September 2026

Welcome to the September edition of my monthly newsletter. 

August has been a different kind of month. With the House of Commons not sitting during the summer recess, there have been no debates or votes in Parliament - but that certainly hasn’t meant a quieter month. 

My team and I have been busy preparing for a range of events that I'm holding across Suffolk Coastal, many of which you can read about later in this newsletter. Alongside that, we have continued supporting residents, progressing local campaigns and working hard on the issues affecting communities across the constituency. 

One particular highlight was welcoming 11 young people for the constituency week of my summer work experience programme. I was blown away by the engagement and commitment, as they boldly called many of you to discuss your views on national and local issues.  

August was also my first full month in my new role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I have been getting stuck into the topics I now cover and meeting people around the country who are putting good ideas into practice - from seeing how affordable rural housing is helping local families in the Forest of Dean, to visiting a Peak District farm combining sustainable food production with nature restoration. 

Taking on this new role has strengthened my determination to champion rural communities and has given me fresh ideas and motivation to help areas like ours thrive. 

As we go into the autumn, I will continue working just as hard for Suffolk Coastal, making sure local concerns are heard and that our constituency benefits from the opportunities ahead. 

As always, if there is anything you would like to raise with me or my team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter.

Jenny

Leiston Community Fun Day - Tomorrow

I’m really excited to be hosting my first Leiston Community Day tomorrow, Saturday 5 September, from 12pm to 4pm at the Long Shop Museum. 

I wanted to organise the day to give local families the opportunity to enjoy a fun afternoon together completely free of charge, while also helping residents connect with the brilliant charities, community groups and organisations working in and around Leiston. 

There will be free food, live entertainment, games, activities, face painting, a bouncy castle, prizes, brand-new school uniforms and lots more. And I want to stress again that everything on offer is completely free, this is important as I want to make the day as accessible as possible for everyone who wants to come. 

Whether you are looking for advice, a new club to join, somewhere to volunteer or simply a fun day out with the family, everyone is welcome. 

A huge thank you to the Long Shop Museum hosting us. I hope to see lots of you there tomorrow! 

Pride in Place - Felixstowe West

Felixstowe West’s Pride in Place programme has continued to move forward over the summer. The Board is now formally in place and has already met twice, bringing together local people with a wide range of knowledge, experience and commitment to the community. 

As a reminder, this government scheme invests £20million into Felixstowe West over the next 10 years . At its heart, the scheme is about doing things differently: putting power in the hands of the community so that local people can help decide what the area needs and how the investment should be used. 

The ideas cannot come only from the people sitting around the Board table. Pride in Place is intended to be led by the community, so hearing directly from residents will be at the heart of developing the plan for how the funding is used over the next ten years. 

If you live or work in Felixstowe West, you can share your initial ideas by completing our short Pride in Place survey. You can also follow the Felixstowe West Pride in Place Facebook page for the latest updates and opportunities to get involved. 

Grange Farm Community Fun Day - 12th September

This leads us nicely into talking about my Grange Farm Community Day, which I will be hosting on Saturday 12 September, from 12pm to 4pm at Felixstowe Rugby Club. 

The event builds on the brilliant Community Day we held on Langley Avenue last year and follows the same simple idea as the Leiston event: giving families a fun day out completely free of charge, while bringing residents together with the charities, community groups and organisations working locally. 

There will be food, live entertainment, games, activities, face painting, brand-new school uniform and much more. Once again, everything on offer will be completely free and everyone is welcome. 

This year, there will also be a dedicated Pride in Place area where residents can meet the team, find out more about the £20 million investment and share their ideas for Felixstowe West. The Community Day will be an important part of our engagement because it allows the Pride in Place board to hear from people in a relaxed and welcoming setting—including residents who may not usually attend a formal meeting or consultation. 

You can come along for a fun afternoon with the family, connect with local organisations and help shape the future of your community at the same time. I hope to see lots of you there. 

Saxmundham Jobs Fair - 18th September

The third and final event I want to tell you about that I'm hosting in September is my Saxmundham Jobs Fair, taking place on Friday 18 September, from 2pm to 4pm at Saxmundham Market Hall. 

When I speak to local businesses, I often hear that they struggle to find the good staff they need, while at the same time residents tell me it can be difficult to find suitable employment and understand what opportunities are available locally. The Jobs Fair is about bringing those two groups together. 

I’m really pleased that we will have employers of all sizes attending - from major employers such as Adnams, BT and the Port of Felixstowe to smaller independent businesses such as The Theberton Lion. It is important that the event reflects the full range of businesses and employment opportunities available across our area. 

Organisations including the Department for Work and Pensions, Apprenticeships Suffolk, Realise Futures, Suffolk New College and Citizens Advice will also be there to offer information about apprenticeships, training and employment support. 

Whether you are actively looking for work, considering a change of career, searching for an apprenticeship or simply curious about the opportunities available locally, please come along and speak directly to the employers and organisations taking part. 

Work Experience Constituency Week

In the last week of August, I welcomed 11 young people from across Suffolk Coastal for the constituency week of my summer work experience programme. Having already spent time learning about Parliament in Westminster, this part of the programme focused on how an MP listens to constituents, identifies local priorities and builds effective community campaigns. 

I set the group a challenge: to speak directly with residents about the national and local issues that mattered to them, listen carefully to what they were told and use those conversations to develop a campaign of their own. 

The young people called as many residents as they could and thank you to all of you who agreed to take part. Speaking to people they had never met was understandably daunting at first, but they approached every conversation with confidence, curiosity and maturity.  

They then researched the issues residents had raised, looked for common themes and considered where a local campaign could make a meaningful difference. Working together, they turned what they had heard into their own campaign for Suffolk Coastal.  

I'm so grateful to all the young people who took part, they were absolutely amazing, and produced some really brilliant work with a clear commitment to the goal of improving the places where they live. I look forward to sharing more about their campaign soon. 

Call on Suffolk County Council to make Climate Action a Priority Again 

On 16 July, the Reform-led Suffolk County Council voted to rescind the Climate Emergency declaration adopted in 2019. The Council also agreed to review its climate, net-zero and environmental programmes and remove references to a climate emergency where it considers appropriate. 

Just 13 days later, the devastating wildfire at Dunwich Heath and RSPB Minsmere destroyed precious habitats, displaced wildlife and forced local residents from their homes. As I discussed in last month’s newsletter, the scale of the fire and its impact on such a treasured part of our coastline was deeply upsetting. It was also a stark reminder that the risks associated with prolonged heat, drought and wildfire are already affecting Suffolk. 

A declaration alone will not reduce emissions or protect our communities—it must be backed by practical, measurable action. However, it sets a clear direction, makes climate action a priority and enables residents to hold the Council accountable for its progress. Suffolk should not have to choose between words and action: we need both. 

That is why in August I launched a campaign calling on Suffolk County Council to make climate action a priority again by reinstating the declaration and backing it with a clear, measurable plan. This is about responsible leadership, preparing Suffolk for the future and taking meaningful action to protect our communities and natural environment. 

If you agree, you can join my campaign and make your voice heard here. 

Contact

Email: jenny.riddellcarpenter.mp@parliament.uk

Phone: 01394 330260

Website: jennyforsuffolkcoastal.org