Guest column: Well done to all the brilliant children's ward campaign marchers

Last Sunday, a brilliant group of local people walked the 20 miles from Bassetlaw Hospital to Doncaster Royal Infirmary to highlight the campaign against closing the children's ward overnight.
John Mann MPJohn Mann MP
John Mann MP

On their walk they received huge support from drivers and local businesses providing them with complimentary refreshments.

That community spirit should make us all feel proud.

Well done to everyone involved.

The next event of the campaign will take place this Saturday, February , 25.

A march will begin at 10am at the hospital and end with a rally outside Worksop Town Hall.

Meet on the Kilton Forest Showground car park at the top of Blyth Road.

The march will proceed past the hospital down Blyth Road, through the town centre and finish in Market Square outside the town hall with a rally beginning at 11am.

Please do come and bring your friends and family.

Contact me on [email protected] or call 01909 506200 to support the campaign or for any further information.

I recently spoke in a Parliamentary debate on the ivory market and the terrible effect it has on elephants

This is an issue that I feel very strongly about but the debate had come about because more than 100,000 people had signed a public petition.

Elephant numbers in Africa have gone down by a third over the last seven years, with on average 55 elephants being killed every single day. At this rate our children and grandchildren will live in a world without the species that we have taken for granted.

The Government should ban the whole ivory trade and stop any trade in or movement of ivory.

The survival of the elephant is far more important than a museum.

It is about time we were bold and said that there should be no half-measures, mixed messages, little promises or small steps forwards.

A total ban is what I want.

I know from the hundreds of emails and letters I receive that local people feel very strongly about animal welfare and I will continue to put pressure on the Government to sort its act out.

Our minds will be far from Christmas at the moment, but the Royal Mail has just launched a Christmas stamp competition for 2017.

Only three times before in history has the official Christmas stamp been designed by children – in 1966, 1981 and 2013.

Local children of primary school age have therefore the chance this year to design for only the fourth time ever.

The theme of the competition is ‘what does the Christmas season mean to you?’

Two winning designs will be selected, one for first class and one for second class – but only after they have been approved by the Queen.

Go to www.royalmail.com/stampcompetition to enter.