JILL MORTIMER: It was a week packed with visits, meetings and tours

I was delighted to visit Eldon Grove Primary School last week.

A group of the senior students gave me a tour of the impressive facilities at the school, and I was inspired by the enthusiasm and by the engagement that I saw in all of the students.

The morning finished with a question-and-answer session.

The school council quizzed me on what I get up to in Westminster as well as what I am doing to help the community here in Hartlepool.

I am looking forward to catching up with this group of talented young individuals again soon.

Hartlepool’s Community Hub is an amazing resource, and I am glad it is well used by local people as well as schools and community groups.

The Hub offers brilliant library facilities as well as IT equipment and design tools such as 3D printers for those in Hartlepool to make use of.

Not only this, but the Hub provides a great support network – there are regular dance and activity classes as well as an area for young children to interact. If you haven’t already, why not check it out?

During the week I also met with representatives from the housing association ONECIC who are looking to expand into Hartlepool and provide housing for our more vulnerable residents as well as the homeless.

This is great news for our town, and I am happy to support their project.

By the end of the week, it was time to get into the festive spirit.

I attended Jesmond Road Primary School to announce the winner of my Christmas card competition.

It really was a difficult decision, and I was impressed by the artistic flare demonstrated by the youngest people in our community.

Keep an eye on my Facebook page to catch a glimpse of the winning design.

I rounded the week off by attending Burn Valley Christmas Fair with Ward Councillor Nicholson – what a treat.

It was lovely to be a part of the festivities and see the community coming together.