Brain cancer is a cruel disease that takes people from us with too little chance of a proper diagnosis, treatment or cure.

Finding a cure has long been a cause which I have supported – even more so since the passing of my childhood friend, Charlie, a few years ago. In Charlie’s memory, and in that of distinguished former member of the House Baroness Tessa Jowell, and so many others, I have actively campaigned over recent years to help raise awareness and support the ongoing research efforts aimed at finally ridding our world of this terrible illness.

Today marks the start of Brain Tumour Awareness Month 2023 and that’s why it was such a pleasure to speak last night at an event organised by Brain Tumour Research UK, alongside the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, to bring campaigners and politicians together to celebrate the five year anniversary of the mission’s launch and to introduce the APPG on Brain Tumours inquiry report recommendations.

I deeply appreciated the chance to talk about why this is such an important cause, highlighting the mine and the Government’s commitment to do even more.

Rest assured, I will continue to work closely with Brain Tumour Research UK and Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, as well as local charities and support groups, to do all I can to raise awareness and support the crucial work being done.

To learn more about my work on Brian Tumour Awareness and Research, please visit my campaign page here.

How we take care of, and educate, some of our most vulnerable people is a measure of us as a society. EVERYONE has the right to a good education.

That’s why, having previously helped the campaign to move Chapel Road School in Attleborough to its new state-of-the-art home at Chapel Green in nearby Old Buckenham (read more here) and called for greater SEN funding for rural schools, I have also been working with Fred Nicholson School in Dereham over the past few years to try and help them secure a long-term solution to their future. 

When I visited the school back in 2019, I was struck by the tremendous spirit of the teachers and pupils, and the love that the wider community has for the school. However, the buildings were visibly falling into disrepair around them and short-term repairs were no longer sustainable. (Learn more here).

While Norfolk County Council have worked closely with Jane Hayman and her dedicated team of staff at Fred Nichs to provide all the support that they can, it has long been clear that a proper long term solution is needed. I have therefore helped convene meetings between Fred Nichs and NCC (including with the leader of the council, Andrew Proctor – who has been a big support) in order to bring about the necessary conversations regarding what can be done to ensure the school has the fit-for-purpose facilities it needs.

NCC takes SEND provision incredibly seriously indeed and, as part of their overall strategy to expand and strengthen the support they provide, have actively participated in discussions with the school to explore whether they should relocate to a new building on the existing site or to an alternative one nearby.

I am delighted to hear the news therefore that NCC’s Cabinet will be meeting on Monday to discuss giving the greenlight to the purchase of some land near Swaffham – which it is hoped could be the location of Fred Nichs’ new home. (My understanding is that, should the land indeed be purchased, a planning application could be made as early as the spring).

As part of my ongoing efforts to support the Fred Nichs community, I have today written to Andrew Proctor to formally reiterate my support of the school and place on record my hope that the NCC Cabinet will sanction the purchase of this key piece of land. By doing so, NCC would not only allow Fred Nichs to move on to the next stage of securing the home they need and deserve, they would also send the clearest possible signal to the SEND community that they are committed to doing all they can to ensure Norfolk has the support it needs.

I will be following Monday’s meeting closely and will continue to do all I can to support Fred Nichs, as well as the wider SEND community.

To learn more about my work on SEND, please visit my website here

To learn more about my work with Fred Nichs, please visit my website here and here  

As I have pledged on each of the four election nights on which I’ve been honoured to be elected, I will always do my best to represent EVERYONE in Mid Norfolk – not just the people who voted for me.

I take that pledge incredibly seriously, and that’s why I was delighted to continue my regular schedule of constituency school visits again this past Friday – this time visiting Wymondham College.

Visiting alongside local councillor Richard Elliott, it was a pleasure to participate in a ‘Question Time’ style event with a number of the school’s politics students, answering questions on the issues that matter to them most. I also appreciated the chance to take part in a podcast interview with members of the school Politics Society.

If YOU are a school in Mid Norfolk that would be interested in having me visit, or simply need my help, please do get in touch via george.freeman.mp@parliament.uk . I’d be delighted to come and speak with you all.

An MP’s first duty is to their constituency. I believe it’s so important for me, as YOUR elected representative, to be out and about and accessible, to listen to and present YOU! And not just at election times!

That’s why, in addition to the 500+ casework emails, letters and telephone calls I receive each week, as well as my various campaign work, I run a regular programme of Supermarket and Community Surgeries here in Mid Norfolk – moving them around the constituency to make it as easy as possible for people to come and see me.

This past Friday, I was delighted to hold my latest Supermarket Surgery at Dereham Morrisons – where I met dozens of constituents, discussing a range of specific casework matters and/or wider policy topics on issues like NHS dentists, GP appointments, Highways issues, Child Maintenance and SEND support for children and vulnerable adults.

I was delighted to be joined by a number of local councillors as well, including Cllr Linda Monument (District Councillor for Dereham Neatherd) and Cllr Philip Duigan (District Councillor for Dereham Toftwood and County Councillor for Dereham South).

Engagement with my constituents is such a vital part of my job and I relish the chance to have YOU come along and ‘bend my ear’.

If YOU would like to come along and informally bend my ear at one of my upcoming surgeries, please do contact me at george.freeman.mp@parliament.uk

Or if YOU would just like some help with an issue, or to make me aware of a policy concern, please do just send over your comments via email for me to pick up too.