I’m often asked by local students in the schools I visit what a Member of Parliament actually does all day. It’s a good question for any job young people might potentially be interested in getting into. I remember my dad, a firefighter, often explain that relatively little of their work was actually putting out fires; much of it was preventative and educational, and even the emergencies were just as likely to be freeing passengers from a road traffic accident as rescuing children from a house fire.

So I thought by way of example I’d take this opportunity to describe my MP’s diary last Friday. No blue light journeys, but busy and rewarding none the less.

My first meeting was at 8am with the Leader and Deputy Leaders of Tameside Council. We discussed updates on some key local matters, including the Shared Prosperity Fund, which is a Government fund to replace what previously came from EU funding. It is designed to strengthen communities and reduce inequality. TMBC have secured funds for Stalybridge Civic Hall and Hyde Market, amongst other sites.

Next up, I visited Tameside South and Longdendale food bank. I sincerely wish there was no need for food banks, and that the Government would do more to ensure its decisions and policies reduce not increase food poverty, especially in-work food poverty – but sadly the need continues. The volunteers here tell me a third of current food bank users have children to support. Sadly, I am not surprised.  3.9 million children in the UK live in poverty. Almost four million kids unsure where the next decent meal is coming from. Britain can surely do better than that.

The food bank team explained that January is a particularly tough time because there are lots of people in need, but donations tend to tail off after Christmas, so we made a little video for my Facebook page to encourage anyone who is able to donate tins or dried goods. Tins of protein – tuna, meat, bean etc.- are especially welcome. I appreciate it’s January, in a cost of living crisis, and not everyone is in a position to help this month, but if you are, please know it will be put to very good use. Better yet, if you pop a tin or two in the collection boxes at Tesco in Hattersley or Asda in Hyde, the supermarkets give money back to Tameside and Longdendale food bank, so it is essentially a double donation, and deeply appreciated.

Next up, I headed into Manchester to visit to Event Transport Limited with Lucy Powell. ET are run by my constituent David Barnes, and have had huge success, working on big name music tours and TV and film productions all over the world. But the Government neglected sectors like theirs in the post-Brexit trade deal, and they now can’t do European tours, because they aren’t allowed more than two movements between locations when doing European work. The situation is worse than before the UK joined the EU because at that time special rules for creative industries were negotiated. Replicating this agreement so our creative industries don’t suffer is a priority for the next Labour Government, and this is a strong local case study of why this is so needed.

Then it was back to my office in Hyde Town Hall to meet with my brilliant little team of staff to discuss this week’s correspondence, review casework and discuss my response to any significant local issues that have occurred.

Next it was off to Hattersley to visit RSK, a company which has taken over the old British Gas office. RSK is one of the biggest privately owned environmental businesses in the world, employing 10,000 people with annual revenues in excess of £1 billion. They have major plans for Hattersley and Tameside. Already there are 250 jobs on site after one of the businesses was moved from Salford Quays last September, with potential for considerably more. Their plans are to turn the site into a full science park, which has my full support. This is exactly the sort of major business we need more of in the Borough.

Finally, it was back to Hyde Town Hall to meet with the Indian High Commissioner. We had a wide ranging talk about trade, security, mutual investment in India and the UK. I really appreciated him taking the time to come to Hyde.

My week had begun on the Monday by flying back from Bangladesh where I’d been having meetings about trading relations, flood protection and refugee camps, and continued apace in Parliament until Thursday, but these Fridays and Saturdays in the constituency really are the best bit, supporting local projects, helping people with their concerns, and meeting brilliant people doing their bit to make our area brighter. If you’d like me to visit your business or community group just drop me an email at jonathan.reynolds.mp@parliament.uk.