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Posthumous Knighthood for John SurteesTo show we, as a country really recognise unique achievements.104 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Andy Tims
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Reopen the Whittington LUTS Clinic to new NHS patientsBritain’s only clinic specialising in the treatment of chronic urinary tract infections has been closed to new NHS patients for over two years. Hundreds of patients who have been referred to the clinic cannot be seen. They are being denied care and living in agony because they cannot afford to pay for private treatment. This is deeply unethical and unfair. The partial closure of the clinic has also affected its ability to recruit staff and leaves its future uncertain. The LUTS clinic run by Professor James Malone-Lee is pioneering research and treatment of chronic urinary tract infections which affect hundreds of thousands of sufferers in the UK. This includes infections that have become antibiotic resistant. Chronic UTI wrecks lives. The LUTS clinic is doing vital, life-saving work and needs your help! After suffering for a year with repeated urinary tract infections, 40-year-old Kirstin Lavender was referred to her local hospital in Yorkshire for an exploratory cystoscopy. Doctors confirmed her bladder was inflamed but didn’t know why. Following this invasive procedure, Kirstin bled for 6 months and her infection symptoms – nausea, fever, frequent urination, urgency and back pain – got so bad she became bed bound. Repeated tests showed no evidence of infection so Kirstin’s consultant diagnosed the incurable inflammatory condition, Interstitial Cystitis. All doctors could offer her was pain management. Kirstin’s life was unbearable. She had lost her health, her job and her identity. She was disabled by extreme kidney and bladder pain and facing life in a wheelchair. Finally, Kirstin persuaded her GP to refer her to Professor Malone-Lee at the LUTS clinic. Here she was diagnosed with a chronic bladder infection that had likely become embedded in her bladder lining. Her infection was complicated but, after seventeen months in treatment with the clinic, Kirstin is healthy, free of pain and has her life back. In October 2015 – after a single adverse event – the clinic was closed at a day’s notice by the Whittington Trust. Professor Malone-Lee’s patients brought a legal action against the Trust and it reopened the clinic a month later. Worryingly, 29 months later the clinic remains closed to new NHS patients. Repeated assurances that it would open in April 2017 have come to nothing. Islington Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for commissioning NHS services in the borough & wishes to see the clinic become a specialist tertiary provider. Whilst discussions for a move to a London tertiary hospital are ongoing, a phased reopening to new patients at the clinic's current location has, in principle, been agreed by the Whittington Hospital and the local commissioning groups for the spring of 2018. However, critical timelines have been missed, causing more delay to this phased reopening date. While NHS managers stall, hundreds of patients with chronic UTI are being denied treatment. No other clinic treats this way so they have no choice but to wait – in terrible pain with debilitating symptoms - while their condition worsens.4,832 of 5,000 SignaturesCreated by Sarah Jobling
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Protect Sheffield Central LibraryThe library belongs to everybody and we do not consent to the Council selling it off or leasing it for use as a private hotel. Our library is more than books. It’s part of our community’s stories, connections, routines, traditions and heritage. Although the Council is suffering from funding cuts, dismantling our heritage and our community piece by piece for the sake of short-term gains is not the answer. We are concerned that the Council is giving undue priority to the potential developer, Sichaun Guodong Group, and failing to properly consider the people of Sheffield, who own the building, and make itself accountable to them. Furthermore, it is our view that the Council’s actions since November 2016, relating to the proposed sale or lease and redevelopment of the Central Library building, have not met the required standards of transparency and openness. We have seen no firm plans or funding propositions for an alternative central library if the purpose built Art Deco library building which was gifted to the city by JG Graves is turned into a hotel. If the council is as cash-strapped as it says, how can it fund a new fit-for-purpose building? And how will it protect and maintain the Graves Gallery and Library Theatre, currently housed in the library building? Our city deserves better than this. We ask Sheffield City Council to: 1. Refrain from signing the proposed 12-month exclusivity agreement with Sichaun Guodong Group (SG), which would block all other potential investment in the library for 12 months, or any other agreement for the sale or lease and redevelopment of the Central Library building 2. Properly consider the alternatives A feasibility study is essential to make sure any actions taken are transparently in the best interests of the people of Sheffield. The Council is in discussions with only one potential developer of the library building, which has not been put on the market. If a private development is truly in the best interests of Sheffield, SCLAG maintains that the building must be marketed openly to ensure best value for Sheffield. 3. Give us evidence of best practice due diligence. In June 2016, The Council agreed Heads of Terms with SG regarding investments in Sheffield, including the proposed hotel project. In November 2016, the Council took the decision to enter into a 12-month exclusivity agreement with the company, to enable project evaluation. We want guarantees from the Council that best practice due diligence has been undertaken, regarding both SG itself and the proposed hotel development, as a basis for entering into these agreements. 4. Allow enough time for proper evaluation and scrutiny The Council now hopes to develop the June 2016 Heads of Terms agreements with SG into full legal agreements, apparently before the expiration of the 12-month exclusivity agreement (which we believe has yet to be signed). Proper evaluation of alternatives and project scrutiny will require more time (18 months for a feasibility study, according to the Council). SCLAG maintains that a longer timeframe is essential to best serve the interests of the people of Sheffield, not just the developer. 5. Guarantee permanent fit-for-purpose Central Library services The Council has not made provision for a new, permanent Central Library building prior to closure of the existing building, and an ‘interim solution’ has been mooted. There is, therefore, the clear risk that a ‘temporary’ solution will become a permanent one. 6. Provide maximum project transparency The Council advises that a ‘formal approach’ was received by SG, leading to the Heads of Terms agreements of June 2016. Neither the content of the ‘formal approach’ nor the agreement has been made public. Already at this early stage, the Council has been unable to provide a consistent or definite answer to whether or not it has signed an exclusivity agreement with SG. To enable full public scrutiny, SCLAG seeks the maximum permissible transparency from the Council regarding the approach from, negotiations with and agreements with SG, as well as project plans, procedures and timeframes. Sheffield Central Library Action Group is a platform for concerned citizens who oppose the sale or lease and redevelopment of the JG Graves Library building in the city centre.197 of 200 SignaturesCreated by SCLAG Sheffield Central Library Action Group
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Number 5 Bus Keep it Public and Funded !Elderly, disabled and the vulnerable are effected by the lack of social mobility, inherent in this exclusion as a service. This includes public sector workers, those working at Blackberry Hill Hospital the UWE training site, UBHT and also any new housing developments being built. That impacts on the economic and social well-being of the city and people that use Number 5 Bus Route. None of the people using the route or that filled in the survey including my self were asked. Wether we would like any part of the service to be commercialised. Leading to NO public consultation by the council around these planned changes, including whether the council will guarantee any shortfall of provision if the commercial operator does not fulfil the void under Public Sector Transport. The Mayor talked about looking at transport as an issue here is his chance. To do something positive about that very issue.40 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Viran Patel
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Don't limit free Lancashire scool bus passesIt is not just families on benefits who are struggling to make ends meet and a charge of over £500 per year is a huge burden to those families who are not now eligible for a free bus pass . Free school transport is an essential for all those who live more than reasonable walking distance from school. This change penalises hard working families.3 of 100 SignaturesCreated by margaret baugh
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Turn Our Street Lights Back OnCrime doesn't go down as we are led to believe. It's caused more anti social behaviour in Boston.487 of 500 SignaturesCreated by Jamie Brown
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Save Ongar Leisure CentreIf we don't act now, the proposal for this site will remain in the Local Plan due to be sent to The Secretary of State for approval later in 2017. The land is owned by the District Council, so once the Local Plan is approved, it would be very difficult to stop the land being sold and redeveloped in a few years time. The leisure centre and swimming pool will be closed along with most of the carpark which is also used and needed by the 12,000 patients using the local doctors surgery. The site has been in marked for 24 houses. There is nowhere else to build any new Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool in its place in Ongar We have had a great deal of feed back from our "Save Ongar Leisure Centre" Facebook page. Here are some of the comments: "Are they really going to knock down a Leisure Centre that provides facilities for 1000s of people, just to put 24 houses plus lose valuable parking for the doctors" "If EFDC was to take Ongar Leisure Centre away what will be there for the children. It will only bring more crime. When I take my younger brother to football to center is packed full" "Classes are always booked to the max. And you can't get in if you don't book 2 weeks in advance". If the Leisure Centre were to close it deprive over a 1000 pupils of swimming lessons, 1200 fitness members of their facilities and numerous gymnastics, trampolining, badminton, netball and martial arts non member users and clubs. This centre provides a focal point for our community and is so important for our social and physical well being. To lose this Centre would be a disaster and would leave a massive gap in peoples lives and take away the only leisure facility all ages can use.2,623 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Save Ongar Leisure Centre
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Maintain Moorwell Place on Eccleshill Recreation GroundMoorwell Place sits at the bottom of Eccleshill Recreation Ground. It is public right of way and the only pedestrian footpath leading from Moorside Road to the footpath that runs down the side of the recreation ground, by the bowling green. It is used by the residents of Eccleshill, including Parents with toddlers and pushchairs, children on their way to school, cyclists, followers of the Eccleshill History Trail and many others, along with the residents of the street. At present, it is in a sorry state. It is muddy and full of deep potholes, making it extremely unsafe. It is inaccessible to mobility vehicles/wheelchairs. For a number of years, the residents of Moorwell Place have asked the council to maintain the road which, although they have previously acknowledged responsibility for, they have refused to maintain in an effective manner. More recently the residents have been told that the road is an “unadopted road” and the council have refused to undertake any maintenance work. After some investigation, it has been established that the road was in fact created by the local board (the council) in 1864 and as such cannot be deemed an unadopted road – it is in fact a road created by the council in 1864 and they have failed to maintain it. Further evidence suggests that a court case in 1864 established that the council were responsible for the creation of the road – but that it must remain part of the recreation ground "intact" forever. Council asset management documents show that the road is part of the recreation ground which is a registered village green. The council are owners and managers of the village green and are responsible for its maintenance.208 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Emma Heal
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Save Warrington FutureTechFutureTech is an excellent provision for the children of Warrington who believed in and chose a completely different approach to learning. It's unique selling point was small numbers, small class sizes and work experience. Numbers for the school may be low but the grass roots difference that it is and has made to those attending is imperative for our town. Plus the intake number was originally set at 200 (changed to 300) and currently has 187 students. Some (NOT ALL) of the children there did not engage in the schools that they have left, for a myriad of reasons but under FutureTechs tuition and guidance have engage with education again and gained confidence and self worth beyond measure. These kids will now be left to find new school placements (often to places that will not offer the subjects they are taking now) and will be disrupted right in the middle of their preparation for their GCSE's.811 of 1,000 SignaturesCreated by Carrissa Price
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Save our bus sheltersThe bus shelters in Milton Keynes are vital for people who get the bus to work or school every day. They keep people dry and out of the wind and the rain. Without these shelters, infants, disabled people and the elderly will be forced to wait out in the cold. Th council talk about the regeneration of estates but they are planning to demolish these bus shelters. If Milton Keynes, with seven deprived estates, is going to demolish their bus shelters, this could happen in other areas where councils want to save money. The demolition may look minimal at first, but this is no small demolition.491 of 500 SignaturesCreated by Francoise Ugochukwu
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Hamilton Primary School restructuring proposalHamilton Primary school restructuring: Reject these unfair and damaging proposals. Tomorrow (Tuesday 22 February) the school's governors will meet to make a final decision on their restructuring document which was delivered to staff on the 25th January. The essence of the proposals are in effect jobs loses, changes in staff terms and conditions and pay cuts. It will mean that the school will lose two important part-time teaching posts and face the real possibility that Higher Level Teaching Assistant (unqualified teachers) will be required to deliver regular time-tabled lessons planned by class teachers to whole classes without any preparation time whatsoever. Most disgracefully the school's highly dedicated and motivated Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) will be forced to reapply for a limited number of jobs, most taking a significant cut in hours. Further savings are being sought by withdrawing pay for LSAs' 15 minute morning "break" (invariably spent supporting distressed or confused children, preparing for the next lesson, or on playground duty). These women are currently earning approximately £8.50 per hour! In addition to removing LSA cover for all class teachers in key stages 1 and 2 in the afternoons, (for example, leaving a single adult in charge of 30 5, 6 or 7 year olds all afternoon), further proposed job cuts include reducing the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator's post to one day a week (even though there is an acknowledged increase in the need for SENCO intervention at the school), and slashing the Computer Technicians post by more than a third (despite the heads decision to invest heavily in new computer technology in the classrooms). We urge the Governors to reject these proposals for what they are: an unfair and damaging attempt to push through cuts in the schools budget at the expense of our children's educational needs and pay cuts and worsening of terms and conditions for some of our school's lowest paid staff. Please sign the petition calling on the Governors to reject these proposals. If the Governors give the proposals the go-ahead we need to urgently act to defend our staff and our children's education. - The school's staff unions should call a joint meeting to develop a strategy of oppose and stop any attempts to implement the proposals. - We should call a joint staff and parents public meeting to organise a protest at the school gate demanding that the proposals be withdrawn. Up and down the country similar attacks are taking place - attacks that unfairly attempt to balance a budget at the expense of children's education needs and staff pay and conditions - but they are being resisted by both staff and parents. In Durham teaching assistants have struck to fight off a 40% cut in pay and in Derby TA's recently descended on Derby Councils head office blowing whistles, ringing bells and waving flags and placards to overturn a proposed pay cut.335 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Jeffrey Jackson
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Don't move Lewisham blood clinic to WoolichMoving the Lewisham blood clinic to Woolich will cause transport issues and much longer clinic waiting times for people who need regular blood tests; Woolich Hospital already has a reputation for jammed clinics. Also concerned that this action is a backdoor way of weakening Lewisham Hospital's essential services to the community leading to a Government argument that Lewisham Hospital is redundant.42 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Linda Romano
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