Corby's new MP Lee Barron makes first official visit to Pen Green

Lee Barron (Lab) was elected as Corby and East Northants’ new MP on Friday morning (July 5) securing 21,020 votes. His closest competitor, former MP for the town Tom Pursglove (Con), received 14,689 votes.

Following Lee’s election win, he told the Northants Telegraph: "My first job is to go to Pen Green on Saturday for their fun day. I can’t think of a better place to start. Pen Green epitomises Labour values.”

Lee visited Pen Green which was hosting a fun day as part of the Family Arts Festival which is funded by Arts Council England and co-produced by Made With Many and the Pen Green Centre.

The Family Arts Festival Fun Day at Pen Green welcomed more than 600 people on Saturday (July 6) after a whole week of arts activities in community venues all around Corby.

While Lee was there, he met with senior staff from the children's centre to discuss its future as well as what he could do for them.

Speaking to members of staff, Lee said: “When I said that I was going to stand for Corby and East Northants, I actually started out in East Northants, but when we came over Pen Green was the first place. When I was selected by Labour members to be the candidate it was held here.

“So there’s no issue around what it is we’re going to do as far as supporting you, it’s not just about being an advocate, it’s about being a friend, standing shoulder to shoulder with you and making sure we do it.

“Bridget Phillipson has been here and what I think we need to do now is to bring all the other leaders in because it is about early years obviously but it is also about that employment, and it is about people getting back into the world of work.

“Liz Kendall has become a very close friend of ours since the election and was confirmed as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions yesterday. Let’s start showing them because there are certain things that could be done around here where you haven’t got to write a big cheque but what you’ve got to do is recognise it and spread that best practice.”

Pen Green has fought some uphill battles in the past couple of years. In February of last year, following a North Northamptonshire Council vote, Pen Green lost 70 per cent of its funding for the children’s centre and 100 per cent of funding for the integrated services they provide beyond the nursery.

In September the early years provision was marked as inadequate in all four Ofsted areas – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. It was the first time they’d dropped below outstanding in their history.

In January a fast re-inspection saw them re-achieve an outstanding grade.

Lee said: “It’s just felt as though, over the last few years, everything has been stacked up against Pen Green and you’ve had to fight absolutely everything.

“Now I hope we can relieve you of a bit of that and actually show you the support where you can start to turn around and stop being on a back foot defending everything and start getting on the front foot and saying actually there’s more that we can do and more we want to do and that will enrich our communities even further, so that’s why I want to help out.”

Head of centre at Pen Green, Angela Prodger, said: “When Lee came in, Lee said to us you could feel the passion in this organisation and to know that we’ve got somebody now that knows our passion and our drive to get things right for children and families every day is really, really heartfelt and it’s really emotive. It has meant a lot to us.”