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Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, along with local actor Bradley Clarkson, joined participants and volunteers for the Hertfordshire Memory Walk 2012 at Fairlands Valley in aid of the Alzheimer's Society. 

Stephen said, "The turnout for the event was absolutely amazing and showed the massive support locally for this great cause. It is clear that this condition is affecting more and more people with most families experiencing the illness in a loved one. I was proud to help raise awareness of this event and will continue to campaign in Parliament to ensure we invest in providing the best possible care to those affected by Alzheimer's."

Over 200 people took part, walking either 2km around the lakes or 10km route through the nearby woods, and raised an estimated £15,000 which will be used to help local people with dementia and their carers.

Christ The King church in Symonds Green was the venue for an early Macmillan World's Biggest Coffee Morning, organised by Chrissy Cass and other volunteers.

Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, was invited along and said, "It was a real pleasure to attend the first of many Macmillan Coffee mornings which raise huge amounts of money to help families. The event was packed with people of all ages and we had a lot of fun. I would like to thank the volunteers who made this happen 2 weeks early so some of our students could be involved before they head back to University."

Chrissy commented, "It was a very successful day. It was very busy up until about 1pm and then a trickle of people from then onwards. We managed to raise a total of £329.15. We were left with some cakes which we distributed amongst the children who were dancing in the community centre next door and the residents of Blakeney House. This was our third coffee morning for Macmillan atChrist The King and I fully intend to do another next year."

Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, listened first hand to Mr Moumen's account of his daughter Yasmine's tragic death on 21st December 2010.  Yasmine was crossing Monkswood Way in Stevenage with her mother and using the green man lights pedestrian crossing at the junction with North Herts College and ASDA.

Stephen said, "My deepest sympathy is with Mr and Mrs Moumen who lost their daughter in such tragic circumstances. I cannot begin to imagine the pain they are suffering and the strength it takes to accept the loss of a child. I do believe more needs to be done to improve safety at this crossing to try and prevent other further incidents. I would like to hear from any of your readers who have experienced difficulty and close calls when using this crossing. While we were discussing the incident I was approached by a couple of older members of our community who were wary of the crossing and felt it was not safe."

Stephen McPartland, MP for Stevenage, said, "It is really exciting to be here today and start breaking ground with the builders. It has been a real journey from meeting with Ministers to secure the money to now, the point where the work starts on building our new Accident and Emergency at the Lister Hospital. This project costs £19million and is one of eleven we are undertaking as part of a massive investment in our local hospital."

Stephen added, "We are very lucky the Lister is already a centre of excellence, and I am proud of the staff who save liveson a day-to-day basis. This development has been made in consultation with the staff and patients to ensure we continue to provide the best health care possible to our local community. I am proud of the NHS and proud of the £250 million infrastructure investment that I have secured from the government for our local hospital, schools, housing and jobs."

Stephen commented on his experience at this year's Stevenage Day, "Stevenage Day is always great fun and my favourite part is all the smiling faces as everyone gets caught up and takes part.

"It is a great advertisement for Stevenage as hundreds of volunteers run community stalls and thousands of local people visit them."

Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, said, "I would like to congratulate the students, staff and parents who have made these results possible. The students should be proud of their achievements, enjoy a few more weeks of summer and look forward to an exciting future full of opportunity".

Local MP Stephen McPartland paid a visit to Cash Converters in Stevenage to find out more about the credit alternatives offered and the protections in place for vulnerable consumers, particularly those with the lowest incomes.

Stephen said, "It was great to meet the team behind the store and understand the full suite of services and products on offer.

Stephen added, “I was very impressed by the transparency of services on offer and their commitment to responsible lending so everyone, from the small trader with cash flow problems to the most vulnerable in our community have access to credit."

MP Stephen McPartland visited the local pharmacy in The Poplars, Stevenage to try out first-hand the asthma check-up service being offered by Lloydspharmacy to help sufferers manage their condition better. Backed by the charity Asthma UK, the hope is that by offering the asthma control test, inhaler technique check and providing expert advice, most people should see a noticeable difference within four weeks.

Speaking about the visit, Stephen said, "It was a very interesting opportunity to discuss the various initiatives currently being run. Pharmacists have the potential to play a very prominent role in promoting the health of the nation and I was particularly interested to talk to staff about how this translates into day-to-day activity, such as the asthma check.”

Stephen added, “Initiatives such as this mean that people can monitor their asthma more closely and hopefully avoid hospital admissions and take part in the great British summer of activities we have around the Olympics.”

Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, is the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Asthma.