Olympic Rower Speaks in Swettenham

Olympic Rower Speaks in Swettenham

Olympic Rower, Alex Story, spoke to the Congleton Constituency Conservative Association last Friday.

Alex Story held the world record at the indoor European Championships with Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent in 1994, went on to represent Britain at the Olympics in 1996 and competed in The Boat Race in 1997 and 1998.

Following his rowing career, Alex set up a business documentary production company and has since stood twice for Parliament.

Alex said: "For those of us, who will not be competing at the Olympics this summer, the two week event will provide a great deal of excitement. The stage will be set for all the human drama that top athletes can deliver to billions of spectators. Ours is the privilege of hosting an event in which new heroes will emerge and who will inspire our next generation of athletes to aim for greatness. For the athletes, however, whether they win or lose, it will be, by far, the most important two weeks of their lives. A handful will win; many will lose, and yet none will be losers. And for us to hosts this ageless event is truly a great privilege. Let us hope for gold and glory this summer.”

Fiona Bruce MP, who attended the event, said “It was such a pleasant and interesting evening, Alex’s comments and company were much appreciated by all.”

French Exchange Visitors - by Jane Ash

 27.01.2012        From the Cote D’Azur to Congleton –

A free international helping hand for local businesses.

Local business woman, Jane Ash of Optimum Social Care Initiatives Limited together with Future Focus is helping Congleton by offering European vocational students into local businesses for unpaid student placement work experience.

The students are aged between 19 – 25 years of age and are studying specific vocations.  In their home country they are in full time education, English speaking and the free work experience placements run between 3 to 12 weeks. The students stay with local host families who offer them a warm insight in to the British way of life.

Recommending the programme to local companies Jane says, “In today’s economic climate, businesses often cannot afford to pay for an extra pair of hands, but could really do with some short term help. The great thing about our student placement programme is that they can now get that help simply in exchange for offering a European student experience in a local business.”

Jane is also thrilled about promoting Congleton itself and comments “Of course they will also be helping demonstrate Congleton as a wonderful market town with friendly people and a great cultural place to visit.” The programme also brings European  tourists to Congleton as families often visit their relatives who are on placement here. 

On Friday MP Fiona Bruce welcomed 3 French students to Congleton; they are the first of several students who will be staying and working in Congletone. The students are on a 4 week student placement with a local accountancy firm and web design company.  Next month sees 2 Norwegian students arrive for a 12 week placement in a local hotel and a school. Whilst 2 Italian science students arrive in March.

The next step for Optimum Social Care Initiatives is to offer Congleton young people the chance to experience a work placement in the occupation of their studies with Future Focus in Malta.

If your company would like more information about registering with Optimum Social Care Initiatives to be considered for a European student please contact Jane Ash on janeash.optimum@hotmail.co.uk or on 0788 239 1334.

Note to Editor:

Jane Ash of Optimum Social Care Initiatives Limited is a businesswoman based in Congleton and is passionate about promoting Congleton and it’s cultural history. Working in conjunction with Future Focus, she is promoting Congleton to European Vocational Colleges as a great place for their students to gain international work experience in their chosen subjects as well as a great town to visit for it’s history.

Photo call: MP Fiona Bruce, Jane Ash Optimum Social Care Initiatives Director,

3 French students – Oceane Demessance, Nadia Ichchou and Laura Imbert.

Science in Schools

Fiona Bruce MP supports schemes inspiring children to study science

On Thursday 19^th January Fiona Bruce MP met in Parliament with Congleton constituency resident Dr Tony Bastock, Vice President of the European Chemicals Association (CEFIC) and Group Managing Director of Contract Chemicals, as they joined together with industrial scientists and engineers to promote schemes which inspire children to study science and to progress into science based careers.

MPs and business leaders attended the Chemical Industry All Party Parliamentary Group event in support of unique partnerships between industry and the education.

Fiona Bruce commented:

“I am encouraging all businesses in my constituency to forge closer links with local high schools. I was pleased to convene a meeting last week between several local businesses and High School Heads to promote this and open up more local job opportunities for young people in this area. This will help ensure that schools’ training plans and students’ subject selections dovetail with employers’ skills needs, and so give them the best chance to find jobs. In turn, this is key to strengthen local businesses and the economy as a whole. Partnership working is essential, which is why I am so pleased with the enthusiasm of schools and employers in my constituency to help promote this.”

Speaking of the Chemical Industry Group meeting in Parliament Fiona Bruce said:

Inspiring students about how the chemical industry touches their lives and helping them to link what they are learning in the classroom with future career opportunities in industry is crucially important to secure a flagship role for our country in research and development as well as production and manufacturing. I am thrilled to see the success of schemes, such as Children Challenging Industry, which focus on making science motivational in the classroom and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers, as well as the local STEM project here in Cheshire – now involving hundreds of volunteers going into schools to inspire students to study science projects.”

Tony Bastock, Vice President CEFIC (European Chemicals Association), said:

"To meet increasing technological challenges, UK businesses will need scientists of the highest calibre, at all levels, to grow and improve competitiveness.  Attracting and inspiring young people to follow careers in science is critical to this growth and competitiveness and to the success of the UK's economy.  Organisations such as the Chemical Industry Education Centre play an essential role, in introducing children, to the "wow" of science and the influence and support of Fiona Bruce, for this vital work is greatly appreciated."

Fiona Bruce MP Congratulates new County Chairman of Royal British Legion Cheshire

Fiona Bruce MP Congratulates Don Taylor on Appointment as County Chairman of Royal British Legion Cheshire

Fiona Bruce MP congratulated Don Taylor on his appointment as County Chairman of the Royal British Legion Cheshire for the next three years last week.

Don Taylor was a member of the Royal Air Force and saw active service in Cyprus during the EOKA campaign.  He said “I am exceptionally pleased to have been selected, I was Vice-Chairman for five years and it will be a pleasure to be Chairman for the Cheshire County.”

There are sixty four branches of the Royal British Legion across Cheshire with eight hundred members in Middlewich alone!

Fiona said “Knowing Don as I do and his commitment to the work of the Royal British Legion in Middlewich, I am confident he will be an excellent ambassador for the work of the Legion across Cheshire.”

Congleton ATC Annual Dinner

Fiona Bruce speaks at Congleton 230 Squadron Air Training Corps Annual Dinner

Congleton MP Fiona Bruce gave a speech at the Congleton 230 Squadron Air Training Corps Annual Dinner last weekend.

She encouraged cadets to emulate former cadet and Olympic hopeful Abigail Irozuru and former Cadet and British Antarctic Expedition team member Toby Stedham and to “dream big dreams and go for gold”.

Food Prices and Food Poverty

Minister Praises Congleton Constituency Initiatives in Food Debate

In a debate in the House of Commons yesterday on Food Prices and Food Poverty the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Richard Benyon, praised several local initiatives, highlighted by Fiona Bruce MP, promoting local produce saying

“My honourable Friend the member for Congleton, Fiona Bruce, spoke about local and home grown food.  I pay tribute to what is happening in her constituency.”

The full text of Fiona Bruce’s speech is available at http://fionabruce.mp/speeches/index.php?id=6938413353112470096 in which she highlights the need to extend skills and land available for home grown and community grown produce and praised several local projects doing this in light of the statement by the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government that by 2030 we will need to produce 50% more food.

Financial Education

Fiona Bruce MP meets with Prime Minister to discuss Financial Education in Schools

Fiona Bruce MP and other MPs met with Prime Minister, David Cameron, to discuss improving financial education in schools.

Fiona is a lead member of the Parliamentary Inquiry on Financial Education in Schools after she raised this issue in Parliament. 

At the recent meeting with the Prime Minister, he expressed his positive view of the importance of improving financial education in schools and agreed to look at how this could be improved as part of the current Government review of the Curriculum.

-Fiona Bruce MP’s original speech highlighting the need for Financial Education in Schools to be improved was made on 21^st December 2010 and can be accessed on Hansard via http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101221/debtext/101221-0002.htm#10122139001000

- Fiona Bruce MP’s second speech on this issue was made on the publication of the report “Financial Education and the Curriculum” on 15^th December 2011 after extensive work of the APPG (of which Fiona Bruce is a lead member) over the period of almost a year. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm111215/debtext/111215-0003.htm#11121581000209

-The Full Report, “Financial Education and the Curriculum”, launched December 2011 can be found at http://www.pfeg.org/curriculum_and_policy/appg_on_financial_education_for_young_people/appg_strands/appg_inquiry_report.html