JILL MORTIMER: Thrilled to visit centre that will be transformed by £1.265m grant

I’d like to begin this week by wishing you all a belated happy Easter. I hope everyone across Hartlepool had a restful long weekend, with time for quiet reflection and, of course, an opportunity to catch up and celebrate with friends, family and loved ones.

In light of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, this Easter has been particularly important in celebrating the importance of peace and unity.

Last week I was thrilled to be able to visit Rossmere Community Centre which has just received £1.265 million from the Government as part of our Youth Investment Fund.

The fund will help to modernise and refurbish the facility, enabling it to continue to provide a space where our young people can gain support, access and unlock skills and training, and form friendships and bonds with fellow young people.

I look forward to seeing this transformation take place as I really do appreciate just how valuable facilities such as Rossmere are for our town and our people.

A few weeks ago, I visited Hartlepool and Billingham Self Storage on the Queens Meadow Business Park, and it was great to be invited back by Hellens Group who have recently purchased the site.

The park houses a large number of businesses, and I was pleased to hear about potential plans for commercial development on the vacant parts of the site.

This could provide real opportunities for local businesses moving forward, particularly considering recent Government investment and the potential for further Investment Zones via the Combined Authority in our area.

Finally, I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with a number of constituents last week in order to discuss what matters to them – both in my monthly surgery and during a visit to Seabreeze Residential Park.

This is the best way for me to understand, first hand, the priorities of the people of Hartlepool, and more importantly what I can do to help.

Please feel free to get in contact with me if you would like my help with an issue or if you would like me to visit a particular business or establishment – [email protected]