December Newsletter

Dear Constituents,

Thank you for reading my final newsletter of the year.

Please see above for my Christmas card, kindly designed by Misumi Okumura from New End Primary School – the winner of my Christmas card competition! I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Right now, my thoughts are with my Jewish constituents as they gather to celebrate Chanukah. The appalling antisemitic attack on a peaceful religious celebration in Bondi Beach is unforgivable. We will defeat this darkness together with light.

This festive season, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, or any other occasion, I hope you have an opportunity to rest and spend time with loved ones. I want to pass on my thanks from the whole community to those who will be working in the NHS, social care, hospitality and other crucial sectors over the holidays. A special thank you to the incredible team at the Royal Free Hospital!

This month, I have met with many constituents to discuss their casework and pressing policy concerns. It has also been a busy month in Parliament, standing up for local parents and pushing for a better 603 bus service.

I am also pleased to share some good news. City Hall has now funded 100 million free school meals for London’s state primary school children – giving hundreds of thousands of children the best chance in life. I would also like to send my congratulations to Namaaste Highgate for winning ‘Asian Restaurant of the year’ at the Curry Awards 2025.

If you haven’t already, please contribute to my community survey. As your MP, I want to hear about your concerns, what’s important to you and your family and how I can make our area a better and safer place to live and work. You can complete it here: Tulip Siddiq‘s Community Survey

Please read below to find out what I have been doing this month in Parliament to represent you, and how I have been supporting my constituents with casework.

Best wishes,

Tulip Siddiq

MP for Hampstead and Highgate

Standing Up For Local Parents

The horrifying abuse at a local nursery has sent shockwaves throughout our community. This is every parent’s worst nightmare. In Parliament, I paid tribute to my constituents and to the brave parents, who watched the Education Secretary’s statement. Parents do not only want justice for their own children but want to ensure that never again are children put in this situation. I am pleased that we secured a commitment from the Prime Minister that he will meet with the parents of the victims to discuss how this never happens again. You can watch my Parliamentary question, here.

Among many proposals, we have called for enhanced background checks for everyone working with children, enabling the use of safeguarding CCTV in nurseries and early years providers, and a mandatory two-adult supervision rule for all nurseries and childcare practices. We also called for an independent, state-run safeguarding reporting body that parents can approach directly when concerns are raised, as they were in the case of this nursery.

Campaign Win: 603 Bus 

I am delighted to share that we have secured a better-aligned timetable of the 603 bus service. Currently, despite serving 20 schools, this bus only runs twice a day at times that do not work for local children. Community organisations like Green School Runs and the 603 Campaign Group have spent years calling for a better service, and as your local MP and your Assembly Member, Anne Clarke, we took this campaign to the top of City Hall.

Earlier this year, I met with Seb Dance, the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, to discuss this important issue, and was encouraged by his response. Earlier this month, I met with Sadiq Khan to reiterate the need for a change to the schedule. We are so pleased that TFL will be retiming some journeys on this route to provide better connections at the end of the school day for many schools. We will continue to work with the community for increased frequency of this vital service.

Celebrating Christmas with Constituents

This month, I was delighted to host my annual Christmas card competition in Parliament for 25 children and their families. I was so impressed with the quality of all the designs that were submitted, and I hope this event inspired some local budding artists. Picking runners up and a winner was a real challenge, and I want to thank everyone who entered the competition and all the schools which participated. The families were given a tour of Parliament, and I presented the children with certificates. The winning design has been sent to the Prime Minister and the King!

Earlier this month, I also had the pleasure of attending the Abbey Community Centre Christmas Lunch and raffle. Huge thank you to Lindsay for running this brilliant centre and to Jordan and the team of volunteers for preparing a delicious meal. I was also glad to meet constituents to discuss the problems they are facing. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can support you with casework concerns.

Finally, I was also delighted to give a reading at Heath Street Baptist Church. With so much darkness and despair in our world, let’s come together this Christmas and spread love with family, friends and strangers.

December Casework Update

Helping constituents will always be my number one priority. My team and I handled over 160 cases this month.

Too many of my constituents are living in housing association properties who are struggling with damp and mould and associated health issues. Some of these cases have been going on for years and repairs have been slow or have not dealt with the underlying problem. Notting Hill Genesis are responsible for a huge volume of our housing stock here in Hampstead and Highgate and the level of service they provide to my constituents is often not acceptable. Last month, I asked NHG to meet with me in Parliament to discuss this issue. After three months of continuous support from my office to a constituent in South Hampstead, NHG committed to take the damp and mould issues in their flat seriously including redecorating all the rooms once the works are completed, retiling the bathroom and offering them £1250 in compensation:

“I really appreciate all your assistance in getting this matter resolved. You have been an integral part of this process, and I truly cannot express my gratitude enough. Your work is invaluable to the many residents you support.”

I have always been a champion for small businesses in our constituency. They are the beating heart of our high street! I was concerned to hear from several shops which incorrectly received over 300 fixed penalty notices for not disposing their waste correctly. After challenging this with Haringey Council, improvements have been made to the processes of collection with a new appeal process being added as well.

Remembering Nazanin’s Story

It was very emotional to be at the screening of my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s documentary. A difficult watch but a good reminder of why I do the job I do – helping to reunite Nazanin with her husband Richard (pictured) and daughter Gabriella remains one of the highlights of my life. You can watch Prisoner 951 on BBC iPlayer.

You can watch Nazanin’s powerful speech, shortly after her release here: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Six years as an Iran hostage | Trust Conference 2022

Speaking To Young People About Politics

Recently, I had the honour of participating in a panel discussion with year 13 students about my journey in politics, current affairs and the issues that matter to them. It was a pleasure to meet such bright and engaged students. Thank you to Hugo and Luca for your thoughtful questions and to Camden School for Girls for hosting me!

Community Funding

Applications for the first round of 2026-27 funding from the North London Community Fund (NLCF) are now open! The NLCF is the biggest of its kind, with community groups able to apply for a share of an unprecedented £1m over a four-year period. Please share details with applicable groups in your constituency and encourage them to apply.

Details:

• Description: The NLCF is administered by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) and awards grants to projects delivering waste-reduction activities in north London (Hackney, Islington, Camden, Waltham Forest, Enfield Haringey and Barnet). The Investment in the fund over the next four years totals £1 million with grants ranging from a few hundred pounds to £100,000.

• Eligible recipients: The fund is open to community-based (non-profit-making) organisations based in north London that are delivering waste reduction activities.

• Deadline: Applications for the first round of funding (for micro up to £1,500, small up to £5,000 and medium up to £20,000 grants) are open until 16 February 2026. Applications for large grants will open later in 2026.
• Groups can read more detail, apply online, and reach out to our Waste Prevention team via email for any support.

The groups supported through the NLCF are not just helping to prevent waste, but are a vital part of local communities, providing residents with opportunities for friendship and social connection. Most recently in our constituency, South Hampstead and Kilburn Community Partnership received funding for the 2024-26 year to deliver their Stitch Social workshops which aim to reduce textile waste through upcycling and crafts workshops.

Explore Technology Careers

Designed to inspire the next generation of innovators, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a free, curriculum-linked programme and national tech-for-good competition for 11–18-year-olds at secondary schools and colleges across the UK. Powered by Samsung and supported by leading partners including Tech She Can, D&T Association, and the Design Council – all committed to helping young people build future-ready skills and explore tech-for-good careers.

Why get involved?

• Students can learn the art of the design thinking process inspired by real-world innovation at Samsung, supporting them to go from a blank page to a brilliant idea – in as little as one lesson.
• Help students turn curiosity into creativity and use tech to solve real-world problems to come up with their own tech-for-good idea!
• Fantastic prizes for the most innovative ideas entered into the competition including the latest Samsung tech, expert mentoring, in-school prototyping workshops, work experience, and national recognition – winning ideas featuring on the Piccadilly Circus screen and amplified across social media and radio!
• Free teaching resources are flexible and inclusive, working across PSHE, D&T, STEM, and enrichment settings. It supports Gatsby benchmarks and the updated careers guidance. Entries for the competition close on 1 February 2026.

Teachers and home educators can register now www.solvefortomorrowuk.com

Warm Hub in Highgate!

I am pleased to share that the Warm Hub at Highgate Newtown Community Partners is now open. From Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 12:30pm, you can grab a free tea and coffee and croissant for 50p!

A great deal of effort has gone into setting up the new community centre on Bertram Street, which now offers a huge range of activities including sports and fitness, art and art therapy sessions, and a warm hub for residents. They are also strengthening outreach with local partners and schools — including Moon Women’s Health — and celebrating the opening of a new community laundry this month. Alongside local residents, they are planning more tabletop events and a festive Christmas craft market. The centre will also be open on Christmas Day offering a festive lunch. Check out their website to found more: Highgate Newtown Community Partners

Support from Age UK

As it gets colder, I know that some of my older constituents may be worried about paying their energy bills and staying warm. Knowing what financial help is available can ease some of the worry. This guide from Age UK has more information: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-savings/energy/cost-of-living-payments/

Age UK also have some great energy saving tips, which you can check out here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-savings/energy/energy-saving-tips/

Apprenticeship Opportunities at Channel 4

Ready to kickstart your career journey and dream of working in telly? Channel 4’s apprenticeship programme is now open to applications for places in London! Gain Level 4, or 7 qualifications while actively contributing to exciting projects. Find out more here and apply today!

Your Station, Your Community Improvement Fund

Govia Thameslink Railway has launched the next round of its Your Station, Your Community Improvement Fund and is inviting applications. The fund supports causes which build lasting social value through themes such as positive mental health, diversity and inclusion, employability & skills, environmental sustainability and improving station environments.

For more information, and to see if your organisation qualifies, please visit the website link Thameslink – Your station Your community Improvement Fund.

A previous beneficiary in our constituency is Kentish Town City Farm, who used this funding to run two community clubs. These clubs provided space for different parts of the community to come together. The ‘Growing Club’ ran on Sunday mornings, with 143 people attending over the course of the year, as well as workshops on ‘growing autumn salads’ and ‘keeping healthy over winter’.

New Post Office in Highgate!

I am pleased to share that a new Post Office will be opening at Highgate Stationer and General Store, 7 Highgate High Street, London, N6 5JR on Thursday 20 November 2025. This service will be a Drop & Collect branch, which is a lighter, flexible branch format.

This will offer Post Office services from a handheld device, providing convenient access for customers to bill payments and prepaid parcel collections and returns. To maximise accessibility to these services that our customers are increasingly seeking, more complex services like personal and business banking will not be available at this branch.

A wider range of Post Office services are available from the nearby branches at Highgate Post Office, 361 Archway Road, N6 4EJ and Upper Holloway Post Office, 55-57 Junction Road, Archway, N19 5QU.

Swiss Cottage Post Office Re-Opens!

As regular readers will know, I have been engaging with the Post Office and the Government on the importance of keeping Post Office branches open in my constituency open. Having recently campaigned to protect our Hampstead Post Office, I am pleased that the Swiss Cottage Post Office has reopened! My constituents will be able to access important services such as banking at this branch, which I know is particularly important for older people and local businesses.

Their new address is 7 Northways Parade, South Hampstead, London, NW3 5EN.