MP Steve Darling: Why Torquay school children are saying cheers to a cuppa

As last week was Parliamentary Recess, I was pleased to be able to visit multiple schools in the Bay and connect with our youngsters, whilst asking them what changes they would like to see in Torbay. 

At the beginning of the week, I attended Torre C of E Academy to visit their newly opened pupil-run coffee shop, Expression. 

The shop is designed to be of benefit for the community whilst also making sure that pupils pick up vital real-world skills. 

Students told me how they felt that they had greatly improved their communication skills whilst working at the shop and were now much more comfortable handling money and preparing food. Initiatives like these are really important, especially when Youth Unemployment is skyrocketing and making it harder and harder for young people to step onto the career ladder. 

I also met with Brett and Edith from Abbey School, who are raising money to enhance Horatio’s gardens, which are specifically designed for NHS rehabilitation centres to help enhance the lives of those recovering from a spinal injury. 

Currently if you develop a spinal injury in Torbay you have to travel to Salisbury to be treated. Bret and Edith told me how Horatio’s gardens are designed for those in recovery to be able to access a peaceful natural space, as well as acting as a designated space for families to meet with patients. 

Brett and Edith plan to walk, swim and bike over 150 miles to raise money for new plants and other additions to the existing Horatio’s Garden locations, and I will be promoting their campaign on my socials. 

At the end of the week, I attended the launch of Torquay Boys’ Grammar School’s new climbing wall. The funding for the wall was almost entirely generated by the school, and it will be open not only for the students at TBGS, but also for the community, for a small fee. 

In addition, to visiting our youngest residents I also met with Mark and Cecil Edwards, the owners of Harbour Rise Care Home and Day Care Centre, one of only three per cent of Care Homes in the country to have the rating ‘outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.’ 

I spoke to Mark and Cecil about their philosophy towards care, they always think about how they would like their own relatives to be treated when providing their services; however, we also spoke about some of the problems affecting the home such as the hike in National Insurance Contributions and rapidly increasing energy and utilities bills. 

I will keep fighting the Government to get rid of their damaging NICs hike and to put forward a plan which really works to combat the ever-ongoing Cost of Living Crisis. 

I also dedicated a large chunk of my week to campaigning to improve our Bay. After staging a ‘flash mob’ at Darwin Crescent to highlight the fact that the land behind Darwin Crescent has been inaccessible for more than 10 years, despite Cavanna homes promising otherwise, I have been pressing the Council to make this land accessible for residents this summer. 

I have also been campaigning to see new Government funding for Playgrounds directed to the Paignton Skate park in Victoria Park, as I know this would greatly benefit young people and the rest of the community in Paignton. In addition to this, I have highlighted how unsafe the ‘unstable’ entrance to Nightclub Park is, as well as campaigning for greater enforcement of 20mph zones on Cricketfield Road. 

From our youngest to our oldest residents we have a really special community here in our Bay and I will always be fighting to get what is best for everyone.

As always, if you need assistance or would like to share your thoughts, please get in touch. You can reach me at steve.darling.mp@parliament.uk or on 07908 349347. For regular updates, sign up to my weekly e-newsletter at www.torbaylibdems.org.uk/newsletter.