Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, joined members of the Hemel Hempstead Gateway Club at one of their regular evening meetings at the Jarman Centre in Old Crabtree Lane on Tuesday 23rd September.
As well as meeting with members and volunteers and seeing the club in full swing, Mike also took part in a Question and Answer session. During the Q&A; members quizzed their MP on a range of contentious local issues, including the closure of the hospital, bus services, safety at night, disabled bus passes and bullying.
Mike also learned about the club’s partnership with the Dacorum Arts Education Team and their interesting new project which is to be a multi-media pantomime to be performed at the Old Town Hall Theatre in January.
The Dacorum Arts Education Team has been working with the Gateway Club for over three years and has provided the club with workshops in T shirt painting, puppet making, mime, drumming, music & movement. A previous very successful project in 2006 produced a short "Silent Movie' which was wonderfully enriching and enjoyed by all who took part.
After the visit Mike said:
“I am delighted to have been invited to visit the Hemel Hempstead Gateway Club. A club such as this is a great asset to our town, offering a meeting place for like-minded people to get together and socialise. It was an enjoyable and interesting evening with a wide range of challenging questions during the Q&A;!”
Hemel Hempstead Gateway Club exists to provide leisure and recreation for people with a learning disability living in the local community and works to help people with a learning disability to be accepted as part of that community.
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