Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, hosted Baroness Barran, the Civic Society and Loneliness Minister, in his constituency for the day.
Richard and the Baroness visited Jack Drum Arts. Jack Drum are a local business (based in Crook) that provides cultural opportunities for people throughout County Durham – they run workshops, courses, events and shows, working work with people of all ages, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to ensure that everyone has access to the arts in a way that promotes learning and self-expression, with a big focus on the community.
Richard said ‘Jack Drum Arts are genuinely brilliant and treated us to an acting show and a musical performance. Baroness Barran and I were so impressed - she has worked with charities for years, so she really knows what she’s talking about. We also had the chance to run a Q&A with some of the young people, who asked about politics and how Westminster works. I am really hoping to visit them again in the future and hear more about the projects that they’re running – I highly encourage everyone to look into them and get involved.’
Richard also took the Minister to Wolsingham Library, where they met customers of the library and a few members of staff. They had a really productive discussion about what we can do to combat loneliness amongst the elderly, particularly in areas like Weardale, which is especially important during the current public health crisis. Mental health is something Richard is campaigning on, to ensure we all have access to proper mental health services (you can read about his work on mental health).
Richard commented ‘It was really wonderful to visit the library and meet with some of the staff and those who use the library. It was especially useful to hear more about people’s views on loneliness in elderly people, who often suffer in silence, and what we can do as a community to combat this. It’s always a pleasure to show off all that North West Durham has to offer and I was so pleased to be able to host the Minister and some of her team.’
They also managed to fit in an impromptu meeting with the local Women's Institute, who do an unbelievable amount of work for the local community throughout the county, whether it’s organising walks in the Lake District or running craft classes and quizzes.
To hear more about the work that Richard is doing for North West Durham, you can sign up here or input your details in the form on this page.