James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, has been raising money for the homeless charity, HARP, by working at Adventure Island amusement park in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Working for a day at the park, Duddridge helped the Adventure Park team in the running of Axis ride and learning the ropes of the site’s daily operations.

The MP received £200 in wages for the day, which he donated to the HARP charity. The charity is aimed at reducing homelessness in Southend-on-Sea by providing emergency housing and long-term solutions to help people rebuild their lives.

“It was a really brilliant day,” said James Duddridge, adding: “I was able to experience all aspects of working at Adventure Island, from seating guests on the rides, to serving hot dogs and doughnuts to hungry punters.

“The team were fab, and they worked me hard, hopefully I passed my probation! A big thank you to Adventure Island for donating my earnings for the day to Southend’s homeless charity HARP.”

Philip Miller, owner of Adventure Park, shared his gratitude for the extra pair of hands.

“It was great fun having our local MP going back to the floor as it were. I know the customers who met him, and team members who worked alongside him found him very entertaining,” said Miller.