Dear John,

With the cost of living rising and unemployment rates still high – across Edgbaston constituency the rate is 7.5% compared to the national average of 4.3% - I was pleased to see the Commonwealth Games bringing more employment options, providing greater prosperity and giving the people of our city a greater opportunity to thrive. 
 
A huge workforce of people is needed to make the Games a success. There are more than 20,000 roles which are available with contractors and another 600 at Birmingham 2022 itself.  
 
So, if you’re looking for work, there’s a wide range of jobs that are available, lasting from three months to three weeks, with roles in security, stewarding, catering, cleaning, retail, and logistics and many more opportunities to help our Games run smoothly. Most roles available don’t need formal experience or qualifications, and full training will be provided. 
 

This week saw the launch of my fortnightly column in the Birmingham Mail. This week I wrote about the heartbreak behind the rise in knife crime. The West Midlands saw the highest rate of knife crime in the country with 156 incidents per 100 000 population. But when will enough be enough? 
 
We cannot be complacent about this. When my constituent, Dea-John Reid, was killed I visited his mother, and she was understandably devastated at the loss of her child. While society has become so complacent about knife crime, we must do more as we accept that this is about our children losing their lives. 
 
There must be two clear outcomes to tackle knife crime. First, we must see a return to neighbourhood policing; where officers are seen in the communities they serve, understand who their local residents are and the needs of the area. However, West Midlands Police have lost 2,200 police officers from our streets, £175 million removed from their budget and this has had a drastic impact. You simply cannot replace that experience overnight.  
 
We must also look at the support available for young people. Local authority funding for youth services in the West Midlands has fallen by 82% since 2010 and I know that as a former children’s services manager in Birmingham this rings true. So many of the services in Birmingham and all of the services we would refer young people to have disappeared.  
 
What does the Government expect to happen when you take that level of funding and resources away from a city the size of Birmingham? I want to see opportunities for our young people so that they have the best chance to thrive. Young people and our communities all have a stake in this. It’s time that we listened and engaged with those who have the power to influence and make real, long-lasting change. 

I was so pleased to see this week Warwickshire County Cricket Club become one of the first sporting organisations in the country to launch a Multifaith Charter. It is projects like this which make me so proud to have one of the world’s great sporting venues in our constituency. 
 
As part of their Edgbaston for Everyone initiative, the Multifaith Charter has been created with representatives within Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jain, Judaism and Sikhism in the West Midlands. 
 
The program will see the Leadership Team at Warwickshire CCC begin a series of visits to key religious centres within the West Midlands to understand more about each religion and the day-to-day implications of people wanting to practice their faith at Edgbaston. 
 
Given recent troubling court hearings about attitudes at other cricket clubs, it is fantastic to see Edgbaston taking this proactive step. Alongside the Multifaith charter, the Club has also committed to tangible initiatives to drive inclusivity within cricket, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, class, social mobility, neural or physical ability. 
 
I look forward to seeing Edgbaston continuing to be a safe, welcoming environment for all. 

I’m recruiting two roles in my constituency office in Edgbaston, looking for a constituency assistant and a constituency caseworker. Edgbaston constituency covers Harborne, Bartley Green, Quinton, Edgbaston and part of North Edgbaston. If you have a passion for helping people and want to join my brilliant team, please take a look at the job description and apply. 
 
Constituency casework – closing date 22 February 2022 Find the job profile and apply here
 
Constituency assistant – closing date , today, 18 February 2022 Find the job profile and apply here