In a Parliamentary debate on the future of public services High Peak MP Tom Levitt spoke highly of the High Peak ‘heroes’ he had met in the course of his 13 years as MP for the area.

Amongst those he singled out for mention were people he had invited to Community Heroes events at 10 Downing Street. These included Police Community Support Officer Lee Baker and his colleagues, Sure Start staff, Gamesley’s Community education coordinator Pat Javanaud and the founder of the Kinder Children’s Choir, Joyce Ellis, of Birch Vale.

Kevin Skingsley (of High Peak CVS) and the volunteer centre co-ordinators of Glossop (Jo Ward), New Mills (Dorothy Scapens) and Buxton (Sue Howard) also received honourable mentions.

The approach of the police to joined-up public services came in for particular praise and Tom paid tribute to the leadership of both Chief Constable Mick Creedon and outgoing Police Authority chair Janet Birkin in this respect. He recommended that his successor as Labour Party candidate for High Peak, Caitlin Bisknell, take up the Police Service Parliamentary Scheme should she be elected, as a good way of really finding out how communities work.

Mr Levitt also praised his Labour colleagues in local government, not least councillors Anthony and Bob Mckeown and David Wilcox for their sterling service. The MP praised successive leaders of the University of Derby for their pioneering work in bringing a University to Buxton. He described his own role in helping secure the old Devonshire Royal Hospital site for the university as his greatest local achievement.