I HAVE been continuing my summer recess task of up-dating myself about as many local issues as possible.

I have had meetings with local clergy, Severn Valley Railway managers and staff, the economic development manager of the district council, the chief executive of the county council and the chairman and medical director of the Worcestershire Community and Mental Health NHS Trust.

I have heard of concerns about the absence of facilities for children and young people in our developing town, worries that development money for mental health may be lost to acute services and a perceived lack of obvious, appropriate and willing support for some organisations from the district council.

However, the district council is very aware of the problems of shortage of employment land but optimistic about the future.

I raised our concerns about the incinerator with the chief executive of the county council and heard of his commitment to fairness and openness during the impending appeal against the planning committee's decision.

We talked about the county's problems with funding for education and Social Services, the plans for strategic health authorities and the scrutiny role for elected councillors into the NHS.

This will commence in the New Year and will involve county and district councillors from all areas.

I was pleased to learn that he does recognise the great contribution staff in our schools in deprived areas are making and that locally "value added" in education is recorded. I have written to Education Secretary Estelle Morris to ask if this could be considered for inclusion in national league tables.

The long-established Wyre Forest branch of Diabetes UK held a successful panel discussion last week to which the Mayor of Kidderminster and myself were invited.

A wide range of practical questions were asked and answered helpfully by a team of professional experts.

It was a tribute to the organisers that this was well-attended and valuable for diabetics.

It was a great pleasure to meet a group of diabetic school children from Wyre Forest at Drayton Manor Park, Staffordshire.

They had been invited by the Starlight Foundation for a free day of thrills as a reward for overcoming the problems of this illness.

Many were keen to go on the most hair-raising rides and it was a huge relief to me that I was only required to be photographed on a sedate, antique merry-go-round!