Hello everyone,
Despite the summer holidays, it’s been a very busy time so I just wanted to update you on some of the things that have been going on.

My Department for International Development has worked extremely hard to respond to the humanitarian crises in the Middle East – in Syria, Gaza and now Iraq - and I visited Northern Iraq myself recently, to see first-hand how UK support is helping people affected by the fighting. The Department is also working to tackle the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Putney station modernisation
I’ve been keen to see work quickly completed on the modernisation of Putney Station. I met Network Rail recently and they confirmed that the lifts will start going into service for the first time in the next fortnight.
Initially, one lift will operate and, when the electrical work is completed, all three will be in service. It’s great news that people who find it hard to use the stairs will now find it much easier with lifts. Overall, the station has much more space and should be a lot less congested.

Alongside completing the current work, I think the next steps need to focus on getting the vacant shop sites filled. I’m also pressing for further improvements to the station to make the most of the extra space we now have. I know that with the summer holiday period over, the number of commuters using the station has increased again and we need a fully functioning station.

Sports facilities improving
Since my visit to Rosslyn Park Rugby Club earlier in the summer for the centenary celebrations, the club has submitted a planning application to develop facilities there and to give more young people and families in the area the chance to use them. A lot of residents have expressed their support for the project which should benefit the whole community.

Also on the sporting front, Roehampton Cricket Club has opened their new clubhouse following a refurbishment. I was able to support their application for a substantial grant from Biffa so that work could go ahead with the first upgrading of the clubhouse for many years.

Out and about
I was very privileged to attend a moving service at St Paul’s Church to commemorate the centenary of World War I and it certainly brought home how it affected our local communities.
I also attended a meeting of local church leaders who are thinking of launching a street pastors’ initiative in Putney which involves church volunteers being around at night and on Fulham home game days to help people out whether they need advice, directions or to get police assistance.

Finally, I’d like to congratulate all those pupils in our local schools who got their A Level and GCSE results this summer. For ARK Putney Academy, St Cecilia’s and Southfields Academy it was their best results ever. We’ve had some great marks which were the result of a lot of hard work by pupils and their teachers.

I’ll be out and about in the constituency as usual and I’ll also have my weekly MP surgeries, so if you need my help do get in touch – you can email me at greeningj@parliament.uk, write to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or just give my office a call on 020 8946 4557.


Justine Greening MP

September 11, 2014