Barry Sheerman

Approximately 1.25 million in the UK have an eating disorder. Without treatment, up to 20% of sufferers can die from their disorders.

On average, sufferers wait 3.5 years between the onset of symptoms and treatment for their disorder. The general belief that eating disorders only affect young, white, middle class women of one body type (‘skinny’) discourages sufferers of a different ethnicity, gender and age from seeking help. It also makes it harder for people to spot sufferers among their loved ones given there is such a ‘cliche’ sufferer image that people associate with eating disorders. Furthermore, the increase in the use of ‘anorexic’ as an adjective for a slim individual is evidence of the trivialisation of these fatal disorders and we must work to stop this.

Eating disorders can be fatal. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses and mortality rates for other eating disorders such as bulimia are also high. Many sufferers may not even recognise that they are suffering from an eating disorder due to the lack of information available and will not seek help until it is almost too late. During this week, it is crucial that we raise awareness as a community that eating disorders can affect anyone and encourage people to seek help, no matter their individual characteristics. Mental illness does not discriminate who it affects, no matter their wealth, gender, age, ethnicity or social position.

Eating disorders are curable and full recovery is possible. We must recognise the stigmatisation that those suffering from eating disorders face and campaign not just this week, but always, to ensure that those suffering seek the help they desperately need.

In my constituency, Platform 1 does incredible work for men’s mental health and I was pleased to visit their inspiring facility last Friday. It is key that those who suffer from mental health issues have a place to go where they feel safe and cared for,  of which Platform 1 is a great example of. Platform 1 provides a place for men to talk about their mental illness with no judgement, which is key to encourage sufferers to seek help.

This week, and always, please look after your loved ones and remember it is okay to talk. Please encourage anyone you suspect to suffer from eating disorders (and mental illness) to seek help, before it is too late.

As well as working hard for Huddersfield as its Member of Parliament, I am also the Chair of the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) on Miscarriages of Justice. The APPG aims to prevent miscarriages of justice from occurring by campaigning for reform, as well as ensuring justice for those who are wrongfully convicted.

I believe that access to legal aid should not be discriminated by your wealth, education or privilege. As I highlighted in Parliament, the lack of legal aid for those wrongfully convicted is debilitating for those seeking justice. Our criminal system is fundamentally flawed and desperately needs a culture change, which is where our work comes in. The APPG was formed in November 2017, bringing together parliamentarians to examine the problems in the criminal justice system that result in miscarriages of justice. These injustices are caused by state mistakes and consequentially these mistakes should be rectified by the state.

Many of those wrongfully convicted are released with no compensation and support, which is unacceptable. It is key that steps are taken to help those wrongfully convicted rebuild their lives. I continue to push for action alongside my colleagues to raise awareness of the faults in the legal system to avoid wrongful convictions and to support and secure action for those who have been wrongfully convicted.

I have been made aware of an opportunity presented by the Postcode Lottery Trust that gives the opportunity for local charities and community groups to receive funding.

The People’s Postcode Trust, the Postcode Community Trust and the Postcode Local Trust are all open for applications on 6^th February 2019. These Trusts are funded by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Applications are open from 6 February until 20 February and you can apply for grants of between £500 and £20,000. Full details of how to apply are on the websites for each trust. Each trust has a separate focus to which the funding will be given;

• The People’s Postcode Trust supports projects which focus on the prevention of poverty, promotion of human rights and combating discrimination. Their website is http://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/ which has full details on how to apply.
• The Postcode Community Trust supports projects focused on improving health and well-being through grassroots sports, reducing isolation, arts and physical recreation. Their website is as follows; http://www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk/
• The Postcode Local Trust supports projects that support green space improvements, increasing access to outdoor spaces, renewable energy and flood prevention, with the following website http://www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk/ available for details.

This is a great opportunity for our community projects to receive funding. I encourage local charities needing funding support to apply.

This year on 5th February, over 100 countries will be celebrating Safer Internet Day.

This year, Safer Internet Day will focus on uniting parents, children and their support networks to be ‘Together for a Better Internet’. Safer Internet Day aims to promote a national conversation on how the Internet can be used responsibly with respect towards others. In this modern age, our young people live out their lives on the Internet and recent studies have demonstrated how using it wrongly or irresponsibly can have huge impacts on adolescent mental health, futures and careers. Today, the campaign wants to help parents guide their children to use the Internet in a productive and safe way, and remind them that whatever they post is there forever, can be used maliciously, and may not be suitable for employers to view.

Safer Internet Day will educate children on how consent works in an online context – e.g when to ask permission, and when it’s unnecessary. If in doubt – ask! It will also educate the nation’s Internet users on when and how to report issues. At the centre of consent in an online context is the sharing of explicit pictures. It is imperative that children are educated that the sharing, possessing or taking of explicit pictures of underage persons is a criminal offence.

I would love for the local community to get involved with Safer Internet Day. You can register as a supporter using this link; https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2019/register-safer-internet-day-2019-supporter and if you want to help educate our children about using the Internet safely, use this link; https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2019/education-packs to find education packs.

#OurInternetOurChoice

I’ve been contacted by Ofcom about an exciting opportunity for my constituents to boost their broadband to Superfast for the same, or less, money than they pay for their current broadband. According to Ofcom figures, Superfast broadband is available in 9/10 homes, yet less than half of those available have taken the offer up.

This exciting campaign is running until Easter 2019, meaning you can get more for less with your broadband. If you’re interested (and why wouldn’t you be?), please follow the instructions below;

Go to BoostYourBroadband.com and complete the below simple steps.

1. Enter your postcode to see what type of broadband – standard, superfast or ultrafast – is available at your address. This checker draws on Ofcom’s authoritative, up-to-date information.
2. Decide what you need – by seeing what kind of broadband user you are.
3. Speak to your provider – armed with information on what to ask for, and how to get the best deal.

#BoostYourBroadband

Although the festive season is a welcome rest and lovely family time for many of us, it can pose huge issues for people who suffer from mental health issues, do not have family or friends to spend it with, or those struggling in other ways.

If you are one of those people, please use one of the following contacts to seek help;

Call the Samaritans on 116 123 – they are always there to listen. If you don’t feel up to speaking on the phone, you can email jo@samaritans.org.

Call NHS 111 (England) for non-emergency situations or 999 if you feel suicidal. Alternatively, if you are able to get to your local A&E such as our amazing HRI in Huddersfield, they can help you too. 999 is also available in other emergencies.

You can also call 0300 304 7000 if you are experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else. This SANEline service operates from 4:30pm – 10:30pm daily.

If you are struggling this Christmas, do remember you are not alone and that there are always ways to make things better. Those who are supporting those who suffer at this time of year, I admire and commend your efforts.

I hope that everyone has a great time this festive season, but if you need some help, the above contacts should be beneficial and helpful for you.

Like many of my colleagues, I was shocked to hear of the sad death of a homeless man ‘at the door of Parliament’ – as put well by my colleague Thelma Walker MP – despite the fact he was employed as a kitchen assistant by Westminster. He was sleeping on the streets in December, a time where the rest of us are worrying about the turkey or the presents, not our next meal or whether we will survive the night. It is evident that ‘finding work’ does not always ‘save lives’ as the Tories insist.

In the past five years, the number of deaths among the homeless has risen by 24% under this Tory government. Homeless men can expect to live to 44, and women just 42. For each person you see sleeping on the street, there is one more sleeping in a car or tent who also need our help. At this time of year, it is imperative that we extend festive generosity to helping homeless people in any way we can, whether that be donations to charities, giving food on your way to work, or gifting vital items like sleeping bags or even just a pair of socks.

I am committed to pressurising our Tory government into prioritising funding for vital services that are key to the survival of our homeless population as well as developing housing and funding for homelessness charities. I find it despicable that in a nation as wealthy as ours, people are dying on the streets from the cold. After recent Parliamentary pantomime, I, alongside many of my colleagues, would like to see more press attention devoted instead to the welfare of the homeless.

Please spare a thought this Christmas for those less fortunate than ourselves who are surviving this weather alone at Christmas. I strongly urge you to consider donating to or helping charities such as Shelter UK, or more locally in my constituency to the Welcome Centre or Huddersfield Mission, who do great work.

As well as this, I would like to wish my constituents and all others a very Merry Christmas. I hope it is a well deserved break and restful time for all of you.