Whitehaven and Workington MP, Josh MacAlister talks about getting out and about in his constituency and what is happening in St Bees, Egremont and Beckermet.

One of the best parts of being your Member of Parliament is getting out and about across our communities, meeting the people who quietly put so much time and energy into making our corner of West Cumbria such a special place to live.

Whether it’s talking to residents on the doorstep, meeting the volunteers who run amazing local organisations, or visiting local businesses, I’m constantly reminded that the strength of West Cumbria has always been its people.

My job is to make sure government matches that effort with the investment and support our communities deserve.

There’s been some really encouraging progress recently.

In Egremont, we’ve continued to make real progress on plans to breathe new life into the town centre.

A huge amount of work has gone into developing an ambitious programme of regeneration, bringing together local people, the Egremont Town Team chaired by Councillor Sam Pollen, Cumberland Council, government and our nuclear industry behind a shared vision for the town’s future.

There are some really exciting opportunities ahead, and I hope we’ll be able to share more news before too long.

It’s a reminder of what can be achieved when communities lead the way and others get behind them.

Along the coast, protecting St. Bees Beach remains one of my priorities.

Like many local people, I was disappointed when the bathing water rating dropped from Excellent to Good.

Since then I’ve brought together the Environment Agency, United Utilities and other organisations to agree a clear action plan to get that Excellent status back where it belongs.

There’s now a shared programme of work in place, and I’ll keep pushing until we see the results our community deserves.

We’re also making it easier to get around.

Thanks to government investment, new bus services including the X7, 22, 22A and 32 are improving connections between our towns and villages.

Better public transport means more opportunities for people to get to work, education, appointments and local shops, while helping tackle isolation in our rural communities.

Looking ahead, we’re continuing to build momentum behind Pioneer Park next to Sellafield.

This is an exciting opportunity to bring the next generation of clean nuclear energy to West Cumbria and create more highly skilled local jobs.

Over the summer there will be plenty of opportunities to learn more about the plans, ask questions and have your say.

I hope as many people as possible will get involved because this is a project that could shape our area’s future for decades to come.

I also recently enjoyed spending time in Beckermet with the fantastic volunteers preparing for this summer’s Britain in Bloom judging, where the village will proudly represent Cumbria.

Seeing the care, creativity and community spirit that has gone into the displays was genuinely inspiring.

I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for the judging, and I know the whole community will be cheering the team on.

There’s still a long way to go.

I’m continuing to push for better roads, better rail links, stronger NHS services and more investment across West Cumbria.

But when I look at everything that’s happening across Egremont, St Bees and Beckermet, I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction.

We’re climbing the mountain together, one step at a time, and I’m proud to be making the case for our communities every single day.

Meet me at one of my public events in your area this summer – find details and register at joshmacalister.uk/meetjosh