One of the great pleasures of being the MP for Horsham is visiting our excellent schools. They have a terrific reputation and we want to ensure that we can accommodate both the impact of the nationwide increase in the number of secondary school students (which effects us locally) and the impact of local housebuilding with new excellent local schools, where required, for local children.
I was delighted to meet Bohunt School, preparing for their first classes this September. Parents who have chosen the school are hugely impressed and look forward to its move from temporary accommodation in the heart of the town to a new purpose build school building.
It was similarly exciting to visit the brand new primary school under construction at Kilnwood Vale and meet Jo Newton, the new headteacher. The School is getting set to open next term.
It will be run by the GLF Trust, who will also be responsible for running the new primary school at Wickhurst Green. The funding is committed nationally to support this new school and with the support of WSCC we are pushing hard to get this underway.
Saturday, I joined the team opening the new Pease Pottage Community Hall. It was great to congratulate the designers, as well as Mid Sussex District Councillor Andrew McNaughton and the former Slaugham Parish Council Chairman John Welch.
This week is National Volunteers’ Week and it provides a chance to celebrate the millions of volunteers in the UK. In Horsham, we are very fortunate to have many people giving up their time to help others and I was able to see this in action at this month’s Repair Café.
Horsham is also home to the West Sussex Mediation Service who this week had their voluntary work recognised through the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Many congratulations to the Service on this excellent achievement.
As part of this week of celebration of volunteers, Horsham District Council has been conducting a roadshow around the District to show residents the many wonderful local volunteering opportunities as well as the benefits volunteering brings, it was good to see the team in Horsham where they had had plenty of “customers” before they set off across the District!
Photo Credit: Jeremy Quin recently visited the new Kilnwood Vale Primary School which opens its doors in September to meet the new Head, Jo Newton, Mrs Broad from the GLF Trust and Rob Siddens from builders Wilmot Dixon.