IN his Christmas message Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris looks back at an eventful 2014.

As 2014 draws to a close, MPs and candidates start to look towards the General Election on May 7.

Election campaigns inevitably focus on our differences and what divides us but, looking back on the past year, I prefer to concentrate on some of the things that we can hopefully agree on and events that have brought people together.

Looking across the constituency many families are starting to see the benefits of a growing economy.

Unemployment continues to fall, and there are now 661 fewer people in Halesowen and Rowley Regis out of work and claiming benefits than at this time last year.

I organised an Apprenticeship and Careers Fair in April and a Jobs and Skills Fair in October, which saw hundreds of people meeting employers and training providers with many opportunities on offer.

Neither would have been possible without fantastic support from businesses, colleges, charities and public bodies like jobcentre plus.

Many local schools reported record results this year, as well as incredible achievements by pupils – from exam results to arts, sports and community work.

I had the pleasure of going to prize-giving evenings for Old Hill’s Ormiston Forge Academy and St Michael’s CE High School in Rowley, showcasing some of the exceptional talents at these two excellent schools.

There have also been many special community initiatives this year.

In July, local people and businesses came together to create a fantastic display for Halesowen in Bloom.

To win a Silver Gilt award – the second highest possible – was an achievement that the whole town, but particularly those involved, can be very proud of.

The community came together in a different way to buy the Walled Garden at Leasowes.

Led by the Hales Owen Abbey Trust, the fundraising effort secured this important part of our local heritage for the community and volunteers are already working hard to restore the gardens to their former glories.

The second half of the year saw a number of events to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the start of World War One.

I attended as many as I could and there were many moving services and performances, remembering the tremendous sacrifices made by so many.

I held a writing competition for local schools to mark the centenary and received hundreds of entries.

There were so many brilliant poems, diary entries and letters home that it was very difficult to judge.

I picked fifteen winners and have published them in a book so that more people can enjoy their excellent work, and was delighted that representatives of local Royal British Legion branches were able to join me to hear the pupils perform their winning entries.

Whatever happens in May’s General Election, there is a lot to be proud of in Halesowen and Rowley Regis and a lot of people who work hard all year round – often without recognition – to make our communities such great places to live and work.

I hope that you all have a very merry Christmas and look forward to a happy 2015.