LAST month, the Prime Minister set out a roadmap for the easing of restrictions as further information showed we’re making progress tackling the pandemic. Locally and nationally more businesses and shops are opening and we’re able to do more outdoor activities.

The opening up of the sports sector has been of particular significance in my ministerial role, and I was glad to see golf courses, tennis and basketball courts reopen safely and some elite sport is now being played behind closed doors.

With the tourism part of my brief I participated in a ‘virtual’ English Tourism Week. Normally I’d have travelling across the country to promote the importance, value and contribution of the tourism sector, but instead I had to do this online and took the opportunity to highlight some of the popular tourist spots in the constituency.

Locally, while we cannot physically gather for festivals and events, I’ve been impressed to see so many online events taking place instead to celebrate our local heritage and food and drink offerings, like the asparagus auction at The Fleece Inn.

Conference calls are very much the way I communicate these days, but I was pleased to return to Parliament – with changes made to ensure that we can adhere to Public Health England guidelines on social distancing.

The number of deaths and infections locally and nationally is falling. But we still have a long way to go and cannot be complacent.

I respect the peaceful protests that we’ve seen for the Black Lives Matter movement, and I support the right to protest peacefully and lawfully, but I urge everyone to do so without violence and in accordance with the current rules on social distancing.

Finally, as always, I’m so impressed and grateful for the level of volunteering going on in our local communities.

In aid of Volunteer Week last week, I now have a page on my website, nigelhuddleston.com, where you can nominate a local hero for those volunteers who have gone above and beyond. So please do take a moment to share any local heroes with me.

As ever, I’m so grateful for everything you’re doing – please stay safe and keep looking after each other.