This programme is presented by Winnifred Robinson and the team who do a wonderful job, the programme numerous topics and is very informative and extremely helpful to the general public. I have listened to this programme and several others on Radio 4 for many years and feel the cuts announced should not go ahead.

Juggling family, work and other commitments can be tough.. Somewhere local to exercise & socialise our canines safely would really benefit the area and hopefully many residents including myself.

Although Northenden is a lovely little community, it saddens myself and many others that we are surrounded by motorway and severe noise pollution. It’s a place where many love to exercise along the river, walk their dogs, take their children to play. But the sound of the motorways and roads are absolutely endless. I was playing in the riverside play park this week with my child and his friends, and I looked to see if our area of living was in a noise mitigation area. What I was able to find in a quick search: our local play park is amongst the highest bracket for noise pollution on the Manchester map. I find this unacceptable. Unacceptable most importantly for the negative health impacts this has on our local residents and our local wildlife. I am a local Mum living in Northenden. I have been a resident here for 7 years. We moved here because predominantly we loved the river, the community feel and the old quaint features of the place. Having moved from the Lakes it felt like a happy medium to transitioning to urban life.  I want to ask for our Council and local Highway agencies to take action to improve the air quality and noise pollution in our area. It is detrimental to both our physical and our mental health. It’s time to make some improvements. 

We, Cllrs Joanne Bright and Jenny Matterface, call on Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council, to re-open Callis Grange Sure Start Centre as a family hub using government funding allocated to revive Sure Start. Sure Start Centres changed lives. They brought parents and children together in a safe and secure environment helping all to benefit from the facilities and services offered there free to all. Access to a Sure Start centre between birth and age five significantly improved the educational achievement of children, with benefits lasting at least until GCSEs. Parents became more confident, all learned vital socialising skills. Some gained qualifications that enabled them to progress and gain employment. Others became more confident and better parents because they learned skills to help them in their role. Children learned to socialise, to share, to learn essential skills, to bond with their parents. Core Services Provided ·         Infant Feeding: Guidance and practical support ·         Mental Health: Support for parents' mental wellbeing ·         Baby Bonding: Relationship and attachment building .         Clinical Access: Health visits and midwifery care  All these made a difference to those coping with caring for young children. We need these services back on Beacon Road in a venue that is easily accessible to all.

Big Tech companies are forcing hundreds of resource-intensive data centres through the UK’s planning system. Their colossal demand for electricity risks driving up bills for the rest of us and blocking the development of much-needed public priorities – like new housing. Without limits on their use of dirty fossil power and their use of water, these will cause serious harm to the places they are built – and the planet. A single hyperscale data centre can use as much electricity as millions of homes, and produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to five international airports. If they use water for cooling, this can run to millions of litres a day.  The companies building data centres are the richest in the world. Join our call to stop them  walking away with the profits while the rest of us pick up the social and environmental costs. 

‘Swimmable Cities’ is a global initiative shaping urban liveability, climate resilience and social equity in communities around the world. It is inspired by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Regeneration.    Cities around the world are under growing pressure from climate change, public health, and urban growth challenges. Restoring access to clean water is emerging as a powerful way to cool cities, improve wellbeing and reconnect people with nature.  Since launching their Charter before the Paris Olympics, the growing international alliance of municipalities, organisations and advocates includes 255 diverse organisations across 121 cities and towns in 38 countries.  The global Swimmable Cities initiative is on a mission to mainstream ‘swimmability’ in urban planning, integrated water management and tourism destination development. The goal is to restore rivers, lakes, coastlines and waterfronts as public spaces that support health, climate resilience and urban life. Join our Campaign Whats App Group:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/Euo1EHHamO29Ag68HcoqZT 

Recently, the Treasury Select Committee’s inquiry concluded that the student loan system is ‘broken’ and ‘unfair’ and that ‘the Government must now take the necessary steps to fix it.’   Successive governments have changed student loan terms years after graduates took out their loans, meaning graduates will now repay tens of thousands more on average over their lifetime than originally agreed.    Punitive Plan 2 interest rates, which reached 8% in 2024, mean most graduates see their loan balance grow despite making repayments. 83% have seen their balance increase since leaving university, while the average graduate needs to earn over £63,600 before their balance falls each year.    Young people are already struggling to buy homes, start families and save for retirement. The broken student loan system is making things worse. Andy Burnham needs to act now. With the Budget on 28 October 2026, fairer student loan terms must be part of it. There is no time to waste.

The Scottish Government recently announced plans for major engineering work to improve the A83 at the Rest & Be Thankful. The work will take around 4 years to complete during which the road will be completely closed.  Transport Scotland have proposed that for the duration of the work, the Old Military Road at Glen Croe be used for all traffic coming into and out of Argyll.  This would mean a single carriageway, operating a convoy system of traffic management, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year … for 4 years.  It is vitally important therefore that the people of Argyll & Bute make clear their opposition to this 4-year convoy plan, as this plan will affect every single part of our lives and economic wellbeing, from deterring tourists from coming, to our ability to access healthcare services in the Central Belt. 

The morning tea and toast is more than just a free breakfast; it is a vital part of our daily routine and a cornerstone of our college community. For many of us, it provides a warm, welcoming start to the day and a rare moment to connect with peers before our busy schedules begin. Removing this simple comfort would not only impact our well-being but also take away a shared experience that brings us all together. Please keep this tradition alive. 

In 2025, Canal & River Trust changed the two bollards beside Candy Wharf from a yellow lock landing with a 24-hour maximum stay to white 14-day moorings. Boats can now remain directly outside residents’ homes for up to two weeks. The moorings are only a few metres from homes at Candy Wharf and Falcon Works. Some residents’ only windows and ventilation points face the canal. Because of this close proximity, smoke and engine exhaust fumes enter homes before they can disperse. During one three-month period in winter, residents experienced smoke entering their homes on a daily basis, with 58 separate incidents reported. The problem is ongoing and is not limited to winter. Incidents have occurred at different times, including as early as 6am and as late as midnight or 1am. The smoke in my home became so severe that I had to leave. In April, canal-side smoke was officially witnessed as a statutory nuisance. Residents have also experienced recurring noise and sleep disruption. Restoring the 24-hour lock landing would reduce prolonged smoke, fumes and noise while preserving short-term access for boats. This petition will also be submitted as supplemental evidence to the existing Tower Hamlets ASB Case Review. Please sign this petition to help residents of Candy Wharf and Falcon Works Court reclaim clean air and quiet in our homes, so we can live, work and sleep without recurring smoke, exhaust fumes and noise.

The Archdiocese of Liverpool plans to force all schools to convert to an academy. Within the Liverpool City Council area, there are 42 Catholic schools who are yet to convert. Throughout the North West, there are over 220 schools. The Governing Bodies are not following agreed consultation protocols, and are trying to force it through. Governors have been put in a difficult position by the Archdiocese, as they have been threatened with removal if they refuse to vote for academy conversion. If these plans are so wonderful for staff and students, why is the Archdiocese refusing to follow the well established consultation protocol and threatening Governors with removal?  There is no evidence that Academies provide better outcomes for pupils. Instead, they take money away from classrooms to fund unaccountable executives on extremely high salaries. Schools can lose their identity and teachers lose their autonomy.  This petition has been set up by the Liverpool Branch of the National Education Union.

We call on the UK Government to expand the Emergency Alerts system so that when a child is reported missing and police believe they are at genuine risk, a targeted alert is sent to mobile phones in the local area where the child was last seen. The alert should include a short description of the child, what they were wearing, any relevant details (such as a vehicle), and clear instructions to call 999 with any sightings. It should only be sent to phones in a defined local radius and only in cases that meet strict risk criteria. Why this is needed Every year tens of thousands of children go missing in the UK. Most are found quickly, but in the most serious cases the first few hours are critical. A rapid public response can make the difference between a child being found safely and a tragic outcome. The UK already has the Child Rescue Alert system (similar to America’s AMBER Alert). It can interrupt TV and radio and use social media when the strict criteria are met. However, it does not automatically push alerts straight to people’s mobile phones. The Government’s Emergency Alerts system already exists and can send loud, attention-grabbing messages to phones even when they are on silent. It is currently used for floods, extreme weather and other life-threatening emergencies. Extending it to high-risk missing children cases would: •  Reach thousands of people in the exact area where the child was last seen within minutes •  Put far more eyes on the streets during the most important window of time •  Work even if people are not watching television, listening to the radio or checking social media •  Remain tightly controlled and local, avoiding unnecessary national panic •  Use technology the Government already owns and has tested Other countries have shown that fast, targeted public alerts help recover children. A simple local mobile alert would give communities across the UK the same chance to help What success would look like •  Police can trigger a local Emergency Alert for a missing child when the risk criteria are met •  The alert goes only to phones in the relevant area •  The public receives clear, useful information and knows exactly how to report sightings •  The system is used sparingly and responsibly so people continue to trust and act on the alerts This would not replace existing police searches or the Child Rescue Alert. It would simply give the public a faster and more effective way to help when a child’s life may be in danger. Please support this petition so that when a child goes missing and is at risk, the people closest to them can be alerted immediately and help bring them home safely.