I met with officials of Natural Resources Wales on a tour of Cwmcarn Forest.

It is one of my proudest achievements, as the Member of the Senedd for Islwyn, to campaign and deliver a full re-opening of one of Gwent’s greatest jewels.

It is encouraging to hear of the positive public feedback and engagement with the attraction.

There is work to be done. Cwmcarn Forest is operated in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and Caerphilly County Borough Council.

I am convinced that Cwmcarn Forest Drive is still under the radar for many people in South Wales. As the summer holidays approach, I would urge the people of Gwent to take the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful natural landscape that sits on our doorstep.

More than 7,000 visitors attended Blackwood’s annual beach party earlier this month. It was the highest footfall on record for the event.

The event saw nearly 2,400 more visitors to the town than the previous Saturday. Blackwood town centre is vibrant, and the beach party showcased how important it remains to the wider communities of Gwent.

Blackwood is also host to a new direct bus service to the Grange University Hospital.

Stagecoach has confirmed the new 21 bus service will run from Blackwood with stops in Islwyn at Newbridge, Crumlin and Hafodrynys.

We all know the importance of the availability of good public transport. This is even more pronounced when it involves such a strategically important community facility as Gwent’s major hospital.

Congratulations to all at Libanus Primary which sits on outskirts of Blackwood, for being named School of the Year at the 2023 South Wales Schools and Education Awards. I love Libanus’ school motto - “Roots to grow and wings to fly”. The children certainly are flying thanks to the work of headteacher Nicola Williams and her staff.

In the Senedd I rose in a debate to celebrate our National Health Service at 75 on behalf of the communities of Islwyn. The Tories did not like my remarks. They know that the NHS is a uniquely socialist idea of free healthcare at the point of need. We the people refuse to see our NHS privatised and we will not let the poorest be exposed to market forces when they get ill.

We must never take the NHS for granted. There are powerful right-wing people and forces who would wish to asset strip and profiteer from the dismantling of the NHS.