I’M now in full swing with my constituency summer tour, and the past week has been absolutely packed full of visits, events, meeting constituents, knocking on doors and speaking to local organisations across North Cornwall.

I spent Friday out on the water with Calum and Will Greenhalgh, a Port Isaac fishing family who catch and supply locally, as well as running their own restaurant (run by Tracey) in the village selling what they catch. It was a really valuable opportunity to hear directly about the challenges facing small, independent fishermen competing with larger industrial operations. They told me that, with the right support from the government, they would jump at the opportunity to create local jobs and bring more young people into the profession. I’ll be taking their concerns back to Parliament and will also be looking to hold a full debate on inshore fishing when Parliament returns, giving fishermen like Calum and Will a proper voice in Westminster.

Over in Lanivet, I joined residents at the Parish Community Centre’s fortnightly Memory Cafe. It was fantastic to see local older residents coming together to socialise, connect and take part in the memory cafe’s activities, with transport support offered by local champion Barry Cornelius also helping people get to and from the centre. Community organisations like this do such important work in bringing people together, and I’m grateful to everyone involved in these brilliant groups.

I had a particularly busy day in Bude and Stratton last week too, starting on Summerleaze beach with a visit to AdSurf, the excellent charity helping disabled children to experience the benefits and joy of surfing. I then joined Cornwall councillors Faye Emery and Nicky Chopak for a doorstep surgery, knocking on doors and hearing directly from residents about the issues affecting them.

I also had the pleasure to visit Dizzy Dairy recently, a farm shop just off the coast path in St Gennys. Shortly after, over in Camelford, I joined local Cornwall councillor Mark Burnett for a visit to Camelford Youth Group at the skate park. It was great to see the positive impact its projects are having on young people, providing a creative and active space to socialise and learn new skills. Huge thanks to the OCM team and Camelford Town Council for supporting this initiative.

I also visited Delabole Community Fire Station this week, meeting the brilliant team who work hard to keep us all safe.

Finally, on a very serious note, North Cornwall’s farmers are still facing a brutal summer this year, with heatwaves scorching fields alongside a severe ongoing outbreak of Bluetongue disease. I have urgently written to DEFRA calling for a Farming Recovery Fund for drought, similar to the support available following flooding, alongside help with the substantial cost of disposing of fallen stock. Our farmers are already under huge pressure in terms of costs and stress, and the mounting impact on their mental health makes it vital that they receive support rather than being left to deal with these challenges alone.