By Isle of Wight Observer
Many of you have been in contact regarding the roadworks on Horsebridge Hill and I want to reassure you that I have been in near daily contact with the IW Council as well as Island Roads. I have also contacted local schools and the IW College. Measures have been put in place to minimise disruption to exams, including allowances for late arrivals. Weekly progress meetings are ongoing, and I’ve requested regular updates from the council and Captiva, which I’ll share on my social media as they come.
Developments around cross-Solent travel also continue to feature heavily in my inbox, and I want to reassure residents that, while the lack of public updates is understandably frustrating, significant work is ongoing behind the scenes.
On May 15 I had the privilege of attending the 28th GSK IMPACT Awards, which celebrate the incredible work of small and medium-sized charities improving health and wellbeing across the UK.
It was especially moving to see the Isle of Wight Youth Trust win the overall King’s Fund 2025 GSK Impact Award.
As many of you know, the IW Youth Trust provides vital mental health support to children and young people on the Island through group and one-to-one therapy, as well as school outreach. This award is a well-deserved recognition of their community-driven model — and a
powerful reflection of our Island’s spirit of collaboration.
Empathy and compassion are essential during this ongoing mental health crisis. That’s why I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak in the recent Westminster Hall debate on trans people’s right to self-identification. Too often, I feel many lose sight of the individuals behind the rhetoric. I wanted to remind everyone listening that trans people don’t need politicians making their lives harder — they need understanding and respect.
That’s why I’m also proud that my staff and me have been supporting increasing numbers of constituents by holding face-to face appointments in the constituency office. People have come in to talk about SEN provision, flooding, and housing among other things.
Everyone so far has really appreciated the opportunity to discuss their issues face-to-face, which ultimately helps my team to better support constituents.