It is always a real privilege to be part of the celebration which marks the achievement of students who gave up their summer to attend the Future Leaders Academy.

I love seeing the difference in the 10 year olds selected from Furness schools after three weeks of considering how they can make a difference in their community, achieve their full potential, and give their numeracy and literacy skills a boost along the way.

But one mum in particular made my day this year when she said that not only had her son had a brilliant time, but that his older brother who took part in the programme last year credits it with giving him the confidence to turn around his time at school and do well in his Sats. That is a personal triumph for the boy concerned but is also vital for our very special economic circumstances in the decades ahead.

The Future Leaders Academy summer school programme is now in its second year and I am so proud of how far it has come. The academy runs every summer, providing educational workshops and activities for local children.

This years’ course has just finished, with 90 10-year-olds taking part in a pioneering programme at Furness College run in partnership with local schools supported by the team and generous sponsorship from local businesses, particularly lead sponsor Centrica.

Furness is poised on the threshold of a really exciting time in the history of our area. The historic vote to go ahead with the Successor submarine programme at the shipyard in Barrow gave the green light for a new wave of investment in our area that will support thousands of jobs and help spread prosperity across the region.

Add to this the renewed investment from GSK and other local businesses and the future really does look bright for Furness.

With the investment under way, the focus must now shift to how we can make the most of it and allow everyone in Furness to benefit from this economic boost. In particular I am determined to make sure that young people growing up in Furness now are able to participate in the local economy and grasp the opportunities that will open up in the coming years in our area.

My guiding principle is that there is no reason that local children should not do as well as others around the country and no reason why young people should have to leave the area to further their careers. To achieve this, we need to make sure children in Furness have the skills they will need in the future, and that is why I set up the Future Leaders Academy.

There has been a real feel-good spirit in Furness this summer following the vote and it really does feel like there is a bit more optimism in the air. We now need to bottle this spirit and channel our energy into driving forward this positive and ambitious agenda for the future.

The Future Leaders Academy is an example of what we can achieve by working together and planning for the future. It’s inspired me again this summer; let’s use it to push on and seize the future with both hands.