Weekly Update
🛡️ Investing in Our Armed Forces
Supporting the men and women who serve our country means more than words – it means backing them with the investment, housing, pay and support they deserve.
Since taking office, the Government has announced a number of major measures to strengthen our Armed Forces and improve life for service personnel and their families, including:
💷 The biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, with plans to increase national security spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
📈 The largest Armed Forces pay rise in more than 20 years, followed by a further above-inflation pay award this year. Since July 2024, service personnel have received cumulative pay increases of 10.5%, while new recruits have seen starting pay rise by 35%.
🏡 A new Defence Housing Strategy, including bringing 36,000 military homes back into public ownership to improve the quality of accommodation for service families.
👨👩👧👦 Expanded childcare support for Armed Forces families across the UK, helping parents balance military service with family life and saving eligible families thousands of pounds each year.
🎄 Free Christmas travel for serving personnel, making it easier for thousands to spend the festive period with their loved ones.
🤝 Plans to place the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law, helping ensure that serving personnel, veterans and their families receive fair access to public services and support.
🏭 A new Defence Industrial Strategy to strengthen Britain's defence sector, support high-skilled jobs, boost innovation and help grow the economy.
🎓 Investment in five new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, creating opportunities for around 65,000 young people to develop the advanced skills needed for the industries of the future.
And this week, the Government published its new Defence Investment Plan, setting out almost £300 billion of investment over the next four years to modernise our Armed Forces, strengthen national security and support British jobs.
The plan includes an additional £15 billion for defence over the next four years, with major investment in cutting-edge technology such as drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, alongside continued investment in our nuclear deterrent, new submarines, advanced fighter aircraft and long-range weapons. It also backs British manufacturing and innovation, helping create skilled jobs and supporting defence industries across the UK.
At a time of growing global uncertainty, this investment will help ensure our Armed Forces have the equipment, technology and capabilities they need to keep Britain safe, while supporting economic growth and high-skilled employment here at home.
Honouring Our Armed Forces In Enfield
It was a real honour to join our community in Enfield Town to mark Armed Forces Day and pay tribute to all those who serve, and have served, our country.
One of the highlights of the day was meeting Don Howkins, Enfield's last surviving D-Day veteran, who at 105 years old continues to inspire us all. His courage, service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
I also had the pleasure of meeting our fantastic Air Cadets, whose enthusiasm, commitment and sense of service are a wonderful reminder that the future of our Armed Forces is in safe hands.
To everyone in our Armed Forces community - serving personnel, veterans, reservists, cadets and military families - thank you for everything you do. Your dedication, professionalism and sacrifice keep our country safe, and we are all incredibly grateful.
🏆 Celebrating Enfield's Business Community
It was a pleasure to attend the Enfield Business Expo and the Enfield Business Awards - a fantastic celebration of the businesses, entrepreneurs and community organisations that help make our borough thrive.
It was wonderful to see so many local businesses coming together to showcase their work, share ideas and celebrate success. Enfield has an incredible business community, creating jobs, supporting our local economy and making our borough a great place to live, work and invest.
👏 Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, and especially to this year's winners. Your hard work, innovation and commitment to our community are thoroughly deserving of recognition.
A big thank you to Garry Kousoulou and everyone involved in organising another excellent event. I have no doubt we'll be celebrating even more Enfield success stories in the years ahead.
🏙️ Working together to support Enfield Town
It was a real pleasure to meet with the new Chair of the Enfield Town Action Team, Adrian Day, and hear more about the exciting work underway to support the future of Enfield Town.
The Action Team brings together local businesses, community organisations, cultural institutions, volunteers and the council around one shared ambition: to create a vibrant, welcoming and thriving Enfield Town that people want to visit, work in and enjoy.
From supporting local businesses and attracting investment, to delivering more events, celebrating our heritage and improving the look and feel of the town centre, the partnership has a clear vision for Enfield Town’s future.
I was particularly encouraged by the commitment to making Enfield Town an even more attractive destination for residents and visitors alike, while ensuring that everyone feels safe, welcome and included.
Enfield Town is one of our greatest assets. By working together with businesses, community groups and local organisations, we can build on its strengths, support our fantastic independent traders and create an even better place for everyone.
I look forward to continuing to work closely with Adrian and the Enfield Town Action Team in the months and years ahead and supporting their ambitions in every way that I can.
🍷 Celebrating English Wine Week at Forty Hall Vineyard
As last week was English Wine Week, it seemed the perfect excuse to visit one of Enfield North's gems - Forty Hall Vineyard.
Set within the beautiful grounds of Forty Hall Farm, the vineyard is something our borough can be incredibly proud of, producing award-winning English wine while supporting conservation, education and our local heritage.
During my visit, I had the opportunity to:
🌿 Take a walking tour through Forty Hall Farm and the vineyard.
🍇 Hear about the vineyard's successes, as well as the support needed to help it become financially sustainable and accessible to even more people in our community.
🏡 Learn about exciting plans for the future redevelopment of Forty Hall Farm, creating new opportunities for education, learning and community use.
🌳 Explore the farm's Conservation Wood and discover its remarkable historic features, alongside ambitious plans to restore and protect these rare heritage assets for future generations.
Forty Hall Vineyard is a real asset for Enfield North, combining history, nature, education and sustainable food production in one remarkable place. I'm looking forward to seeing these exciting plans develop over the coming years.
🌟 Help Shape the Future of Enfield Wash
This is an exciting opportunity for residents, businesses and community leaders to play a direct role in shaping the future of the Enfield Wash, helping to guide investment and ensure the £20 million Pride in Place programme delivers real improvements for the community.
If you're passionate about Enfield Wash and want to help make a lasting difference, I'd encourage you to apply.
⚽ England Through to the Last Sixteen!
It may not have been the attractive performance, but the only statistic that really matters is the final score. England are through to the last 16 after a hard-fought 2–1 victory over DR Congo. 🎉
Now comes the biggest challenge yet against Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The Azteca sits around 2,240 metres (7,220 feet) above sea level, where the thinner air means players take in less oxygen with every breath. That can lead to quicker fatigue, increased heart rates and make recovery much more difficult, even for elite athletes.
It will also be England's first match at the famous stadium since the dramatic 1986 World Cup quarter-final.
Whatever happens, the whole country will be behind the Three Lions.
Come on England! 🦁🦁🦁
🎨 Funding Opportunity for Local Creative Charities
If you're part of a charity helping people access opportunities in the creative industries, this could be a fantastic opportunity.
Amazon's Regional Creatives Fund 2026 is now open for applications, offering grants to charities that support people from underserved communities into creative careers.
Successful organisations can apply for:
💷 Up to £30,000 for individual UK-registered charities.
🤝 Up to £100,000 for charities applying as part of a consortium.
In addition to funding, successful applicants will also receive training and networking opportunities with Amazon executives, helping organisations build skills and expand their impact.
The programme has already made a real difference. Last year, funding was awarded to 40 charities across every nation and region of the UK, helping more than 4,000 people develop creative and job-ready skills.
📅 Applications close on Sunday 2 August and click here for more info.
If you know a local charity or community organisation in Enfield North that could benefit from this funding, please do share this opportunity with them. It could help open the door to new careers and life-changing opportunities for local people.
Have a great week and come on England!☀️
Best wishes
Feryal