THIS last month, we’ve seen further easing of lockdown measures as we open up the economy and enable people to see more family and friends again.

We’re coming to terms with the impact lockdown has had on our society including students who were unable to take exams and receive results in the normal way – and we continue to work towards finding solutions to the challenges of the past few months.

Now Parliament is in recess, I’ve been able to travel more around the constituency to talk to local residents and see businesses reopening. The Eat Out to Help Out scheme is fully under way and has been welcomed by hospitality businesses, as has the VAT cut for the tourism sector which sustains thousands of jobs across Worcestershire.

It’s great to see more people out and about from Broadway in the south to Droitwich in the north of the constituency and I was pleased to visit shops in Droitwich High Street and the Valley in Evesham recently to see how they are recovering from coronavirus.

I visited the Evesham Leisure Centre as gyms and pools reopened – and took the opportunity to kayak at Aztec Adventure in Upton Warren.  Making the most of the sunny weather, I couldn’t miss a trip to the confetti fields in Wick, and visited volunteers and healthcare workers including at Droitwich Spa Hospital – which helped bolster local NHS provision throughout the crisis.

Every visit has reinforced the fact that we’re moving forward and that local people have done their utmost to follow the guidelines.

As Minister of Sport, I was fortunate enough to participate in two local events of national importance. First, I attended the celebration of two years to go to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the centre of Birmingham.  Secondly, I attended a pilot of fans in stadia at Edgbaston Cricket ground – where Warwickshire were playing Worcestershire. These test events are pivotal to determining how we can open up live sporting events over the coming months.

Looking beyond our good weather and summer holidays, the effects of this virus are still very much with us. Please do continue to stay safe.