Aylestone | Castle | City Centre | Clarendon Park | Crown Hills | De Montfort University | Evington Road | Eyres Monsell | Wycliffe | Gilmorton | Highfields
Knighton | Knighton Fields | Leicester University | Leicester Royal Infirmary | Saffron | Spinney Hills | St. Andrews | St. Matthews | St. Peters | Stoneygate
 
 
 
It's a busy schedule working as the MP for Leicester South. We try to make sure we keep everyone up-to-date with important issues, topics that affect constituents. We do this with regular updates on the website, including this page, where we highlight news items.
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MAY 2014

Jon Ashworth MP extends life of Santander branch in Highfields

Saturday May 31 2014

Jon Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, has helped extend the life of a Santander branch in Highfields until December this year.

The outcome follows a four month campaign by Jon to keep the Santander branch open, after the bank announced it would be closing 11 outlets in the city and around the county.

Each of the 11 outlets listed for closure serves an average of 1,000 customers. In February this year over 600 people signed a petition to oppose Santander’s decision to close the Highfields branch, and Jon also raised the issue in Parliament.


 

It has just been announced that the Highfields branch located in St Peter’s Post Office will remain open until December this year.

Jon said: “Local people are deeply concerned by the proposed closure of the Santander Agency Branch.”

“However, it’s positive news that following our representations, Santander have agreed to keep the branch open until December. I spoke to Santander chiefs in recent days about keeping the branch open longer than the original proposed closure, so I’m pleased they have responded in this way.”
Read more in the Leicester Mercury...
 
 
santander

Jon Ashworth MP visits Central Fire Station
Friday May 30 2014

Jon Ashworth visited the Central Fire Station on Lancaster Road, where he met with local fire fighters, and was taken on a tour of the station. During the visit Jon was accompanied by Crew Manager Craig Hallam, and Leicestershire Chief Fire and Rescue Officer Dave Webb.

Throughout the course of the tour, Jon was shown the training and fitness facilities that the fire fighters make use of, as well as being shown demonstrations of the type of work undertaken by the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

Jon took part in a mock rescue drill climbing onto a hydraulic platform that can reach up to 32 metres.

Speaking about the visit, Jon said: “I am very grateful to our local fire fighters for the important life-saving work they do for our community. Fire fighters put themselves at risk to help others and we should never forget this.”

“I very much enjoyed looking around the station and seeing for myself the training and practice that is needed for this dangerous role.”
 
Jon takes a tour of the facilities at Central Fire Station with Crew Manager Craig Hallam.
At the end of the visit, Jon was also able to stop in and visit the Prince’s Trust Team Programme, an initiative aimed at helping 16-25 year olds to develop their confidence, motivation and skills. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service have been delivering this programme since 1997, highlighting the good that the service provides to the local community even above and beyond practical firefighting.
 
Jon takes part in a mock rescue on a hydraulic platform with the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Photo left: Jon takes a tour of the facilities at Central Fire Station with Crew Manager Craig Hallam. Photo above Jon takes part in a mock rescue on a hydraulic platform with the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Click any photo for enlargement
 

Jon Ashworth MP makes heartfelt plea check for early signs of
children’s heart conditions

Friday May 2 2014

Jon Ashworth is calling on parents in Leicester to check for warning signs of possible heart problems in babies and follow life-saving guidance from the UK’s leading children’s heart charity.

Jon is supporting ‘Think HEART’, a campaign by the Children’s Heart Federation to increase the early diagnosis of children’s heart conditions. Think HEART provides parents with five easy signs to help to spot a heart problem:
H Heart Rate (Is their heart rate too fast or too slow. Normal rate is between 100 to 160 beats per minute)
E Energy (Are they sleepy, quiet and too tired to feed)
A Appearance (Is your baby a pale, waxy, dusky, blue or grey colour)
R Respiration (Are they breathing too fast or too slow. Normal rate is between 40 to 60 breaths per minute)
T Temperature (Are they cold to touch – particularly their hands and feet)


The MP for Leicester South is also backing the Children’s Heart Federation’s campaign for all babies to be tested for heart conditions at birth to help save lives. Pulse Oximetry is a quick, painless and cheap test that measures oxygen levels in blood and detects over 90% of life threatening heart defects in newborns.
 
Jon stated: “Every year, around 5,000 babies are born with Congenital Heart Disease, however only a third are detected before birth, meaning babies with potentially lethal but treatable conditions leave hospital without being diagnosed. Delays in diagnosis cause distress, physical harm and can be life-risking.”

“This is why I’m backing the Children’s Heart Federation’s campaign to get all babies tested for heart conditions at birth and I encourage parents in Leicester to look out for the charity’s five Think HEART signs.”

Anne Keatley-Clarke, Chief Executive of CHF commented: “We are grateful for Jon’s support for increasing the early detection of heart conditions in babies.

Having all babies tested at birth will help save lives and we hope our Think HEART campaign will help more parents in Leicester spot the early signs of heart conditions so if needed, children can receive life-saving treatment early.”
To get involved with the
Think HEART campaign

 

  
Photo shows Jon Ashworth MP and Anne Keatley-Clarke, Chief Executive of CHF.
Photo shows Jon Ashworth MP and Anne Keatley-Clarke, Chief Executive of CHF.
Click photo for enlargement
 
 
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