Press Releases: December 2006
Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP donated the Christmas gift of a book to Book Aid International during a reception held on Tuesday in the House of Commons.
The event was held by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries and Information Management on Tuesday (December 19) and was attended by nearly 80 MPs, including Constitutional Affairs Minister, Harriet Harman MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms MP and Minister for the Third Sector, Ed Miliband MP.
The event was hosted by All Party Group chair Lyn Brown, MP for West Ham, who said that Book Aid International provides over half a million books and journals each year to libraries, hospitals, refugee camps and schools in 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Palestine.
It also works with library partners in these countries to develop their pivotal role in the community.
Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP said: 'Books can make a real difference to people's lives. Books are the basic tools of literacy and education yet millions of children and adults across the developing world do not have access to them.'
'I fully support the work of Book Aid International and encourage my constituents to support this worthwhile cause, further information on which can be found at www.bookaid.org
Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP donated the Book Skip Across the Ocean which provides the reader with an enchanted storytelling journey.
Ashwood Community Resource (ACR) in Kirkby-in-Ashfield hosted a weekend of community events to celebrate the official opening of its newly regenerated recreation area and gardens.
Geoff Hoon, MP for Ashfield, opened the recreation area with a speech on Friday 1st December 2006 and planted a tree to mark the occasion. He congratulated everyone involved with the project and praised the work ACR had done, saying, 'The recreation area is a great example of the success of partnerships within the community. This will be a great asset to Kirkby and everyone who enjoys using the facilities at the Ashwood Centre'.
On Saturday 2nd December 2006 ACR held a community gala. Local residents and families came along to enjoy the transformed gardens and games areas where there were sports, circus skills, music and creative activities available for all ages.
ACR received over £100,000 in grants from a variety of funding organisations to transform the once neglected and uninviting space at the rear of the Ashwood Centre into the fantastic multi use games area and gardens for the community to enjoy.
ACR's Chair of Trustees, Graham Bell, said, 'All our staff and volunteers at the centre were delighted by the response we had to both events. The interest shown in the new recreation area has been wonderful and means a lot to everyone who has invested so much time and energy in the project. We were particularly pleased that so many people attended the gala and brought the entire space to life'.
Ashfield MP Geoff Hoon has welcomed the return of Radio Salistune, the community radio station for the Selston area of his Ashfield constituency. He has signalled his ongoing support for the station by taking up an invitation to DJ in a one-hour guest slot.
Back for the second time this year, the station will be on air from Saturday 2nd December until Friday 8th December 2006 on 102.4 FM. In the course of the week a number of other volunteer DJs from the local community will take to the airwaves alongside the Ashfield MP, and will provide a mix of news, music and talk shows.
Geoff Hoon's slot will showcase his favourite music. It is scheduled to go on air from 8:00 pm until 9:00 pm on Monday 4th December.
Geoff Hoon said: 'I am delighted to be invited back to DJ on Radio Salistune. I really enjoyed hosting my own slot earlier this year. The station has given me an hour this time around, up from half-an-hour - I hope that means that the station did not lose too many listeners last time I appeared!'
People outside the Selston area can listen to the station by visiting www.selston.org.uk/radio
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