I continue to listen, advocate and take action for Southampton residents, and this month has been no exception.

This year the government is launching its New National Youth Strategy, to help break down barriers to opportunity for young people. Its aim is to have a strategy that is for young people, by young people.

I was keen that Southampton’s young people had their voices heard, so it was great to do just that at Newtown’s YMCA Community Youth Centre and listen to what matters most to them.

From having more access to youth provision, to ensuring young people are not disadvantaged in finding work, to accessing housing, it was great to hear their priorities and what they would like me, as their MP, to focus on.

We all know however, to have the most impact, it is important to start early, and I’m committed to ensuring children get the best start in life.

It’s why it’s so fantastic to see our new Labour Government delivering on its promise of free breakfast clubs in our primary schools.

Schools taking part in the first wave of this rollout were announced earlier this week, and it was amazing to see Southampton’s Bevois Town Primary being chosen.

The school is in an area of particular need, and after a visit I had with them recently, I was pleased to support their application.

Huge congratulations to them for being successful, and I look forward to the wider rollout of this programme. For too long, teachers have had to teach children with hungry stomachs that cannot focus, not only will this policy help children thrive in their early years, but it will support families who can save on additional childcare costs, with breakfast clubs starting earlier.

Another area I have been championing is making Southampton waters safer and more accessible. Southern Water dumping raw sewage in our waters has been an issue for years.

It is something I have been trying to tackle when a while, especially when I was Leader of the Council. Community activists and particularly Friends of Itchen Estuary, alongside ward councillors like Cllr Savage and Cllr Finn, have been relentless in fighting for improvements, and it’s great to work with them in my new role and use my position to advocate on their behalf and try and help bring about change locally and nationally.

Locally it was good to visit Southern Water’s Wastewater Treatment Site based in St Deny’s, as I was able to secure some positive actions for residents. These include additional infrastructure, particularly extra storm storage facilities, which will result in less sewage in the Itchen.

The use of an additional ferric dosing system, which will not only reduce the horrible stench and odours from the plant, but also helps remove harmful ammonia and nitrates from the river which has endangered wild Atlantic salmon in our waters. These improvements are planned to be in place by this spring which is great news for local residents.

Our next big battle is to get Southern Water to use ultraviolet treatment at the plant, to kill E. coli and make our waters safe again for people to use and enjoy them. Southern Water have assured me that they are considering this, but its why I’m backing the community’s campaign for bathing water status, as this will help support speed up this process and force additional improvements that we all want to see.

All these efforts are being supported nationally by a new Labour Government, and the new Water (Special Measures) Bill currently going through Parliament, which strengthens environmental protections and introduces tough new enforcement measures on water companies. I’ll keep pushing on this issue both locally and nationally.

As your Member of Parliament, there are different things I can do to support and represent you, myself and my team work hard to ensure that we continue to serve you the best we can.

Please email me on satvir.kaur.mp@parliament.uk or call 02382 546 357 to make an appointment.