On Sunday, I was honoured to join the remembrance parades and services in St Andrew’s Church, Clevedon, and St Peter’s Church, Portishead, and was moved by the work supporting serving and ex-service men and women and their dependants by the Poppy Appeal and other organisations.

During the commemoration, surrounded by acts of kindness, I was reminded of National Kindness Day this Wednesday, November 12, the ideal time to put aside our differences and think about how a little kindness can make a big difference in our neighbourhoods and beyond.

The mission of the World Kindness Movement is "to inspire individuals and connect nations to create a kinder world."

From showing consideration to our neighbours, practising self-compassion and respecting nature, to diplomacy on a global scale, kindness can be transformative.

(Image: Sadik Al-Hassan) Throughout North Somerset, residents step up and volunteer their time to important causes.

Whether it’s leading scouts, cleaning up the beach, delivering breastfeeding support or getting involved with community gardens, these acts of kindness show just how much we can achieve when we come together.

Sadly, food insecurity remains a pressing issue in Britain, and I commend the volunteers working tirelessly at food banks, community larders and lunch clubs in Clevedon, Nailsea, Pill, Portishead and elsewhere.

Environmental kindness is more important than ever, with inspiring local efforts like the Yeo River Friends, who work to maintain the river, and the Marlens, who care for Clevedon Marine Lake.

The many other local environmental groups are too numerous to list here, but include Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve, Clevedon Woodcutters for Wildlife, Friends of Poet’s Walk, Save Your Greenbelt (North Somerset) and Backwell Environment Trust.

(Image: Sadik Al-Hassan)

This week, I had the honour of meeting Clevedon resident Natalie Fée, founder of City to Sea, and hearing about their groundbreaking work to reduce plastic pollution.

The charity's achievements include initiating the switch from plastic to paper cotton buds and launching the water Refill initiative, which now boasts 400 community-run schemes across the UK.

Download their free Refill app to find places to shop, eat and drink without the packaging.

When we approach each other with understanding and kindness, we can break down barriers and create a more peaceful world.

Compassionate North Somerset constituents contact me in large numbers about the ongoing violence in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as about the many internal and international armed conflicts taking place across North Africa and the Middle East, within Ukraine and throughout Africa, South Asia and Central America.

The need for humanitarian action and diplomacy is stark.

I agree with the words of US Vice President Hubert Humphrey in 1977, that the treatment of the most vulnerable members of society is a moral test of a government.

This is why we have set the wheels in motion for a ‘Safer Phones’ Bill’ to protect our young people online, why we will be holding a vote on the Assisted Dying bill at the end of this month and why the Government intends to stick to its manifesto promise to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Let’s not forget our furry friends!

Many North Somerset constituents have contacted me this month to passionately advocate against fur farming, cruel hunting practices and the tremendous impact of unregulated firework displays on animals.

By supporting these causes, we’re helping create a kinder world for every living being.

This National Kindness Day, let’s commit to making kindness a part of our daily lives, enriching our own experiences and those of everyone around us.