It was fantastic to be able to bring Google’s Digital Garage to Blaenau Gwent last month, a great free event offering a day of expert advice and mentoring for local business owners on everything from online marketing and sales strategies to social media and brand building.

I was delighted that more than 40 businesses attended and really pleased by the overwhelmingly positive feedback I’ve heard from those who came along.

The importance of online to our local shops is another reason why I am continuing my drive to ensure that Blaenau Gwent is not left behind in the roll-out of full fibre broadband.

This is vital not just for our shops, but for the firms at our expanding Ebbw Vale tech cluster, for the Cyber Security Hub I helped bring to Coleg Gwent, for our schools, workplaces and households.

I once again raised the matter at a recent Public Accounts Committee, addressing the Executive Chair of the government’s Building Digital department Paul Norris, who I invited to visit Blaenau Gwent last summer so I could impress on him the importance of not leaving areas like ours behind.

I have since been informed that there have been significant improvements here with coverage rising by more than seven per cent since the end of December, and roughly 22 per cent of premises here now having full fibre access.

I’m encouraged by this, but we are still way off where we need to be. Too many households in my area still have very poor broadband coverage, and we are way behind city constituencies. For example, in Newport 45 per cent of premises have full fibre coverage and in Cardiff it is 66 per cent.

There’s no reason that we should be left lagging, I will continue to push to ensure that we are brought up to speed.

* It was great to recently visit the new Community Kit Room at Abertillery Leisure Centre, a fantastic initiative from Aneurin Leisure’s Sports Development team whereby donated items of sportswear can be picked up for free by anyone who needs it.

Good quality pre-owned t-shirts, shorts, tracksuits, trainers and more are all being kept in the kit room for anyone who might need some new gear.

A great idea and a brilliant way to bring down barriers to exercise and improve access to sport for all.

I hope it’s a big success and would like to see the idea replicated in other parts of the borough and further afield.