Fleetwood has been cut off for too long, and I'm determined to change that, says Lorraine Beavers in her weekly column.

Last week I visited the Cavendish Road tram stop to see children from Bispham Endowed Church of England Primary School planting daffodils.

I have to say, they worked their socks off! The ground was so hard they could barely get the tools into it, but no one gave up. They kept at it and did a fantastic job. When those daffodils come up next spring, every one of those children will be able to point to them and say, "I helped do that."

I want to say a big thank you to Councillor Joel McKevitt, who organised the event. I love working with Joel, he is always getting stuck in and doing his bit for Bispham. It might seem like a little thing, but having people who care enough to roll up their sleeves makes such a difference to a place.

In Parliament, there have been a couple of announcements from the government this week that I think matter to local residents.

The first one is the plan to create more apprenticeships and work placements for young people. There are nearly a million young people in Britain who are not in education, employment or training. These are young people who could be doing so much more, but who currently aren't getting the chance. I think it’s the job of a Labour government to make sure everyone has the chance at a good, well-paid job.

I am always meeting local families who worry about what their children will do when they leave school. Whilst some will want to go to university, that isn’t the case for everyone. We need proper apprenticeships, good jobs and training that lead somewhere, and we need them here on the Fylde Coast so that our young people don’t have to move away. That’s why we need employers, colleges and government pulling in the same direction.

As I wrote last week, I will keep banging the drum for reopening the Fleetwood to Poulton railway for this very reason. Jobs and opportunities are all very well and good, but if people can't get to them, what good is that? Fleetwood has been cut off for too long, and I'm determined to change that.

The other announcement from the government this week I really liked was about tackling antisocial behaviour on our local buses. Councils will be able to bring in fines of up to £100 for things like vaping, littering and blasting music.

No one should have to put up with that when they're just trying to get to work, visit family or go to the shops. Plenty of older people rely on buses, and they deserve to feel safe and comfortable.