LET’S hear it for Barrow’s Dock Museum which has been ranked among the very best visitor attractions in the UK.
Anyone who’s visited the museum will testify that it’s an accolade richly deserved and I’m a big fan.
The Dock was nominated for the prestigious Visit England Gold Award after undergoing a mystery shopper style assessment which looks at the overall visitor experience.
The museum’s staff – led by collections manager Charlotte Hawley and premises manager John Irving – are incredibly knowledgeable about Barrow’s history and put together some amazing exhibitions.
The museum is partly built within a Victorian-era graving dock which is an atmospheric reminder of Barrow’s maritime past.
The gold award is reserved for attractions which demonstrate outstanding quality and go above and beyond to provide an exceptional experience for visitors.
This news follows on the heels of Ulverston-based Shed One Distillery becoming one of just 53 businesses in the country shortlisted for the tourism industry’s highest honours.
I’m glad to have been able to speak up for Shed One in Parliament when I invited Alan Campbell, Leader of the House of Commons, if he would visit the distillery in North Lonsdale Road and meet other businesses involved in tourism.
A salute also goes to Broughton Post Office, Community Shop and Tourist Information Centre which received a gold award from Age Friendly South Lakeland.
The staff and volunteers of the centre earned this top prize for demonstrating exceptional commitment to accessibility, inclusivity and customer experience and going beyond basic requirements to create environments that are welcoming and easy to navigate for people of all ages.
Another award winner is the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway whose operators showed they were on the right track by receiving second place in the Extraordinary Stays section of the Travel chapter Showcase Awards and third place in the experience collection.
With such a laser focus on shipbuilding over the years, our opportunities for tourism have often been overlooked, but we live in such an incredible place, and I’d like to see the benefits of this in our local economy and to our local businesses.
With an increase in jobs and visitors our services should also reflect that. Since first becoming your MP, I’ve made it a priority to fight for improved healthcare across our communities and defend services at Furness General Hospital.
And I’m proud that many thousands of people – including current and former health professionals – joined my campaign to protect Level 3 critical care services.
So it’s good to hear of revitalisation getting under way.
Among the improvements at FGH are building refurbishments and the design and development of nuclear medicine facilities.
The hospital’s X-ray department ventilation is due to be completed along with the development of a theatre’s refurbishment programme.
Work is also planned to support the development of nuclear medicine facilities – which is a huge step forward.
These developments come after news that Alfred Barrow Health Centre is getting a £7m investment to create a new neighbourhood health service for our area, along with investment to services at Ulverston Health Centre.
Readers know that our National Health Service continues to be among this nation’s most prized assets.
Universal health care, free at the point of use, it became the envy of the world after being unveiled in 1948 but sadly deteriorated under the last 14 years of Conservative government.
Labour is determined to build a health service fit for the future and that was partly reflected in the NHS Modernisation Bill which was announced in the King’s Speech.
People are rightly concerned for the future of the NHS when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage openly suggests an insurance based model for the service.
People’s love of our health service, our local hospital, its services and it’s incredible staff have been clear for many years, but the outpouring of anger since the temporary downgrading of ICU level 3 highlights that our NHS should not be taken for granted.