Work is about far more than a payslip. It’s about confidence, purpose, routine, friendship and feeling part of your community.
That’s why this Labour Government is investing significant funding into programmes designed to tackle the stubborn long-term unemployment levels left behind by the Tories. And it is why local projects like Hall Garden in Workington – which opened officially last week – are so important.
What has been created in the heart of Hall Park is not just another café or community space. It is a powerful example of what can happen when regeneration is rooted in inclusion, dignity and opportunity.
I want to pay tribute to everyone involved in bringing this project to life – especially Cumberland Council for the leading role it has played, and to West House for the extraordinary work it does every day across our community.
Through initiatives like Cafe West, Grow West and West House Pottery, West House has quietly become one of the most important organisations we have in West Cumbria. It provides training, employment and support for people with learning disabilities, helping individuals develop skills, gain independence and play a full role in community life.
Hall Garden brings all of that together in one place – somewhere people can meet, eat, learn and create together. A welcoming public space that also showcases the talents and abilities of the people West House supports.
Too often in politics, discussions about disability and employment become abstract. But when you visit projects like this, you see the reality.
You see people gaining confidence through serving customers in a café. You see someone discovering a talent for gardening or pottery. You see friendships forming, routines developing and ambitions growing.
And crucially, you see what becomes possible when barriers are removed.
That links directly to an important change introduced this month by the Labour Government: the new “Right to Try”.
For too long, many disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have been afraid to test whether work is right for them because of the fear of immediately losing benefits and support. The new law changes that, allowing people to try work or volunteering without automatically triggering a reassessment of their benefits.
That matters enormously in communities like ours. Because talent is everywhere in West Cumbria. Opportunity is not always.
The role of government should not be to trap people in systems that hold them back. It should be to back organisations like West House, support councils willing to invest in inclusive regeneration, and create the conditions where more people can participate in work and community life.
Hall Garden is a brilliant example of that approach in action.
It shows that regeneration is not just about buildings and infrastructure. At its best, it is about people – their confidence, their potential and their future.
Josh MacAlister MP 