Photo taken by photographer Richard Gardner

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, visited the Muswell Hill Churches Soup Kitchen at Muswell Hill Baptist Church on Sunday.

The Kitchen – which serves around 50 people per night, four nights a week – has been providing meals for homeless people for 19 years. It is staffed entirely by volunteers and the food is donated by local churches, schools, synagogues, and businesses including Dunns, Sainsburys and a local butchers.

Alongside providing meals, the kitchen also offers supportive services which aim to empower visitors to start new lives away from homelessness. As a result of the kitchen’s wellbeing programme, several guests have already been resettled into flats and rooms. The kitchen leader reports that one-to-one motivational sessions have also been very effective, as have the housing advice surgeries.

The volunteers have also introduced a ‘munch box’ initiative – large boxes made from scrap wood, which volunteers hope will encourage food to be collected throughout the year.

Following the visit, Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“It was a great pleasure to visit the soup kitchen and see the volunteers in action. It is great project, providing essential food to those who are really in need.

“But this is also more than just a soup kitchen. Through their wellbeing programme the kitchen is looking to support homeless people and help them overcome their challenging situations.

“I will be writing to schools in Hornsey and Wood Green to ask if they would like to support the kitchen by having a munch box. I am happy to assist the volunteers and kitchen leader with their project in any way I can.”

Lynne Featherstone MP has today welcomed the announcement by Liberal Democrat Competition Minister, Jo Swinson MP, which confirmed that the new Grocery Code Adjudicator will be able to fine large supermarkets who deal with suppliers unfairly.

Prior to the debate on Monday, dozens of Hornsey and Wood Green constituents contacted Lynne Featherstone MP and asked her to ensure that the Adjudicator is as strong and effective as possible, to ensure suppliers get a fair deal. The Liberal Democrat MP contacted Jo Swinson MP to represent her constituents’ concerns.

The Coalition Government has now listened to concerns and given the Adjudicator more power to protect farmers and other small suppliers.

Following the announcement, Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, said:

“I was more than happy to represent my constituents’ concerns on this issue.

“Too often, the farmer or small supplier is squashed under the might of the major supermarkets that dominate our daily shopping. That is why I and the Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for a strong, independent regulator that has real teeth to stand up for hard-working suppliers.

“Liberal Democrats are working hard to create a stronger economy and that means we need to ensure everyone is treated fairly. That is why the beefed-up powers for the Grocery Code Adjudicator are an important step forward.”

Lynne Featherstone MP last week visited Linden Road in Muswell Hill, following a recent spate of burglaries in the area.

In November three houses were burgled in the space of two weeks. A car was also stolen and on one occasion an armed response unit was called.

The Liberal Democrat MP subsequently received numerous emails from constituents, who were worried about safety in their local area.

The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green has since been making enquiries into the police response to the incidents. The safer neighbourhood team for the area are treating these burglaries as a priority.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Muswell Hill, Gail Engert, commented:

“Burglaries are always distressing for the residents concerned, and their neighbours. Muswell Hill Councillors work closely with our local police Safer Neighbourhood team.

“At a meeting in November between local residents, the police and Councillors, Linden Road was made a priority. We will continue to monitor the situation.”

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“I was shocked to hear about these incidents. People should feel safe in their own homes.

“I was, however, glad to be made aware of the burglaries, and to hear that the local police are treating this as a priority. I hope the quick police reaction will prevent further burglaries here, and in the surrounding areas.”

Lynne Featherstone MP last month gave a speech at Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s Westminster Fly In at Parliament.

The Fly-In is the biggest event in Breakthrough’s Campaigning and Advocacy Network calendar. For the past 13 years, hundreds of campaigners and advocates from across the UK have attended this flagship campaigning event. The aim is to raise the importance of breast cancer in Westminster and to put breast cancer priorities on the Government’s agenda.

The Liberal Democrat MP spoke about her parliamentary background and duties, representing constituents on health matters, and why engaging politicians on breast cancer issues is so important. The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green then took questions from the floor.

After the event, Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It was a privilege to speak at this event in Westminster, which was very well organised and attended.

“In the past, I have fought hard to ensure all women in Haringey and North London have access to breast cancer screening. I am very happy to see Breakthrough Breast Cancer campaigning to increase awareness and for better treatments and screening.  I wish them all the best in their future campaigns.”

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, yesterday welcomed the introduction of the Energy Bill to Parliament.

The Bill will put in place a legal framework to transform our electricity market from fossil fuel dependent to low carbon by 2030. The Liberal Democrats believe that this will help achieve legal obligations to meet the 2020 European renewables target and to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 – as set out in the Climate Change Act, which was supported by all parties in 2008.

The reforms have been worked on for two years by two Liberal Democrat Secretaries of State, Chris Huhne and Ed Davey. The Bill will bring in an estimated £110bn investment and support an estimated 250,000 jobs in the clean electricity industry and supply chain.

Commenting, Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government have secured a good deal for households who are worried about rocketing energy bills, and also secured a good deal for the environment by making sure we will finally move from fossil fuel to low carbon.

“Despite the arguments of those who would rather ignore the need to deal with climate change, the Lib Dems have delivered a policy that means the UK will honour our legally binding climate change targets, keep the lights on and do it at the lowest cost to bill payers.”

Further information on the Energy Bill here

Lynne Featherstone MP last week visited Hornsey School for Girls. Year 11 students had organised a “Stop FGM (female genital mutilation) Day,” and invited the Liberal Democrat MP to attend.

The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green met with the head of citizenship, the head teacher and chair of governors. The students then gave a presentation on why stopping FGM is so important, interviewed the MP on the issue and then asked more general questions.

Before leaving, the Liberal Democrat MP dropped into an A-level Government and Politics class to take questions on her role in Parliament.

In 2010 the Prime Minister appointed Lynne Featherstone MP as the international ministerial champion for tackling violence against women and girls overseas, a role which has been retained despite the move from the Home Office to the Department for International Development.

After the visit, Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“It was a privilege to visit the students and take part in their campaign day. It is so encouraging to see intelligent young women tackling this issue – which has been largely ignored in the mainstream. I wish them well in what I’m sure will be very bright futures.

“Female Genital Cutting is an awful practice which has the most devastating and long lasting effects on women and girls – but there is now real momentum in Africa to tackle the issue. It’s now my ambition to see Female Genital Cutting abandoned within a generation.”