Annette Brooke MP is awarded for her charitable work
December 14, 2004 6:00 PM
Annette Brooke MP was today presented with an award at the Houses of Parliament's Jubilee Room for successfully completing the National Council for Voluntary Organisation's (NCVO) MP Secondment Scheme. In order to learn more about how the Voluntary Sector operates in a modern Britain, Annette spared time out of her busy schedule to work with a voluntary organisation.
Annette Brooke and Bob Russell receive their secondment certficates from NCVO
Mid Dorset and Poole North's Liberal Democrat MP was seconded to the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). Her activities included a visit to RNIB's national and other offices to meet Chief Executive and staff as well as experiencing the variety of services RNIB offers to people with sight problems. Annette also developed her existing policy interests in children and early years education through a summit with RNIB's education and employment team to explore the policy challenges in relation to children with sight problems. She used a slot for a Ten Minute Rule Bill that she had won in a ballot to promote the needs of children with sight problems in terms of ensuring they have timely access to accessible format books in school and also for leisure reading.
Annette Brooke MP said: 'It was fascinating to learn so much about the different aspects of RNIB's work for the blind and partially sighted. As well as getting a more in depth understanding of parliamentary campaigns such as the Right to Read campaign, I saw how many other products and services the RNIB provides. I visited the Talking Books recording studios in Camden, and to the library distribution
centre in Peterborough, which sends out thousands of Talking Books across the country every week.'
She continued that, 'Particularly pleasing was that thanks to the secondment, I titled my Ten Minute Rule Bill "Access To Literature (Visually Impaired Children)" for which I received a lot of support from the RNIB team.'
Steve Winyard, RNIB's Head of Public Policy said 'The MP secondment scheme has given us the opportunity to show the full breadth of our work to an MP with whom we share policy concerns. Annette has championed our cause in Parliament, introducing a Bill on accessible information for children with sight problems and has supported us through signing Early Day Motions, asking questions and attending receptions in Parliament. She has also given us valuable insights into the parliamentary process and life in Parliament for an MP, through welcoming an RNIB staff member to her office as part of the Secondment. The NCVO scheme has been a great success for us and we look forward to an ongoing working relationship with Annette and her staff.'
The MP Secondment Scheme is run by NCVO and supported by Provident Financial. It was launched in 1999 in order to foster greater understanding between the voluntary sector and MPs by giving them first hand experience of one another's activities.
NCVO is currently in the seventh round of arranging secondments, with over 50 MPs having taken part in the scheme since its inception. Charities working in fields such as health, education, the environment and the arts have participated in previous secondments.
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