Adrian Ramsay MP joins Botesdale & Rickinghall Ramblers for social walk at Redgrave Park
Adrian Ramsay MP joins Botesdale & Rickinghall Ramblers for social walk at Redgrave Park
Adrian Ramsay MP, Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, said:
"It was a pleasure to join the Ramblers group in Botesdale & Rickinghall for their weekly walk, taking in the beautiful surroundings of Redgrave Park on a gorgeous day. It was great to spend time with local residents and hear more about what the group means to them.
"What makes this group so special is that it's part of a social prescribing model, local medical centres identify people who could benefit from a bit more company and connection and refer them to join the Ramblers. It's a brilliant example of a simple, community-led idea making a real difference to people's health and wellbeing.
"I want to thank everyone who came along today, and everyone involved in keeping this group going every week. Groups like this are a lifeline for many people, and exactly the kind of community support we should be championing."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Botesdale & Rickinghall Ramblers meet every Tuesday morning for a social walk around the village and surrounding area.
The group operates as part of a social prescribing model, with local medical centres referring residents who may benefit from increased social contact and community connection.
Adrian Ramsay MP encourages local business people to apply to be a trustee of Bungay Community Support
Adrian Ramsay MP encourages local business people to apply to be a trustee of Bungay Community Support
Bungay Community Support (BCS) is appealing for a new trustee with business or property expertise to join its board on a voluntary basis, as the charity works to secure a landmark building in the town centre for community use.
BCS has identified a former retail building in the heart of Bungay, as a potential long-term home for its work supporting the local community.
The charity's plan is to secure funding from a local benefactor, or benefactors, to purchase the building outright, with BCS then renting the space from them to run its services. To help make this happen, BCS is now looking to strengthen its board with a trustee who can bring business, financial or property expertise to guide the charity through the purchase and beyond.
Trustees give their time voluntarily and play a vital role in shaping the charity's strategy and ensuring it is run responsibly and sustainably.
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, said:
"Bungay Community Support does incredible work for people across our town, and securing a permanent home in the heart of Bungay would make a real difference to what they can offer local people for years to come. This is a brilliant opportunity for someone with business or property expertise to put those skills to use for their community. I'd encourage anyone who cares about Bungay's future to seriously consider putting themselves forward."
Susan Collins BEM the Chair of Trustees for BCS
“Since our beginnings in 2020, the kindness and dedication of local people have shaped everything we do. Their spirit has carried us forward and strengthened our belief in what a united community can achieve.
Today, Bungay Community Support is an ever-increasing lifeline for residents across Bungay and the surrounding villages — and this moment feels full of possibility.
We are seeking people who share our determination to build a brighter future. Whether you can offer your expertise and time, or contribute financially, we invite you to join us and help transform that shared vision into lasting change.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Bungay Community Support (BCS) is a registered charity (CIO), Registered Charity No: 1200141, providing practical support to local residents affected by age, ill-health, disability, or social or economic hardship.
BCS began in March 2020 as Bungay Emergency Community Support (BECS), set up by Bungay Town Council, local residents and a local charity to deliver food and prescriptions to vulnerable residents during the first lockdown. It became an independent charity in August 2022.
The charity now runs a range of services from Number 28, Bungay's community hub in the town centre, including a befriending service for housebound residents, shopping and prescription collection, winter Warm Rooms, and a Food Hall offering discounted staple and fresh food on a community pantry model.
For more information, visit bungaycommunitysupport.org.uk
Image available here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DV54px7g0iAxbSHcTAAuXWuReImEqGFs?usp=sharing
Adrian Ramsay MP seeks young people’s views on proposed social media ban.
Adrian Ramsay MP seeks young people’s views on proposed social media ban.
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, has visited two secondary schools in his constituency to speak with young people and teachers about the proposed social media ban.
Speaking after both forums, Adrian said
“Access to social media for children and teenagers has been a constant topic of discussion in recent months. We all recognise the substantial risks, but we should also acknowledge the benefits of social media.
“I’ve received many welcome emails from parents expressing their views and concerns. I also felt it was important to hear directly from young people and teachers. Over the past few weeks, I have met with secondary school pupils and teachers at Harleston Sancroft and Hartismere School to hear their views and experiences.
“There was a range of views, but overall, the feeling was that there needs to be far stronger restrictions on the content that the tech firms allow on their platforms to ensure we keep young people safe online. Age restrictions need to be put in place which correspond with the content on each platform. Phones need to be set up so that a responsible adult always has control over a phone used by an under-16. And stronger resourcing of social services is needed to support those young people who are becoming vulnerable to online harms.
“These responses reinforce my own feelings on the topic, as an MP and as a parent, that it’s probably not a case of there being a total ban or not but about what restrictions are needed to keep young people safe and what is the right age for different apps. I will be responding to the Government consultation informed by these helpful discussions and will carefully follow the outcomes of the Government consultation which must inform the debate.”
Teachers who attended the roundtables also shared their perspectives, noting that, from a safeguarding standpoint,
“The majority of what we are dealing with as safeguarding leads is via social media.”
Students also had their say. One who is supportive of a ban said,
“Whilst scrolling through short-form media my phone picks up inappropriate content and restricts me from seeing it. Although scrolling is addictive, you do learn about other people’s lives.”
Others highlighted the need for balance, with one stating,
“There are games where you can make friends without insecurities, but there should also be a balance (on usage)”.
Teachers also recognised some of the benefits of social media, saying,
“Pupils gain more knowledge and power, better communication skills, especially for those with neurodivergence. [They can] gain more confidence socially via chatting online than they might get from family and friends.”
ENDS
Adrian Ramsay MP visits Burston School and tours new community orchard bug hotel.
2nd of February 2026
Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, Adrian Ramsay, visited Burston Primary School this week, where he spoke at a school assembly and was shown the new bug hotel in the community orchard beside the school.
He was joined at the orchard by Green County Councillor Catherine Rowett, who helped the parish council secure funding for the project, and Vice Chair of the Parish Council Keith Cowley.
After speaking at the assembly, Mr Ramsay met with pupils who proudly showed him the bug hotel they had created to support local wildlife and biodiversity.
Speaking after the visit, Adrian Ramsay MP said,
“I always love speaking at school assemblies across Waveney Valley and the boys and girls in Burston were so enthusiastic about showing me their new bug hotel in the community orchard - a great way to foster their care for nature. It is really great to see the orchard thriving after so much work by the parish council supported by County Councillor Catherine Rowett.
ENDS
Adrian Ramsay visited Roydon Primary School, where he met with teachers and support staff and looked round the SHIP
29th of January 2026
Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, Adrian Ramsay, recently visited Roydon Primary School in Roydon near Diss, where he met with teachers and support staff and looked round the SHIP, the school’s new classrooms designed to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which will open to children later this month.
During the visit, Adrian joined the school assembly, where he answered questions from pupils. Following the assembly, he was shown around SHIP (Specialist Hub of Inclusive Practice), where new classrooms have been created to help children with SEND access education in ways that work best for them, helping every pupil reach their full potential.
Adrian said,
“It was great to be shown around the SHIP, the school’s new classrooms supporting children with SEND needs. They provide the right support while keeping children at the heart of the Roydon School community.
"With fantastic new facilities and dedicated staff, this is exactly the kind of provision we need more of. Specialist support within the school benefits the children who are based in the SHIP and strengthens support to the wider school community as well.
"From my casework, it is clear there is a severe shortage of spaces like this. Too many children are not getting the support they need, whether in mainstream settings or alternative provision, and this also places huge pressure on teachers. More funding and support are clearly needed, and I will be responding to the government's forthcoming consultation to make this case and put forward the evidence from Waveney Valley."
More information on SHIP
The SHIP, located in Roydon Primary School, is run by Norfolk County Council and supports children from across a wide area. The provision, which has space for 16 children, has its own entrance and outdoor play area and is based on the same site as Roydon Primary School. This shared site allows all pupils, both in mainstream classes and in the SHIP, to benefit from being part of the same school community. The SHIP will open to pupils after the February half term.
Adrian celebrates small and independent businesses and encourages everyone to show their support in the lead up to Christmas
4th December 2025
This week, in the lead up to Small Business Saturday, Waveney Valley MP Adrian Ramsay visited a number of small businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk and attended A Taste of Suffolk, Wine and Cheese in Parliament.
Speaking after the event, Adrian said,
“Small and independent businesses are the backbone of our communities. They create local jobs, bring life to our high streets, and help our market towns thrive. Their success sends out benefits that reach well beyond any single town or high street.”
After speaking with Flint Vineyard, Adrian said,
“Waveney Valley is blessed to have a diverse and thriving independent business like Flint Vineyard just outside Bungay. It is creating outstanding wine - showing the diversity of what can be grown in East Anglia - and supporting local jobs. Reducing VAT for hospitality and reversing the employer National Insurance rise, as the Green Party has proposed, would ease pressure on small businesses like this.”
Adrian added that he always makes a point of visiting local traders.
“Whenever I am in one of our market towns, I try to drop into a few businesses, including local gems such as Zoe’s Kitchen, a beautiful cafe by The Mere in Diss. I talked to the owner about the challenges of rising costs and also about how there's a lot of support locally for our high streets.”
Adrian Ramsay MP Welcomes Swift Brick Pledge and Calls for Greener, Nature-Friendly Housing Standards
7th August 2025
Adrian Ramsay MP, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley, has welcomed Saffron Housing Trust’s new commitment to install swift bricks in all suitable new build homes on their future developments – calling the move “A great example of what should become the norm, not the exception.”
Saffron Housing announced that they have made this decision following representations from Adrian Ramsay on behalf of his constituents.
Speaking on the commitment Adrian Ramsay MP said
“With swifts now on the UK’s Red List, we urgently need to protect and restore their nesting sites. That is why I welcome Saffron Housing Trust's commitment to install swift bricks in all suitable new build homes on their future developments. Swift bricks are a simple, low-cost solution that offer real benefits to these birds and many other species.
“We need to make nature-friendly design and high environmental standards the norm in all new developments. We must build homes that are fit for the future – that means measures that are good for wildlife, and also measures that are good for people and reducing bills such as including renewable energy and high insulation standards as a matter of course. I commend Saffron Housing Trust for taking this step and I want to see all housing providers ensuring the highest environmental standards.”
Marie Baynham-Davies - A member of Halesworth Swifts and Suffolk Save Our Swifts who highlighted the issue with Adrian in a constituency surgery, said
“This is a real boost for swift populations which have declined by 66% since 1995. Insulation in modern developments means buildings provide no natural nest sites for birds. Swift bricks provide a safe cavity for swifts to nest in and cost less than a nest box but last the lifetime of the building. It is fantastic that Adrian Ramsay is supporting the use of Swift bricks, and we hope that Saffron Housing's decision to install them shows that putting bricks in new developments is an achievable target for all planners and developers.”
ENDS
For more information, visit https://www.actionforswifts.com and https://hannahbournetaylor.com/the-feather-speech-campaign-for-swifts/
Saffron Housing announcement https://www.linkedin.com/posts/saffron-housing-trust-limited_socialhousing-developments-environmental-activity-7358888552119615489-G4h2?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAACXkKVkBzhFvdiHzxiiRBBCGJvHQaqgifLM
Adrian Ramsay MP joined the local community in celebrating Pride in Bungay over the weekend.
22nd of July 2025
Adrian Ramsay MP, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley, proudly joined community members at this year’s Pride celebration in Bungay to show support for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.
Adrian Ramsay MP said at the end of the event "Pride is a time to celebrate the progress we have made in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and to uphold the idea that everyone deserves to live in safety, dignity, and with equal respect. I was pleased to support the residents of Bungay who are dedicated to ensuring we have an inclusive and welcoming community."
Adrian Ramsay MP Marks VE Day at Westminster Abbey and Across Waveney Valley
12th of May 2025
Adrian Ramsay MP, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley, marked VE Day by attending the national commemoration ceremony at Westminster Abbey, followed by local events across his constituency.
Adrian Ramsay MP said:
“It was an enormous honour to represent the Green Party at Westminster Abbey to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. VE Day is a time to reflect on the significant sacrifices made in the pursuit of peace. As we commemorate that hard-won peace, I am reminded that we, as Members of Parliament, have a duty to promote and protect peace in the world today.”
Later that evening, Adrian joined residents at events in Diss and Harleston to commemorate VE Day locally:
"It was a privilege to attend VE Day events in Diss and Harleston, following the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. It brought home the fact that, at its heart, VE Day is about community and remembrance. Eighty years ago, people across the country came together to celebrate the end of the war with their neighbours, while also mourning the fallen who made the ultimate sacrifice. I was proud to stand alongside our communities in Diss and Harleston as they gathered once again in that same spirit. As we honour the past, it is also a moment to reflect on the enduring values of peace, unity, and resilience."
ENDS