March 2008
I celebrated St David's Day in two places this year. Firstly there was the Church Service and Welsh Day Debate in Parliament on February 28th. The Service was memorable for many reasons including a fine sermon by Bangor's Archdeacon Meirion Llwyd Williams who inspiringly ended with the words 'St David's Day is a time for us to dream of a better Wales in a liberated world'.
The Welsh Day Debate is an opportunity for Welsh MPs to speak on any subject so long as it relates to Wales. The first Debate was in 1944 and my first attendance was in the Gallery in 2000 when I was a Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for Wales Paul Murphy who has now returned to that post.
In the Debate I had the opportunity to speak on a range of matters relating to Wales and the wider world including the new roles of the Secretary of State, the needs of young people especially employment opportunities for those with learning difficulties.
This has been a recurring theme of my work as MP for Aberavon in Westminster and in the constituency, notably so this last month. I celebrated St David's Day back in Port Talbot at a marvellous musical evening organised by Aberavon Constituency Labour Party, particularly Councillor Marion Lewis, in support of the Gateway Bookshop which helps many such young people who were present with us. Well done Côr Meibion Aberafan for a remarkable evening to benefit a worthwhile local charity: as President I am always pleased to enjoy their outstanding performances and support their charitable work.
Earlier in the month I was delighted to be present at a fund-raising dinner for the Special Needs Activity Club which is working hard to ensure that children and young people with special needs will fly to Florida in October to swim with the dolphins. SNAC's President, Councillor John Rogers and Centre Manager Dawn Sawyers (mother of the famous young politician Ben and the famous Blue Peter chef, Jake) tell me they would be delighted to receive donations large or small from members of the public.
I have recently been invited to visit the YWCA at Cwmafan whose members recently visited me in Parliament. They told me about their community projects which deserve wide recognition locally.
