Preserving the play scheme is an investment in our children's future. We need to prioritise funding that fosters community strength and youth development. It is not just an expenditure but a vital service that enriches our society. Please sign this petition to call on our local authorities to save our beloved play scheme, ensuring it can thrive for generations to come. Together, we can make a difference and secure a vibrant future for our children and our community.

British politics has a foreign interference problem. An undercover investigation by Democracy for Sale and Led By Donkeys has revealed how shockingly easy it is for secretive Chinese interests to penetrate the heart of British politics. As part of a sting by our journalists, a fake Chinese AI company was able to pay a lobbyist to arrange face-to-face meetings with ten Labour MPs as well as access to government ministers. Unbelievably, the former MP who set up this “cash-for-access operation” may not have broken any lobbying rules - because the existing safeguards are so weak. Experts are calling for "radical reform" in the wake of our investigation. The UK government must tighten up the rules right now to prevent more damaging scandals. This petition is organised in partnership with Democracy for Sale, a best-selling newsletter on money, power and politics written by Peter Geoghegan and award-winning investigative journalists.

Two essential civic functions are threatened with abolition by the Reform administration of Kent County Council. These are:  Public libraries: every civilised society needs a modern public library for the education and pleasure of all ages Waste disposal centres ('Tips') are being closed in some areas, risking fly-tipping, rats and the failure of recycling to which our country is committed. Many people are cynical about this County Council, but they have the ability to wreak enormous harm on  our civil society, built up over generations, by 'savings' to avoid proper taxation of the better-off in our County. They will suffer, but it is the least well-off who will suffer the most.  If you want your children to read and learn, if you want to do local research, if you want to master IT, if you just want to read the newspapers and magazines , or run small group meetings - come to our Kent Library Service. If you rely on a regular 'trip to the tip' for items the District  Council will not collect, you will appreciate of very efficient Waste Disposal Centres.

The UK once had a fast, dependable, reliable postage system, provided at a sensible price for the user, not the shambles it has become. We need to restore that level of service.

Too many men are missing out on simple screening that could save lives and I know that if a NHS screening programme has been in place I probably wouldn't have lost my Dad to Prostate Cancer 28 years ago to this very day.  Screening techniques and treatments  have changed a lot over those 28 years so we need to move with the times now ! This change is supported by a cross-party coalition of 125 MPs also urging you  to introduce targeted screening and as Rishi Sunak has said "This is a missed opportunity to make a generational difference to male health, and to take a massive step towards tackling the most common cancer among British men". Please don't hide behind yet another committee of experts. 

 The proposed car wash is right next to a primary school with SEND children, putting them at risk from increased traffic, chemical pollution, and water hazards. Rejecting this application protects children’s safety, health, and wellbeing, and ensures the school environment remains safe for learning and play. 

Blackheath Station Car Park is vitally important to the Blackheath Village community and must be protected.  It provides: - essential parking for access to Blackheath shops, cafés, restaurants, and pubs, supporting the local economy and plays a valuable role in maintaining a vibrant community. - parking for tradespeople working in Blackheath. - a safe drop-off and collection point for children attending John Ball Primary School as well as for parking associated with the school. - parking for access to Blackheath Station, enabling travel into central London and Kent for work, shopping, cultural, and leisure activities.  This is particularly important for residents with impaired mobility. -  space to host a busy Sunday farmers’ market, that is highly valued by residents. Local traders benefit greatly from the extra custom they receive on Sundays.

Gravesham Borough Council is taking disability-related benefits and premiums into account when calculating council tax, even though this money exists specifically to cover the extra costs of living with a disability. Disabled residents — including those who cannot work — are being forced to pay more council tax than they can afford. This policy is particularly harmful during the transition from older benefits (Income Support or Family Tax Credit) to Universal Credit, when many disabled residents only notice the change once they are already financially disadvantaged. Some have seen their council tax jump from £29 to £156 per month without warning. It affects both visible and hidden disabilities, including wheelchair users, mobility impairments, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, blindness, deafness, autism, ADHD, mental health conditions, chronic illnesses, rare diseases, and other overlooked conditions. This treatment is discriminatory, uncaring, and unnecessary. Other councils protect disability-related income, proving that Gravesham’s policy is a conscious choice to target the most vulnerable residents. We demand that Gravesham Borough Council: 1. Stop counting disability-related benefits as income in council tax calculations, including during Universal Credit transitions. 2. Reassess all current council tax liabilities for disabled residents affected by this policy. 3. Ensure future schemes comply with the Equality Act 2010, treating disabled residents fairly and respectfully. Disabled residents are not disposable. We will not accept being punished for circumstances beyond our control. Sign this petition and share it to demand justice and accountability. --- Call-to-Action / Social Share Line: “Gravesham Council is punishing disabled residents, visible and hidden, by taking our disability money for council tax. Sign and share to demand they stop!”

This issue is important because we want to make sure that all children no matter what economic background they may come from are able to afford and regularly buy a hot meal in school.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is more than £54 million in deficit and already in delay paying suppliers. Instead of getting emergency funding, the Trust is proposing to slash night, weekend and bank holiday pay for thousands of staff – a cut of up to 30% for many take-home wages. This will force experienced nurses, midwives, porters, HCAs and doctors to leave for better-paid jobs elsewhere – just as winter pressures hit our hospitals hardest. Patients at QMC and City Hospital will wait longer and face greater risk. We, the undersigned, demand that: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust REJECTS any cuts to unsocial hours enhancements and instead secures emergency funding from NHS England that protects both staff pay and patient safety. No more sticking plaster cuts on the frontline staff who held the NHS together through Covid and other challenges. The frontline staff did not cause the financial deficit in the NUH, and are vital for the patient's safety and care, more solutions exist.

Private companies are taking the money from Adult Social Care that is supposed to provide support but are not using it to provide adequate support.  Vulnerable adults are being left struggling to cope with daily living because they are not getting their allocated support hours. 

The BBC isn't perfect, but we must come together to make it better and stronger. We must use the upcoming Royal Charter review to protect our BBC for us, the British public. For too long, the public has been shut out of major decisions about the BBC. Governments have abused their power over the Royal Charter, twisting the BBC’s purposes to suit their own interests, while back-room negotiations have damaged its accountability. Right now, the BBC is in danger. Donald Trump is threatening to sue our public broadcaster for billions. But this is just the latest in a long line of attacks from people who want to weaken the BBC. We cannot allow the whims of foreign leaders or political pressure to dictate the future of our national broadcaster. The Government must put the British public at the centre of the upcoming Charter review to ensure the BBC answers to us - not to the likes of Donald Trump.