Guest Column: It's been a great first year as Mansfield's MP

I’ve been working hard to get out and meet as many people and as many community groups and good causes locally as I can.

I’ve visited 20 local schools, exchanged more than 5,000 emails with constituents, sent 40 email newsletters and kept 50,000 people a month updated via my Facebook page.

I promised to shout up for Mansfield and have mentioned the town more than 40 times in the House of Commons this last 12 months.

The town has been visited by seven ministers and Secretaries of State to see some of Mansfield’s local issues first hand.

I promised to support our local homeless-ness services, and I made this an early priority.

I’ve held summits with all of the relevant local stakeholders, from councils to charities and businesses.

I’ve visited the vast majority of local services and soup kitchens, sourced £3,000 of charitable donations for the Beacon Project, and raised all of the issues direct with both the Homeless-ness Minister and the Home Secretary.

I said I would seek investment and promote the regeneration of our town.

I’ve supported proposals for new hotels at the Stags’ ground and at the old bus station.

And I’ve been working with Visit Britain on a plan to get Mansfield a slice of Sherwood Forest’s tourist trade.

I’ve constantly lobbied the council to figure out what their vision for the town centre looks like, and gathered more than 2,100 names on my petition for free parking.

Next month, I’m hosting a seminar to help local business with their online marketing skills and later in the year I want to offer support to local entrepreneurs to set up new businesses.

As you can see I’m working hard to deliver on my promises.

Things will take time but I know that we are so close to achieving some huge strides forward as I try to deliver the plan for Mansfield and I’m really looking forward to another great year to come.