Following the election of a Labour Government on 4 July 2024, I am pleased to confirm that I have been appointed to the position of Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. In this role, I will work inside the Cabinet Office on cross…
This week, I was honoured to be sworn into Parliament as the MP for Erith and Thamesmead for the second time. I look forward to serving all the residents of our constituency throughout the course of this Parliament. Thanks again to all…
Dear Constituents of Erith and Thamesmead, I am honoured and grateful for your trust and support by re-electing me as your Member of Parliament. Serving as your representative in the House of Commons is a privilege I do not take lightly,…
It was great to visit the Plumstead Health Centre this month and meet all the lovely and hardworking staff at South East London Mind. You can find out more about their work here.
It was wonderful to attend the opening of the new Gurdwara in Belvedere with the local Sikh community. Celebrating the important work that the Sikh community carry out and learning more about their faith was very special.
It was great to attend the Erith Town FC annual presentation evening and hand out well-earned awards to our local players, as well as recognising the massive amount of work that occurs behind the scenes.
This month, I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Africa Day of Celebration organised by Active Horizons. I was honoured to support an organisation who do so much to foster leadership and promote the voices of young migrants and refugees in…
Every year, the Politics Home magazine recognises 100 Women in Westminster who are leading the way in politics and public life. It was an honour to be recognised as one of the hundred women making a difference, and to be selected amongst…
On Sunday 5 May, it was great to join Meridian FC at their Community Football Tournament and Health Awareness Day in memory of former Meridian player, Robert Eshun. I also thank the British Society for Heart Failure for joining and raising…
Dear Friends, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for May 2024. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. Abena…
It has also been important this month to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). In my role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, I have been working hard on our plans to end the current mental health crisis and wrote about these issues…
Many thanks to NHS Confederation for inviting me to speak to their annual Mental Health Conference in Leeds on the urgent need to invest in our mental health services. It was also important to learn about the innovative approaches taken at…
Dear Friends, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for April 2024. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if you…
I was inspired to watch history in the making as the first ever girls side from Erith and Belvedere FC under 15’s team played against Sudbury Town at the Acclaim Handling Community Stadium in Welling. Big congratulations to all those…
This April, it was great to speak at the ‘Black in Business’ event in Parliament hosted by Channel 4 and Lloyds Banking Group. And it was great to hear from the amazing Black entrepreneurs and business owners, who spoke about the work that…
It was lovely to join the RGNS’s celebrations this month as they welcomed a New Year 2081. I want to wish all Nepalis in Erith and Thamesmead and across the whole country a very Happy New Year.
Dear Friends, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for March 2024. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if you…
Dear Friends, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for February 2024. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if…
It has been great to see the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launch the expansion of the Superloop bus service this month, providing more transport options to those who need it. The new SL3 express bus route runs between Bromley and Thamesmead…
I was honoured to be invited to deliver a keynote speech at UNISON’s National Women’s Conference, where the pivotal theme centred on women’s health in the workplace. Throughout the conference, we engaged in profound discussions surrounding…
It was fantastic to visit the London South East London Colleges Bexley campus this month. I had an insightful discussion with the CEO and Student Union President, as well as a tour of the college’s impressive facilities. It is so important…
Dear Friend, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for January 2024. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if…
It was wonderful to meet the local team from YouthBuild UK, who came for a tour of parliament finishing with a Question and Answer session! I thoroughly enjoyed talking to these young people who asked brilliant questions about the role of…
This month, Abena hosted an important roundtable discussion in Parliament alongside Google and Mental Health Innovations, a charity supported by Google. The aim was to explore the potential of AI in enhancing the efficiency of Mental…
Dear Friend, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for December 2023. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if…
I am once again very pleased to announce that I’ve been holding a constituency competition to design my annual Christmas Card for 2023. I invited students from schools across Erith and Thamesmead to take part. The theme for this year was:…
Dear Friend, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for November 2023. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if…
This November, I was honoured to lay wreaths at Thamesmead War memorial followed by the War memorial at Plumstead Cemetery in remembrance of all those from Erith & Thamesmead who gave their lives to protect our freedom. On Remembrance…
Dear Friend, Many thanks for taking the time to look at my latest newsletter for October 2023. I hope you enjoy this update on some of the work I have been doing in Erith and Thamesmead and in Parliament over the last month. As ever, if…