Tag: tracey crouch

Activities, Community News, Events, Patron

Medway Women’s History Month Event: From Suffragettes to the Political Now

The Net Community Hub

Saturday 22nd March 11am-12noon. Doors open 10.15am for refreshments. Tickets can be booked here.

Jennifer Godfrey talks to former Chatham and Aylesford MP, Dame Tracey Crouch, DBE, and current Gillingham and Rainham MP, Naushabah Khan, about the rise of female representation in parliament and what struggles they still faced in the 21st Century, drawing comparisons between them and the early female pioneers.

Jennifer Godfrey lives in West Kent with her husband, two children and dog. She is the author of two non-fiction books, published by Pen & Sword Ltd, entitled ‘Suffragettes of Kent’ and ‘Secret Missions of the Suffragettes – Glass breakers and Safe Houses’. She is currently researching and writing her third book, also about women’s suffrage. Jennifer has enjoyed writing stories since she was a young child and over the years has been involved in many writing courses, groups and projects. 

Dame Tracey Crouch DBE was MP for Chatham and Aylesford for 14 years, 2010-2024. Within that time, Tracey held various posts, including Minister for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness in 2017. She took a principled stand over the delay to introduce reduced limits on the stakes of fixed odds betting terminals, and resigned the post in 2018.

With a particular focus on older people, Tracey was responsible for implementing the Loneliness Strategy, and held regular Over 55s fairs, where the public could meet service providers and see what was available to them. She said: “From a Member of Parliament perspective you see so many people in the community when they reach crisis point and sadly, they’re not necessarily aware of some of the activities that are out there for them which may have prevented them getting to that crisis point.” Tracey is also the Patron of The Net Community Hub.

Naushabah Khan has been the MP Gillingham and Rainham since July
2024, after serving for a decade as a Medway Councillor. She proudly identifies as a feminist and previously served as a trustee for the Fawcett Society, a leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. Naushabah has been consistently vocal on issues affecting women, particularly those from diverse communities.

Her commitment to amplifying these voices and addressing systemic inequalities has been a driving force throughout her political career. In Parliament, Naushabah continues to champion policies that promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that the concerns of underrepresented communities are brought to the forefront of political discourse.

Get their early for this fascinating discussion. The event is free, although there is a donation ticket. Tea and coffee will be available for a suggested £1 donation. If you have difficulty due to mobility or finance issues attending the hub, please contact Jaye at: community@waldersladehub.org as there is a travel bursary available.

For the full programme, visit here.

We look forward to seeing you.

Committee News, Patron

The Hub welcomes Minister for Loneliness, Tracey Crouch MP, as our Patron

The Net Community Hub

Patron Tracey Crouch MP Walderslade Hub Visit
Tracey Crouch with The Net Hub committee members (l-r) David Brake, Nigel Capon, Ann West and Ruth Boyes

We’re thrilled that our local MP, Tracey Crouch, has agreed to become Patron of The Net Community Hub. Her role as Minister for Sport and Civil Society also now encompasses being Minister for Loneliness, the reduction of which is our key objective.

Hub Manager Jaye spoke with Tracey during her official first visit to the hub recently, to find out what steps are being undertaken to address social isolation nationwide and how hubs like ours can make such a difference.

A Connected Society: The national strategy for tackling loneliness

Tackling the issues highlighted by MP Jo Cox.

“Firstly, thank you for asking me to be Patron, it’s a real honour to be asked. This is a hub that has developed over time into something amazing – I remember being here and painting it when it was first being turned into the community hub as it is now. At the time all I saw was a shell, and what you see now is a really vibrant community spirit with people laughing and giggling; there’s a lot of new people here making new connections that they may not have realised they needed to have.

Patron Tracey Crouch MP Walderslade Hub Visit (5)

“In terms of activities in this area, I’ve always been really fond of Walderslade, it reminds me of where I grew up in West Hythe – out of the main town so with a slight disconnect between some of the areas, quite often forgotten – so I’m really fond of Walderslade – the people here are hilarious and warm and because of that warmth, it’s easy to forget about the real challenges they face and that there are parts of Walderslade that face real deprivation. So just being able to put something back into the community, whether it’s a litter pick or supporting painting of a new community hub, is just something that’s nice to do.

Patron Tracey Crouch MP Walderslade Hub Visit (4)

“From a Member of Parliament perspective you see so many people in the community when they reach crisis point and sadly they’re not necessarily aware of some of the activities that are out there for them that may well have prevented them getting to that crisis point. This is why I think hubs like this are absolutely essential. I now see that on a national scale from a loneliness perspective and making those connections is so important.  

Patron Tracey Crouch MP Walderslade Hub Visit (3)

“Locally, you can make a real difference. When I’m home and go out on a litter pick, something as simple as that, you can see the difference you’ve made; if cleaning graffiti off a wall, again, it’s an immediate difference. Sometimes, it’s very difficult as an MP in the national parliament and you’re working on national legislation, as you don’t necessarily see the difference you’re making due to the long implementation process of legislation you’re involved in. Here, there’s an instant change and working on the casework as an MP, with people coming in talking to me about the support they need, is actually the most rewarding aspect. Just this morning, I bumped into someone who wanted to thank me for something I did three years ago to help her, and she got quite emotional. It’s nice to meet the people we help, and it’s much more rewarding to be here and visible instead of just having a electronic or phone conversation.

Patron Tracey Crouch MP Walderslade Hub Visit (2)

“The loneliness strategy is out now and you will see in it a great deal of connectivity between service providers. Obviously you’ve got the council involved but actually what you want to see is more people being involved, like the doctors’ surgeries, making people come and connect to their local communities. 1 in 5 GP appointments are not medically based but actually driven by loneliness and actually if you can reduce that by encouraging people to come to a community hub, meet new people, learn new skills and do some exercise then that’s a great leap forward.

Patron Tracey Crouch MP Walderslade Hub Visit (1)
Tracey in conversation with Tricia Reilly of Walderslade Together

“The Chairobics and Time to Talk activities that the Net is doing are absolutely brilliant. I’m a big fan of talking therapies, mindfulness and meditation, and the sooner doctors’ surgeries begin to prescribe mindfulness to people the better. And sometimes, these smaller, cosy sessions work better than sessions in a big, more clinical space.”

Huge thanks to Tracey for her time and her support for the Hub. We look forward to playing our part in the overall national strategy.