By Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon

AS MP for Central Devon for over a decade, I have had the pleasure of spending time and supporting some wonderful local charities over the years.

There are a very large number of them across the constituency and they include many that I have visited including the Bungalow Youth Project in Buckfastleigh, Okehampton Men in Sheds, the Chudleigh Youth Centre, the Turning Tides Project in Crediton, Tor Support in Okehampton, Age Concern Crediton, Bovey Paradiso, Action for Children in Hatherleigh, the Okehampton Memory Café and the South Devon Railway.

Just last week I called in on MAKE Southwest (formerly Devon Guild of Craftsmen) in Bovey Tracey. As well as their acclaimed exhibition space for contemporary craft and design, they are also a leading charity for craft education.

I was really impressed by the arts and crafts on display at MAKE Southwest, and it was great to see how traditional artisan methods are being developed and reinterpreted to produce contemporary craft and design. We also talked about their plans to secure funding to expand their gallery and exhibition space to encourage more visitors from across Devon and the wider south west region.

Where I can, I support our local charities with their bids for funding, particularly to The National Lottery, which has made a huge difference to voluntary and charitable organisations right across the constituency.

This week I supported the Marie Curie charity up in Westminster, who held an event in Parliament to promote the charity’s Great Daffodil Appeal.

To help raise awareness of their work I joined other MPs in wearing the charity’s iconic symbol, a yellow daffodil, during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Today one in four people don’t get the end of life care that they need, and Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal encourages people to donate and wear a daffodil pin to help the charity continue to support people with any illness they’re likely to die from.

Now in its 37th year, Marie Curie’s Daffodil Appeal helps raise much needed funds for Marie Curie nurses and healthcare professionals to provide expert support and hospice care in the comfort of peoples own homes across Devon.

To support the charity’s nurses, doctors, and hospice staff in Devon they are calling on local residents to support the Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal by giving up a few hours of their time to distribute the iconic daffodil pins in exchange for a donation.

Those wishing to donate to support this fantastic charity can do so by visiting the website www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil/donate.

If you are looking to get involved, contact our local Community Fundraiser in Devon, Georgia on 07515133895 or email [email protected]

Most charities in Central Devon are reliant on volunteers giving up free time, so thank you to everyone in our constituency who has volunteered to help a local charity, organisation or cause. Your help really is appreciated, and our communities would not be the same without you.