for years in a residential house, shows, it is possible to imprison young people for prostitution and other purposes, even within communities. I hope that more students in schools, public service employees, the police, those in private businesses and indeed everyone will be more vigilant in future. In Parliament I want to see the Government put modern day slavery at the top of the political agenda. There are now more slaves than there were when William Wilberforce ended the slave trade in 1807.

The Prime Minister opened the exhibition saying:

"Modern day slavery comes in many forms, in many ways, and we have to have a really concerted approach to crush it, to stamp it out and to make sure that we look at the rights of those who are affected and take a criminal approach to those who are the traffickers and above all call it what it is: slavery.

 "Congratulations to all of you for putting on this exhibition here in the mother of parliaments; it’s the right place for it to be.  I very much look forward to seeing the exhibition, to meeting those who have been caught up in this appalling trade and to leading a government that will help stamp it out."

Fiona Bruce continued:

“ I was delighted that the Prime Minister came to open the exhibition and signalled the importance which he places on this issue, one I have raised at PMQs with particular reference to the importance of partnership working – local police, customs, local authorities, schools, and everyone. Working in a co-ordinated way is the only means by which this all too hidden problem can be effectively tackled.

Further Information:

1.    The European Commission estimates that slavery has grown to 150,000 victims a year in Europe alone - in Britain, the sheer scale of slavery is growing – invisible and difficult to detect.

2.    Britain has recently signed up – after pressure from the APPG Against Human Trafficking -  to an EU Directive on human trafficking which sets out the minimum requirements needed by all EU Member State countries to fight collectively this crime. 

3.    The Centre for Social Justice recently produced a lengthy report on modern day slavery and concluded with 80 recommendations, see: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk

Fiona Bruce Solicitors share experience of Legal Advice Clinic work with Parliament

Legal Firm of Fiona Bruce MP invited to tell Attorney General of their 20 years Free Legal Advice Clinic work

Fiona Bruce MP, founder of Fiona Bruce Solicitors, recently attended the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Bono Group, at which Steve Gray, Partner at the Cheshire Law Firm,  Fiona Bruce Solicitors LLP, founded by Fiona Bruce 25 years ago, was invited to speak.

The All Party Group includes the Attorney General, other Members of Parliament, with an interest in the legal profession, and Peers and heard of how the free legal advice clinic, started by Fiona Bruce MP, has served the Warrington community for over 20 years.

The clinic has now helped over 2000 people,  who may otherwise have found it difficult to obtain legal help – for example because they are not eligible for legal aid.

The legal concerns the Free Legal Advice Clinic has helped with over the years vary from property queries, family matters, Landlord and Tenant issues, small claims, Wills and inheritance questions and consumer protection.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Steve Gray said: “Running the free legal advice clinics is very much a part of the work that we do at Fiona Bruce Solicitors LLP. Having the clinic located in the community provides an easy means of access for people to obtain advice from Solicitors. It was a real privilege to speak in the House of Commons about our work in the Warrington area””

 “The Members of Parliament who attended were impressed that all of our Solicitors, over the years, have played their part in providing free legal advice to the community and that this has been done for such a sustained period. The Attorney General remarked that whilst many big city law firms make loud public announcements about their ‘pro-bono work’ – which are often one off projects – what is really impressive about the Free Legal Advice Clinic work of Fiona Bruce Solicitors LLP is that it has been continuous, whole film committed and carried out in a quiet and unsung way.”

Several years ago, Fiona Bruce also started another Free Legal Advice Clinic in Widnes at the back of a charity shop which is proving equally popular.

Fiona Bruce MP and Lady Winterton meet in support of Local Scouts

MP and Former MP meet up in support of Local Scouts

 

Fiona Bruce MP and her predecessor Ann Winterton met up last week to support Macclesfield and Congleton Scouts at their annual camp at Barnswood near Rudyard Lake.

Both attended the St George’s Day service – St George being the Patron Saint of the Scouts – and enjoyed a tour of the museum of Scout memorabilia housed at Barnswood and collected by Norman Gosling over his 72 years involvement in the Scouting movement.

They were joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Cheshire East and Sir Nicholas Winterton.

Universities Minister formally opens revolutionary telescope headquarters at Jodrell Bank

Fiona Bruce MP welcomes Universities Minister to Jodrell Bank to formally open revolutionary new radio telescope headquarters

The Jodrell Bank Observatory is to be home to the new SKA Headquarters as part of a joint initiative between The University of Manchester and Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organisation.

The SKA will extend space exploration and will be a collaborative venture involving several countries – with its HQ at Jodrell Bank.

The Rt Hon David Willets MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science, formally opened the new Headquarters in the presence of Fiona Bruce MP for Congleton, David Rutley MP for Macclesfield, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell (President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester) and Mayor of Cheshire East, George Walton.

The SKA Headquarters are a £3.3m development built to house the staff for the Square Kilometre Array in a project that will join together thousands of receivers across an area the size of a continent, in Africa and Australia, to create the largest and most sensitive radio telescope ever built. The members of the SKA include Australia, China, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Construction of the receivers is expected to start in 2016. Upon completion it is hoped the SKA can address fundamental unanswered questions about our Universe such as how the first stars and galaxies were formed and help in the search for other life in the universe.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell spoke at the opening saying:

“This project is fantastic for engaging school children. Jodrell Bank it is not just a cutting edge science project but a great public venue. It will now become a real science and engineering hub, working with colleagues all over the world – an exciting place to work.”

The Rt Hon David Willetts MP formally opened the Headquarters and addressed those present saying:

 “This is a truly global merger – one of the major international science projects now underway. This project is pushing the frontiers and that is why the Chancellor has awarded some of the extra £600m towards science development of last autumn towards the computing needed to handle the huge volume data flows. This is a global strategic project but one that Great Britain is a major player in.”

Fiona Bruce, in whose constituency the Lovell Telescope lies, said:

 “With the Jodrell Bank telescope, standing in the Congleton constituency it is a great privilege for this truly international - indeed globally significant - space investigation venture to be centred right here.

This is a fantastic opportunity for The University of Manchester and the United Kingdom. Jodrell Bank has been at the forefront of radar technology since it became world famous in 1957 as the Lovell Telescope emerged as the only instrument capable of using radar to detect Russian satellite ‘Sputnik’.

In the 21^st century this is another fascinating step forward into unravelling the mysteries of our universe and I am so proud that Jodrell Bank has been chosen as the headquarters for such a significant project.”