Barwell Sure Start Centre plays an important part in our local community. It provides help to families who need it, access to books for young children (especially important after the closure of the village library in 2016), a place for parents (new or experienced) to connect with others and form peer support networks, and opportunities for both children and their parents to learn and develop relevant skills. There are also many parent volunteers who have been able to build up skills and training that have helped them, or will help them, return to work when their children start school. This can be a real issue for parents (particularly mothers) who have taken time out of the workplace to raise children, and we feel that our local Sure Start Centre plays an important role in tackling this. Our Sure Start Centre also plays host to Health Visitor clinics and other medical professionals - these services are also now at risk of being moved out of the village stranding those families for whom transport is an issue and increasing barriers to access. Closing the centre would be a heavy blow to our village. Barwell has already lost it's library and post office, now we face the closure of the Sure Start Centre and the loss of all but one of the village's parent and child groups with it. If this closure goes ahead the nearest centre to our village will be a walk of an hour and half - far too long for families with small children and pushchairs. A large proportion of our village do not have access to a car and cannot afford to take yet another bus on a weekly basis. Travel will pose a serious barrier to accessing early years services and will prevent families with young children from getting the help that they need. We are also concerned that the proposals indicate a move to online advice rather than in person guidance from staff. We feel that this ignores the many families in our village and across Leicestershire without internet access at home. As previously mentioned we have already lost our library - there is nowhere in our village for those without computers to access the internet. Again travelling to do so involves taking another costly bus trip or walking for 90 minutes. Barwell needs it's Sure Start Centre to remain open. Parenthood can be very isolating and overwhelming, and the connections made with other parents through the Sure Start centres help to prevent issues growing and becoming worse. If we lose our Sure Start centre we run the risk of leaving parents, particularly new parents, in a vulnerable and lonely position with no obvious way to get help - and that is how problems get worse. As recently as 2014/15 (while deciding whether to close our library) the Council themselves described Barwell as an area of deprivation within Leicestershire, and noted that 1 in 5 children did not have access to books at home. Barwell is exactly the kind of community that Sure Start centres are there to help - and we refuse to let the County Council take this vital service away from us! The public consultation currently taking responses can be found here. Please have your say and tell the Council to keep the 24 Sure Start centres under threat open! https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/earlyhelp

The low paid employees at the MoD’s Fort Blockhouse base in Gosport, Hampshire, who work as cleaners, mess hands and housekeepers, are currently embroiled in a row as ESS has cut the workers’ working year from 52 to 50 weeks. This issue affects mainly women workers on very low pay. The cost-cutting scandal for employees working at Ministry of Defence (MoD) establishments in the south of England has been compounded by the awarding of a new contract to ESS. Unite, the country’s largest union which represents 27 ESS workers, said it was taking legal advice as some employees had their weeks further cut to 48 weeks a year and there were questions about their hourly rate being below the national living wage. Unite has members employed by ESS at HMS Sultan (Gosport), HMS Collingwood (Fareham) and Whale Island (Portsmouth), where the company is also cutting the working year in the contracts of its low paid workers. ESS is part of the Compass Group. The pay of the CEO for Compass Group North America, Gary Green, was £5.8 million last year – the equivalent of £15,890 a day. Unite regional officer Bob Middleton said: “The Ministry of Defence is collaborating in this greedy cost-cutting scandal by awarding a new contract to ESS to run for five years from 1 June 2018. “ESS has won the contract by submitting a bid with reduced employee costs which is disgraceful, as our members are loyal employees who are proud to support our armed forces.” Unite general secretary Len McCluskey wrote to the defence secretary Gavin Williamson about the unilateral reduction in the weeks worked and the loss of an estimated £500 a year in wages – but no response from the minister was forthcoming. Bob Middleton added: “The MoD should hang its head in shame by giving a new contract to ESS, a company that does not care whether some of its employees are now suffering financial hardship after having their working weeks axed without consultation. “The announcement of the new contract is rubbing salt into the wounds."

Dr Glen has renewed her application to add Plains, Caldercruix and Hillend to her practice area and is hoping to achieve this by August 2018 with agreement from Lanarkshire NHS. The Primary Care Department of NHS Lanarkshire gave assurances in Caldercruix in January 2014 at a public meeting that there would continue to be GP services in Caldercruix at dedicated premises.The present service is well short of the assurances given to Alex Neil MSP in 2014 about a commitment to having a GP in the village. Assurances were also given to the Scottish Government that a GP would be in place in the village. The NHS is under pressure and Dr Glen is able to offer appointments in a permanent building with nursing and administrative support all ready to run for the benefit of local villages.

No current facilities available in Northampton for people to use .

We would all agree that the current situation regarding the speed of vehicles, the illegal parking on crossings and the lack of a safe crossing area for our children is both dangerous and unacceptable.

The childcare system in England isn’t working for families. Parents need childcare that helps them choose whether to go back to work. But hundreds of thousands aren’t getting the help they should be. It’s a battle for mums, dads, and caregivers to get the support they’re entitled to – and their children deserve. When the sums don’t add up, and parents end up worse-off than if they didn’t work at all, it can feel like the odds are stacked against them. And the financial pressure and stress that creates at home isn’t good for parents or children. This campaign is about making childcare fair and easy to use. Right now, our broken childcare system isn’t giving families the support they need - at the most important time in their children’s lives. Photo credit: Clare Hewitt / Save the Children

UK construction firm Carillion is in huge financial trouble. It is being reported the UK's second-largest construction company is shouldering a whopping £1.5bn debt pile and could collapse into administration by Monday. Carillion runs prisons, schools and hospitals (some 12,000 beds) and employs about 20,000 people in the UK, with more staff abroad. Mainstream news coverage reports the government is in crisis talks with Carillion and lending banks HSBC, RBS, Barclays and Lloyds, who are demanding a taxpayer bailout. After bailing out RBS in 2008 without imposing Government control, it is unthinkable that Government would pour more public money into the coffers of Carillion's PFI shareholders. We believe that the government can help by simply nationalising Carillion and bringing the PFI contracts it manages back into public control. The only way to protect services and the staff is to nationalise, not line the pockets of shareholders, particularly any shareholders who have avoided paying tax on profits. Governments PFI experiment has failed, with 68% of the UK public agreeing PFI deals should be banned. it is now time to accept responsibility and do the right thing by nationalising Carillion. Furthermore, we ask that a forensic audit investigation is commenced into how a consortium which included Carillion - while in acute financial distress, was awarded a £1.4bn contract for the HS2 rail link. Important links The company that runs Britain is near to collapse. Watch and worry : Aditya Chakrabortty “To see what this means, take the HS2 rail link, where Carillion this summer was part of a consortium that won a £1.4bn contract to knock tunnels through the Chilterns. If Carillion goes under, what happens to the largest infrastructure project in Europe? What happens to its partners on the deal, British firm Kier, and France’s Eiffage? The project will need to be put back and the taxpayer will almost certainly have to step in.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/12/building-company-carillion-collapse-schools-roads-hospitals-hs2-taxpayers-bill Redefining Corruption - Public Polling on attitudes to PFI by Liverpool University https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/publications/redefining-corruption Blacklisting, workers rights, and privatisation: 'The day we challenged Carillion' http://peoplevspfi.org.uk/2015/06/18/the-day-we-challenged-carillion/ FT: Vince Cable warns taxpayers must not bear brunt of Carillion bailout https://www.ft.com/content/e9f0f06c-f7b4-11e7-88f7-5465a6ce1a00?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Ever since PCM was introduced by the Bracknell Forest Homes, instead of solving the parking crises whithin Bracknell, unfortunately Parking has significantly aggravated and made it even more difficult throughout the streets of Bracknell. Many of us have already contacted Bracknell Forest Homes as well as our Local Authority - Bracknell Forest Council requesting their reasonable and legally bound support and assistance only because we are the local residents and we have been deeply affected by the restrictions and the awfully £100.oo charges issued by PCM. Moreover, as a result of their action, parking has became a real nighmare and we literaly seam to be imprisoned in our own home. No visitours or family members can come and visit us due to this parking crises. Aggrieved by these dreadful circumstances, a large number of our residents are currently parking on the pavements and on the grass verge causing unnecessary real messe and unnecessary difficulties in our neighbourhood. Thus represents serious concern for acces to emergency services and endangering lives. Forevermore, our property value and our house price has significantly droped due to the aggravated parking situation in our neighbourhood and throughout Bracknell. Therefore, through this petition we join our efforts united together consolidating our voice and efforts to put an end to these hideous moneymaking operation against the local residents without any further delays. We strongly oppose the operation of PCM scheme authorised and supported by Bracknell Forest Homes because the scheme was introduced without any democratic consultation with the local residents and without priorly due consideration. Moreover, there was no mutual agreement with the local residents or the local household and privately house and garage owners, not with the tenants of the rented garages where the scheme operates. We join our effort and voices together requesting our Bracknell Forest Council Mayor, Madame Tina McKenzie-Boyle and our respectful elected MP - Dr Phillip Lee as well as our local councillors to prompt intervention and assist the local residents legally rewing and without any further delays, to put an end to the parking enforcement scheme operated by Bracknell Forest Homes & PCM. 1. We request all the necessary assistance in preventing them to penalise the local resident. 2. We would highly recommend investing consciously and without further delays in providing efficient public parking facilities in our residential areas. 3. We solely request clear and transparent plans to be urgently put in place that will be implemented by The Local Authorities as to prevent future similar crises.

I personally have just got over breast cancer in 2017 and like so many of us, 1 in 8 now in the UK population, I am hoping and working hard with treatment to try to ensure it doesn't come back - but then part of that future is not in my hands. I have seen men and women, young and old experience cancer - some have survived others not. But at some point, unfortunately this disease will effect us all at some point. Please join me in petitioning government to protect cancer treatment and its diagnosis - our lives matter as much as anyone elses'! Help us to save our lives - and that includes your's ....

Please sign this petition to safeguard the young children that use this crossing and to prevent near-misses turning into a tragedy. Railings will prevent cars and buses from mounting the pavement, and children stepping into traffic. 1. This is a very busy, main trunk route through the city of Wakefield, heading south into the city centre, and north to the M1 and M62. At rush hour, the three-lane main road is used by cars, buses and HGV's, travelling at speed. 2. The pavements on either side of the road are not wide; the curb directly outside Centenary House is low and buses using the bus lane travel past very close to the pedestrians. 3. This section of road is used by very young children during the busy school runs, as it is directly outside Centenary House which provides for children aged 4 - 7. This crossing is also regularly used by large numbers of girls from the Wakefield Girls' High School, as their playing fields are situated at the end of Blenheim Road. Children of various ages at the other schools in the QEGS foundation and other local schools, such as St.Johns CE Junior and Infant School, all use this crossing. 4. This crossing and the roads in this area will become even busier with the new Redrow housing development that has been granted outline planning permission, on the site of the old Bishopgarth Police Training Centre. 5. I understand the School has requested railings in the past, but no response has been forthcoming from the Council. 6. On 19 July 2017, I approached the council requesting consideration be given to installing railings, and if this was rejected, what was the risk assessment that had informed that rejection. I was given a reference number: RS-002855. I have, in the intervening months, chased this issue numerous times, but have been unable to get a response. 7. I have written to the relevant councillors, and the deputy Mayor, to progress this matter. I am awaiting their response. 8. With the support of Mrs Gray, Head of QEGS Junior School, the time has come to press for a response to this issue from the council. The current non-response from the council is unacceptable. 9. If funding is the issue, consideration can be given to fundraising to safeguard the children using the local schools now, and in the future.

The Government led Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP - formerly known as Success Regime) are 'selling' their scheme to the public by stating that separation of emergency and planned (elective) care alongside the centralisation of emergency care facilities, will relieve the burden on the three hospitals in this area, thus improving patient outcomes and relieve the current bed shortages, financial and recruitment crisis facing Southend, Basildon and Broomfield ( Mid Essex) hospitals. The bottom line is that this is a financially driven scheme and they need to slash the £400-500 million estimated financial deficit by 2020/21. The health of our local population is being sacrificed in the name of savings in an already highly underfunded NHS which is in crisis. If the Mid and South Essex STP plans are allowed to progress, annually over 5400 patients from the Southend Hospital catchment area alone will have their planned and emergency care re-located to either Basildon or Broomfield hospitals. There are a huge number of concerns that many of their preferred pathways for re-locating and centralising planned and emergency care specialities are detrimental to patient outcomes and will enforce a 'postcode lottery' for NHS services for our local, ever expanding population. The STP had to shelve their dangerous scheme in July 2017 for the A&E downgrades and blanket re-direction of 999 ambulances from Southend and Broomfield Hospital to a 'super A&E' at Basildon, following exposure that the 'on the floor clinicians' were NOT behind the plans and there was the mass public pressure, led by our campaigns. We acknowledge that there are certain conditions such as complex trauma and neurological issues which do indeed benefit patient outcome by transfer to specialist centres and those pathways are already in place. We stand by the opinions of the 'on the floor' clinicians working at our local hospital. We are all for any modernisation of health services IF there is a CLEAR, CLINICALLY EVIDENCE BASED CASE FOR CHANGE supported by adequately staffed community health services, early GP access and increased provision of social care beds and home support to assist discharging patients. There is however little independent clinical rationale for their proposals and the STP to date have not provided any detail about how they will transfer these vast numbers of acutely ill patients between the three hospitals, other than claim they will provide an 'in house transfer team' so they do not increase the pressure on the already understaffed and over-burdened East of England Ambulance Service. We say - by who? With what staff? At what cost to life? With emergency general surgery to name just one example, being moved from Southend to Broomfield - we feel it's a long and busy journey from Southend when you are in an ambulance desperately in need of an operation. If we are honest, we do not think the STP leads have ANY intention of such provision for a large, complex and expensive internal transfer service and the long term goal is to return to the downgrading of both Southend and Broomfield A&Es, redirecting most of the 999 emergencies to Basildon or Broomfield according to their medical or surgical pre-hospital diagnosis. Then there's the HUMAN factor - that many of our loved ones won't be in our LOCAL hospital at their time of crisis, where we can pop to see them (emotional well-being and support from family plays a huge role in patient improvement) or how do we get there 'in time' if we get 'the call' to come quickly. The Mid and South Essex STP are on a Government led timeframe to achieve massive financial savings and the whole STP proposals are built on mass improvement in primary care services (access to GPs, mental health practitioners, community nurses, physios, specialist children's practitioners etc) in the community via 'Locality HUBS' which allegedly will PREVENT many unnecessary hospital admissions. There is also a huge focus on 'self care' and the increased use of web-based apps for self-diagnosis and treatment. Currently and historically, there is a huge GP crisis in South Essex and a significant drop in the numbers of nursing and allied health professional applicants plus unfilled vacancies across the whole of the healthcare sector. Hubs may be located at increased distance from resident's homes than their current GP facility therefore causing issues of accessibility for many patient groups. Then there's the issue of actual investment in the creation of these 'locality hubs' and that these will take YEARS to actually significantly reduce the hospital admission rate in an area with an increasingly elderly population group and massively growing commercial and residential infrastructure. Despite all this, the Mid and South Essex STP still feel it is your best interests to completely re-structure acute hospital services and 'centralise' emergency care for acutely unwell medical and surgical patients in our town. We believe that they must not alter our acute hospital services if there is not the community care resources proven to be in place first. There has been no mention in the STP for provision of community social care beds for those patients discharged from hospital, yet still requiring further care or rehabilitation before they can safely go home. Investment in this would reduce the 'exit block' from our A&E, provide timely discharges back to the community and prevent cancelled operations, as there would once more be the availability of inpatient beds. These simple measures would alleviate much of the pressure on our local hospital without the need to re-locate essential and life-saving services. Our NHS is in crisis and we refuse to become collateral damage in the name of cuts. For further details of all of the concerns, please follow the SaveSouthendNHS page https://www.facebook.com/SaveSouthendNHS/ Twitter @NHSunited.

We love living in Gateshead's best kept secret... Birtley! But the streets and pavements of our little town have now gone beyond what is an acceptable level for public health. There are increasing amounts of litter but more worryingly, dog waste. People with buggies are finding it impossible to steer away from unwanted 'deposits' and in the summer when children wear sandals it's nothing short of dangerous. When I asked the local council what could be done I was told cuts to local authority budgets meant a street cleaning service can no longer be provided in the Birtley area. We love living in Birtley - great schools, a bustling high street and amazing people, but the cleanliness of the streets is now unacceptable. As residents, many of us are vigilant and make sure any litter is picked up. But more needs to be done! Will you join me in signing and sharing this petition, as well as doing what we can when we see litter, to make Birtley better?