I HAVE often been asked why I spend a significant amount of my time working with local charities. My response is clear; while governments play a vital role in providing support to people who need assistance, government funding can lack the precision needed to support all who need help.

Government can be slow to respond to changes and people who need swift action in the short term are often left without help.

In these circumstances, local charities and local divisions of larger charities can often step in to assist.

In Parliament last week I was able to speak in support of planned changes to remove the barriers which currently block the access to the Gift Aid small donations scheme for small charities. This important change will result in an extra £15m for the charity sector and will allow charities to claim a Gift Aid like relief on cash donations of up to £8,000 a year, even if they are not accompanied by the normal quite burdensome paperwork.

As I said in Parliament, the changes will also allow newly established small charities to raise additional funds via Gift Aid in their first two years and for the first time will include amateur sports clubs, enabling them to grow, help tackle obesity and champion healthy lifestyles.

Last week I was also pleased to be able to present a petition to Parliament in support of the local women who are disproportionately affected by the changes to their state pension (WASPI). This is a very important issue which I have spent a lot of time talking to constituents about and do recognise their just concerns and the implications of the change, not just for them, but also on their partners and families. More than 1,600 of my constituents signed the petition stating that this particular group of woman, born in the 1950s, have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the state pension age.

I have written several letters to the Department of Work and Pensions calling for Government support for these women and met thousands of WASPI women on a march in Westminster earlier this month.

We are making a strong case and I remain confident that we can secure some form of compensation and compromise.

I hope that a petition to Parliament will make the Department look closely at what more can be done to help the women in this situation.

I will continue to keep all those affected up to date with any developments.

I hold weekly surgeries on Fridays as well as regular meetings throughout the constituency. To book an appointment please call (01249) 704465 or email michelle.donelan.mp@parliament.uk