I spent an enjoyable afternoon with my son at Kellaway Park in Helston on Saturday. This was to watch ‘The Blues’ play their final match of the season in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division and be crowned champions of the division before they move up to the Southern Football League next season. I first met Steve Massey, Sports Director, and Paul Hendry, Chairman and Club Secretary, soon after I was first elected as MP and their ambition to develop the club and support grassroots football for all ages has not diminished. I’ve enjoyed watching Helston Athletic build their teams over the years and it was good to meet some of the players of the Under 15’s girls' team who are also on track for a great season this year. Congratulations to the ‘Blues’ and everyone who is part of the ‘team that supports the teams’. The Club’s website is https:///www.helstonafc.co.uk
No town should be left without a bank but unfortunately this is a reality in Hugh Town on Scilly where there is no bank on the islands at all. It is also the case for the town I grew up in, Helston, and more recently St Ives. In Hugh Town the new ATM is to be installed imminently and the Post Office is now the place for a range of banking transactions. In Helston the Banking Hub is located on a temporary basis in the former Barclays Branch and open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Banking Hubs are run by the Post Office and funded by the banks. Last year I supported new laws that will formalise this process so that towns are much less likely to lose a bank before a banking hub is installed. Responsibility for banking hubs now sit with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the FCA has just closed a consultation about what rules should determine high street access to banking services and cash. The results of the consultation are due in the third quarter of this year. I met with LINK again on Tuesday (whose job it is to establish banking hubs) to stress the need to ensure people have access to cash and banking services and to continue the effort to secure a banking hub for ST Ives. St Ives Parish has 11,000 residents and Barclays has been closed since last September. I have been working closely with the Town Council to secure a Banking Hub for St Ives including hosting a survey that closes at the end of May to establish the demand for banking services in the town. I’m also working with dentists, commissioners, and The Edward Hain Centre to try and create extra NHS dental services. These dentists would serve a much larger area and significantly address the shortage of NHS dentistry in West Cornwall. Irrespective of whether you live in St Ives or not, your requirements for banking services or NHS Dental Care will be helpful to demonstrate the demand.
You can complete the survey at https://www.derekthomas.org/BankingHubAndDentistry
