Well, North Cornwall - what a momentous week we’ve had. As I write this, we await the results of an incredibly hard-fought Cornwall Council local election campaign - and by the time you’re reading, we will know the results in full.

So without preempting the success of our team of brilliant candidates, I just wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’. To all the volunteers, door-knockers, supporters, candidates, and to those who have kindly given their vote to their local Liberal Democrat champion. We couldn’t have fought such a brilliant campaign without you.

Alongside our campaigning this week, I’ve been out and about on so many visits across our constituency (timed well with a beautiful week of wonderful sunshine!) I was privileged to be invited to celebrate Wadebridge Foodbank’s official reception of the King’s Award, in recognition of the vital services they provide to the town and its surrounding areas. To celebrate, I officially submitted an Early Day Motion (EDM) with the House of Commons, celebrating their achievement and congratulating all volunteers for the selfless and incredibly important work they do. It was a wonderful evening, and it was lovely to meet so many of their volunteers and talk about some of the challenges the foodbank is facing. Thanks again to the entire team for their hospitality, and for inviting me along to share the evening with them.

On Monday, I was very pleased to visit my old primary school, St Mary’s, in Bodmin. Another ex-pupil of the school, Dan Rogerson (who served as North Cornwall’s MP between 2005-2015) joined me on the visit, where we met staff and pupils while reminiscing about our school days there. It was a particular pleasure to meet Sue Stokes who has been the school’s head chef for almost 45 years and is retiring this year. I can personally attest to her excellent cooking but as she now hangs up her spatula I wish her a very enjoyable retirement.

We had some other excellent news this week, because after our long campaign, Lloyds Bank will now be accepting cheques to be cashed into accounts via the Post Office! In the face of so many local bank closures here in North Cornwall, this serves as temporary respite for those who were relying on their nearby vital services and were unable to use their Lloyds mobile phone app - as they can now instead use their nearest Post Office to cash cheques directly into their Lloyds account. But rest assured that I will continue fighting for full Banking Hubs, like the ones we’ve secured in Bodmin and Bude, so that the full range of essential banking services can be accessed face-to-face for those who need it.

Finally, I was very pleased to stop by St Columb Major Youth Club this week, where the fantastic volunteers have created a brilliant space for young people in the town. I promised to fight and ensure the Club gets the funding and resources it needs for roof repairs and other upgrades, so it continues to go from strength to strength.