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Gerald Jones is the Labour Member of Parliament for the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency.

Armed Forces Day 2021: thank you to all our brave Armed Forces men and women

As we marked the beginning of Armed Forces Week 2021, I was pleased to join the Leader of Caerphilly Council, Mayor of Caerphilly Borough and colleagues for the raising of Caerphilly’s Armed Forces Day flag, and to pay tribute to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, as well as our Reservists.

Armed Forces Day gives us an opportunity to thank our Armed Forces for everything they do, both at home and abroad, on behalf of our country and to keep our communities safe. Throughout the past year our Armed Forces have been at the forefront of the response to the pandemic, delivering emergency supplies to our most isolated communities as well as supporting the rollout of Covid testing and the vaccination programme, and I know we are all hugely grateful for all they do not only during the pandemic but all year round – thank you.

Street advice surgeries resume: offering support to local residents

Now that current Covid regulations have meant that face-to-face doorknocking sessions can resume, it’s been great to be able to begin holding my regular street advice surgeries again and speak to constituents on the doorstep in person.

Last week I joined our MS, Dawn Bowden and councillors Carl Cuss and David Harse for a joint session in Princetown, Rhymney, knocking doors and offering support and advice to residents. There were a number of issues raised which are now being followed up with agencies.

I’m looking forward to continuing my regular street surgeries going forward, and I’ll be out knocking doors right across the constituency in the coming weeks – make sure to look out for me and my team in your area!

Every adult in Wales offered a Covid jab: please attend as soon as you’re invited

The news earlier this month that every adult in Wales has now been offered their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine marks a truly brilliant achievement for our NHS and volunteers, and to have reached this milestone six weeks ahead of schedule is amazing.

This month I received my second dose of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine at Rhymney Health Centre – I want to thank our amazing NHS and all those volunteering and assisting with the continued rollout, as well as everyone in our communities sticking to Covid regulations and taking up their vaccine appointments, in helping us to reach this stage where we are now nearing a return to normality.
If you live in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area and think you should have received an invitation for an appointment but haven’t yet been contacted, then please click here to request an appointment now.

Marking Volunteers Week 2021: thank you to all those who volunteer

Earlier this month I joined with thousands across our area and the UK to mark Volunteers Week, an annual event which encourages us all to celebrate and give thanks to the millions of people right across the country who give up their time volunteering to contribute to their communities and help others.

With Parliament not in session at the beginning of the month, I was also able to take part in a number of local volunteering opportunities, supporting groups and organisations which do so much helping those in need in our communities, and contributing to local community life in general.

I know we are all extremely grateful to all those who volunteer – not only during Volunteers Week, but throughout the year – for everything they do going above and beyond to help those most in need, and I also want to thank the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) for all the work they do supporting volunteers and community groups in the Upper Rhymney Valley all year around, as well as Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT) for all their great work too.