Celebrating Staffordshire Day

Speaking in Westminster Hall on Staffordshire's cultural heritage

Last week, we celebrated Staffordshire Day. In Tamworth and the villages, we are rightfully proud of our centuries of history and culture, spanning from the Anglo-Saxons to the Industrial Revolution and beyond. Initiatives to protect and promote our unique heritage help educate our children, bring our neighbourhoods closer together, and give us opportunities to improve our physical and mental health.

Beyond this, we often neglect to mention how our culture and heritage support local businesses and spur demand in our communities. Government statistics show the cultural sector contributed £35 billion to the UK economy in 2023, and the sector currently employs around 700,000 people. Over the course of the last month, I have had the opportunity to promote all the things that make Tamworth special and learn more about how we can capitalise on our unique story to drive prosperity.

Firstly, I was thrilled to welcome Lisa Nandy, our Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to Tamworth. We met with Cllr Carol Dean to hear how Emma Howes from Mercia Boxing Club and her team are supporting young people, giving them the confidence to compete and to contribute positively to our community.

Myself, Lisa Nandy, and Carol Dean at Mercia Boxing Club

Their brilliant initiative to revive the community centre, that had been left to fall into disrepair, was praised by the Minister who said she would take the lessons learned from this successful project and use it as a blueprint for others. £700,000 secured the future of the club, revitalised a derelict building and gave young people and adults locally the chance to get fit, build their confidence and make friends.

Last week, Lisa Nandy spoke in-support of the Government's Football Governance Bill. As Tamworth Football Club demonstrated in the FA Cup this season, our football clubs are a source of tremendous civic pride and significant contributors to the local economy. Through the Football Governance Bill, our Government is implementing long-overdue, common-sense changes to protect much-loved institutions like Tamworth FC.

Last Tuesday, I was honoured to participate in my friend Leigh Ingham MP's Westminster Hall Debate on the cultural contributions of Staffordshire. It was a genuine pleasure to listen to my parliamentary colleagues enthuse about the cultural contributions of their constituencies, and to be able to highlight the amazing work done by local organisations that take place on every day of the year – not just on Staffordshire Day.

Our culture is an incredible regenerative tool that we must use at every opportunity.