Help to get young people into golf

I was delighted to visit Burnley Golf Club for a launch and celebration of being awarded £50,000 funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund to build an all-purpose tuition centre on their practice ground, with tuition bays and an indoor studio area, using technical teaching aids.

This facility will allow for all-year-round tuition and help bring young people off the streets. These facilities will enable them to encourage people to learn, practice and engage with the wonderful sport of golf. The club already has a good junior section and this will help to expand it. I must highlight the wonderful work of Joyce Green and her team at the club.

I was also at a Pubmeet in Molly Rigby’s, Padiham, sponsored by St Leonard’s Church. It was great with lots of interesting discussion and questions and three hours passed before we knew it.

I spoke at an important event in London held by my colleague, Lynne Featherstone. The apprenticeships event at Haringey Civic Centre was attended by many organisations and attracted many young people keen to find out about the hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities on offer. It was great to be there to meet these young people.

I am also delighted that, in our own town, there are a record number of apprentices – 1,170 started an apprenticeship in 2011/2012, a record 280 more than any previous year. This is incredible news and shows Burnley is moving in the right direction.

There was also the sod cutting at Manchester Road Railway station. This is the first step in the major investment and direct train link to Manchester through the Todmorden Curve. This was one of my first challenges when getting elected and I was delighted to be able to achieve this and be there as it is being delivered. It is wonderful for our town and will accommodate the increased traffic to Manchester.

I was then straight to a meeting with MEP Chris Davies. We went to engineering company BCW who have seen amazing growth over the past three years. They are a fantastic company going in a right direction. They are expanding and taking on a major unit on the Michelin site.

Later I met Barry Kilby to discuss the prostate scanner appeal and a major fund-raiser at Burnley FC later in the year. I am grateful to Barry for all his help. Keeping up the momentum of raising funds for the new scanner is vital.

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