On Thursday 28th June 2018, Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet will meet to discuss the possibility of starting a tendering process to privatise these vital services, based on the “Soft Market Test” report, published in January 2018 and the recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee, which met on 9th April. At a time when there is much evidence to suggest that other local authorities are having to take these services back in-house due to the failure of private companies to run them effectively, we need to control and safeguard the future cultural service provision for our community, particularly for our children, young people, and isolated, vulnerable groups, such as elderly and disabled people. UNISON believes that the public deserve the best possible service when it comes to Museums, Libraries and Archives and our policy is always to keep services in-house. The Council say they need to do this to save money. However, the total budget spend for all 3 services last year represents a spend of less than £8 per head of population. Official figures for the library service already show a below average spend in comparison to similar authorities so it’s difficult to see a reason for taking these services out of local council ownership, when the figures show that it is already a very cost-effective service. UNISON is committed to working with Herefordshire Council to find a solution to its budgetary pressures without undermining our loved arts and library provision. Ealing, along with Croydon, Harrow and Hounslow recently had to take back their library services due to the collapse of Carillion. Staff at privatised library services in Bromley, run by Greenwich Leisure Ltd, have been on strike. UNISON believes Museum, Library and Archives staff deserve to be recognised for the trained, professional job they do, and the threat of future closures, reductions in hours and the loss of friendly, knowledgeable staff is unacceptable, These things are at risk if they are transferred over to a private company or charitable trust. Finally, UNISON has part funded work with We Own It. They are running a pledge for councillors and council candidates in elections to commit to ending all privatisation in local council services. The detail can be found here: https://weownit.org.uk/local-pledge Thank you, Herefordshire Local Government UNISON

The artefacts will go to Lincoln if we do not take action. This building is a community asset and the future of the building and contents will be secure under Stamford Town Council guardianship. The artefacts are of historical importance and should be displayed in our Town for all the enjoy.

The Children's ward at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital is under threat of temporary closure because of staff shortages. As the largest county in England, with it's population spread over a large area of mostly agricultural land it is imperative we keep this vital children's ward open. Grantham Hospital is also scheduled to close, so where are all the children going to go? This could put lives of children at risk! Telling parents they simply have to drive further is not acceptable. Not all parents can drive, or have access to transport over long distances. What happens when the other hospital children's wards are all full? Surely this will just increase the pressure on other hospitals which are already at breaking point. Will children be refused treatment if no beds are available? As the population is expanding why are essential services shrinking? What impact will this also have on the maternity ward, and children born requiring treatment or special care.

If like me you are fed up angry and frustrated by the developing and serious litter problem we have in this country, then this is a campaign for you We are the fifth largest economy and yet we are filthy! Of course I’m concerned about plastics damaging our environment, but litter is not just about plastic, there are a number of different kinds of litter, which are of concern to me. Wind litter which we see increasingly on our motorways and roads. The motorways and roads act like wind tunnels Picking up and blowing it into central reservations and hedge bottom. Agricultural litter seen in our country side, plastic bales covering, fertiliser and feed bags. Roadworks litter and this one is a lot bigger than you might think, road signage, cones, barrier tape, sand bags, it’s all over the country and it’s costing tax payers millions of pounds in replacements, all because the contractors can’t be bothered to take it away when the work is finished. And finally the anti social behaviour of mindless morons who have no respect for the country they live in, or their surroundings and appear to delight in spoiling things for everyone.This one also includes doggy poo bags hanging in trees or thrown in hedge bottoms.( I have collected up to 57 poo bags on my 1hour walks around local reservoirs) Litter is bad for our mental wellbeing, it’s bad for our wildlife, and it’s bad for our environment. We know none of the above forms of litter are going to be removed by themselves and the people creating it are not going to come and pick it up, it’s down to our councils to collect and dispose of it, but as we all know public services have been targeted over the last 8yrs with one cut back after another and with local authorities struggling to meet the provision of front line services to children and adults, they simply do not have the funds to deal with this growing problem. So let’s put the problem where it belongs, with the government, this is what we pay taxes for, so we should demand a dedicated budget to deal with the serious problem of Litter. Help me to force the government to GET BRITAIN CLEAN AGAIN

I have always regarded Clifton Hill sports centre as an asset to the city and understand its importance within the community. The facility has attained excellent user numbers over the years and its closure would not be in the best interests of the city The centre closed in March due to a roof leak and a burst pipe, but the council won't commit to a reopening. Help the city get its much loved Clifton Hill sports centre back in service! It has left an irreplaceable void in peoples lives. It was a real community hub used by all ages from toddlers to pensioners and all socio economic groups. Exeter is bidding to be the UK's most 'active city' and so closing the centre is insanity! Come on Exeter City Council tell us it will reopen - it was only some snow through the roof and a few burst pipes!

This another important service to Coventry people that is stealthy been made private. This service is vital to local people but also needs to be kept public and not fall into the hands of private companies such as Virgin or Care UK. In a city of over 300,000 people the GP Out of Hours Service at the Stoney Stanton Walk-in-Centre is essential to help stop our local A&E departments being overwhelmed. Please take the time to sign this important petition which we plan to hand into the CRCCG by the end of May. Many thanks from all at Coventry Keep Our NHS Public (COVKONP) campaign group.

Until recently I ran a local business close to the sites of these two buildings, that has recently been forced to close. Whilst I do not attribute the closure to the state of these buildings it is clear that they have both become eyesores and have a negative impact on one of the primary gateways into Stalybridge. The appearance of them on such an important route into the town centre adds to the general impression of a Town in decline. Many residents and business owners in Stalybridge would like it to be a thriving and welcoming town, these sites are completely incompatible with that image and it is disappointing that Tameside Council have allowed them to sit empty and shuttered or boarded up for such a long time. This is particularly unacceptable given that the Deputy Leader of Tameside Council, Councillor John Taylor said of the old Casablanca site clearance “These are great times for Stalybridge. We are finally going to see the end of a building that has spoiled the town centre of for almost eight years”. “Empty buildings are not only a blight, they are a wasted asset, especially at a time when we have to work so much harder in pursuit of prosperity.” Many local people would agree that these sites are also spoiling our town centre and are wasted assets at a time when Tameside Council is disposing of other properties and making cuts to services and raising council tax because of cuts in Government funding.

When you visit your GP, you want to know that the only thing on their mind is giving you the care you need. But our NHS is struggling because the government hasn’t given it the money it needs. It means NHS bosses are looking for any opportunity to save money. But setting financial incentives and arbitrary targets for GPs simply doesn’t make sense. And when it comes to the care our families get when we’re sick, it’s not right to force doctors to compromise. The Royal College of GPs, and medical experts have raised the alarm about the cash incentive schemes. The head of the Family Doctor Association said they’re a “serious dereliction of duty”. The Royal College of GPs said "Cash incentives based on how many referrals GPs make have no place in the NHS, and frankly, it is insulting to suggest otherwise." Tell local health bosses that patients’ needs should always come before profit!

We do not believe that the parents, staff and community at St Luke’s, Christ Church Streatham and St Leonard’s were consulted in a meaningful way, as is required by The Education and Adoption Act 2016. We believe the schools failed in their duty to consult parents, staff and the community in order to inform their decision about whether to convert to academy status: · Many parents were entirely unaware that the school was even considering converting to academy status, something that was due to have happened on April 1st, but has been delayed until May 1st, due in part to National Education Union action. · Where there were meetings with parents about the plans to academise, many parents felt academisation was presented as a foregone conclusion. Parents were led to believe that the governors had already decided and there was no choice but to academise. · We have seen no attempt to engage with parents for whom English is not their first language. · Some parents and staff were led to believe that the schools needed to academise to protect their Christian character – we know that the Christian character of the schools is under no threat as Lambeth maintained Church of England schools. · Staff were told that nothing would change – we know that terms and conditions for employees of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education Multi-Academy Trust (SDBE MAT) will be worse than for those previously employed by Lambeth - we do not support the creation of a two tier workforce, where some staff have fewer rights than others. · Staff unions have raised many questions about the changes to the schools and staff terms and conditions after academisation, these questions have been ignored and remain unanswered. · Staff have asked for a meeting with Colin Powell (Chief Executive of SDBE MAT) and have had no response. Again, we call for the plans to convert St Luke’s, Christ Church Streatham and St Leonard’s primary schools to academies to be halted and demand that the consultation process begins again. We call for the following steps to be taken to inform a decision about whether or not the schools should academise: · Meaningful and accessible parent and community consultation should take place including: a series of well-publicised meetings, with translators for parents for whom English is an additional language, at different times of the day; the provision of written materials in the community languages of the three schools, explaining the perceived benefits and drawbacks of academisaiton and presenting it as an option, not a foregone conclusion. · An open meeting between staff and parents with Colin Powell (SDBE MAT Chief Executive). · A full and binding ballot of all staff and parents on whether to academise the three schools. We, the community, demand to be heard.

NHS Kernow, who operate Minor Injury Units (MIUs) in Cornwall, announced that they will be upgrading some units into Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs); they are now evaluating which sites to upgrade but so far refused to comment on what will happen to MIUs not selected for upgrading. Should NHS Kernow decide to close the them, MIUs and community hospitals will decrease healthcare provision throughout Cornwall, leaving many outside reasonable travelling distance. This will cause serious delays in assessment and treatment. It will also cause further pressure on Treliske and Derriford Hospitals. There has been a lack of public consultation on these proposed changes. The MIUs provide a local service that we want, need and use. We asked what will happen to the MIUs at the CCG's last meeting, but they claimed they didn't receive our message. They have committed to answering at their next meeting at the beginning of June. We have until then to pile on the pressure and make sure they think hard about their answer, and the impact closure would have on our community. Please add your name!

My son Tom is a 28 year old young man with an acquired brain injury. The injury occurred in 2007 as the result of an infection just 4 days after his 18th birthday. He was doing well in his A levels, and then this awful tragedy happened. For the past nine years, he has been supported for care and accommodation by Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding. Tom's condition means that he needs 2-1 care during daytime. Although his needs have become greater in that time -- his epileptic seizures are more pronounced and frequent -- his funding has suddenly been withdrawn. Tom is very much at risk of harm without this care: he cannot look after himself, and his behaviour is often challenging and unpredictable. A hurried and insufficiently attentive review has judged him ineligible for healthcare funding, because although his needs are 'High', they are not deemed 'Severe' -- even though his 'Behaviour' and 'Cognition' clearly meet the panel's own 'Severe' CHC criteria. None of Tom's carers or family agree with this decision but our responses and appeals have been ignored. Please help by urging NHS Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group to change their decision and continue to fund Tom, as they have been doing for the last nine years. Tom is so vulnerable and really needs your support.

Moseley Friends' Institute was gifted to the people of Birmingham by the Cadbury family so that it could be used for the benefit of local people. It has for many years been managed by Birmingham City Council, who are currently considering the future of the building. Although it is currently in need of renovation and repair, it could be an important resource for the community.