The pool is a community asset and it is used to teach our children to swim and to provide classes for mental health, wellbeing and other exercise. Teaching people to swim, SAVES LIVES

Jubilee Swimming Pool is a well-used, much loved and vital community resource for local health and wellbeing. It provides leisure facilities within walking distance for all demographics of citizens in Knowle. It is a heritage building and a unique survivor of formerly common Bristol swimming pools. It represents the last remaining operational 1930s (Baths Committee approved) swimming pools in Bristol. It is a place where people meet, share experiences of learning to swim and keep fit and healthy. A variety of classes are held here and there are elderly swimmers at the pool who still use it, decades after learning to swim there as children.

Banks and building societies have closed or scheduled the closure of more than 3,500 UK branches since January 2015. For some of us, this is an inconvenience. For others, especially those of us who are elderly, vulnerable or live in rural communities, it can mean we’re left stranded without cash to pay for our weekly shop or left without access to basic face-to-face bank services. The Financial Conduct Authority - the regulator for banks across the country - has drafted a set of guidelines that would help protect vulnerable customers from bank closures, by forcing banks to consider the impact of closures, and consider alternatives.With 1 in 10 adults already saying they don’t know how they’d cope in a society where cash wasn’t easily available, this is very welcome news. But so far, nothing is set in stone. The regulator has opened a consultation to see what people think of the guidelines. A huge petition calling on the regulator to hold banks to account over closures will give them the support they need to follow through with their plans.

Evidence has been produced that the Post Office engaged in a mass cover up which led to the wrongful prosecution of 550 Post Office Staff many of whom were subsequently jailed, bankrupted and in some cases, sadly took their own lives. The initial Post Office investigation in 2012 failed to find any issues and as a result in 2012, Second Sight, an independent investigative firm were brought in to investigate complaints that the Horizon system used in post offices was inaccurate, buggy and could 'lose money'. Despite pledging full co-operation initially, Post Office subsequently withheld documents from the investigation and Paula Vennells later failed to answer a select committee when challenged on why this documents had not been produced as requested. The damning report, marked as 'confidential' stated that the Horizon system was 'not fit for purpose' and among their discoveries were 12,000 communication failures every year, software defects at 76 branches and that the system was failing to track money from lottery terminal, tax disc sales and cash machines properly. It concluded that rather than investigate the cause of such errors, Post Office instead accused sub-postmasters of theft. The Post Office dismissed the report which was subsequently leaked to the BBC in 2014. Despite Paula Vennells assertion that Post Office "have been working with Second Sight over the last few weeks on what we agreed at the outset. We have been provided the information" to Parliament at her select committee appearance in 2015, the lead investigator for Second Sight, Adrian Bailey, when asked if this was the case said categorically, "No, it is not" which meant that he could not access files to back up his suspicions that Post Office Ltd had brought cases against sub-postmasters with 'inadequate investigation and inadequate evidence'. The requested files had still not been handed over to Second Sight 18 months later. In March 2015, on the eve of the Second Sight report publication, Private Eye reported that the Post Office had instructed Second Sight to end their investigation, destroy all paperwork and scrapped the independent committee that had been convened. In 2019, a class action case, Bates & Ors v Post Office Ltd, was settled by the Post Office in favour of the 550 sub-postmasters for over £58 million. Mr Justice Fraser, the judge in the case concluded that the approach of the Post Office: "amounted, in reality, to bare assertions and denials that ignore what has actually occurred, at least so far as the witnesses called before me in the Horizon Issues trial are concerned. It amounts to the 21st century equivalent of maintaining that the earth is flat." Mr Justice Fraser, so concerned by what he had seen in the case, has passed a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In the Lords, Baron Arbuthnot of Edrom said in November 2019: "My own suggestion is that the government should clear out the entirety of the board and senior management of the Post Office and start again, perhaps with the assistance of consultancy services from Second Sight, who know where the bodies are buried.". Having been handed a CBE for services to the Post Office, and moved out into other senior positions in government and healthcare, it is only right that this award is now withdrawn through the process of forfeiture. Paula Vennells has subsequently refused to answer questions from these staff as well as the media and has refused to apologise for the cover-up, misery and trauma caused which has brought not only herself but the Post Office, the honours system and government into disrepute.

Since its foundation in 1934, the British Council has worked effectively to develop cultural relations with other countries and to support international mobility. The British Council now works with more than 100 countries worldwide, creating benefits that have fundamentally changed the lives of millions of people. This work is of enormous significance in the way we are able to understand and appreciate other cultures in often turbulent times and of course, in the ways that we are able to promote understanding of our own. The British Council has been a major disseminator of knowledge about the United Kingdom and the English language through its work in Education, Society, Arts and development projects, which benefit the partner countries and the UK. Although it is a public body under the auspices of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the government response to the British Council’s financial situation has been slow, and the British Council’s future is now significantly under threat. Unlike most public bodies, the majority of the British Council’s income, 85% of it, comes from commercial activity in teaching English and delivering UK examinations abroad, along with other projects. There are over 11,000 British Council employees worldwide who promote a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language; encouraging cultural, scientific, technological and educational co-operation with the United Kingdom. Approximately 203 of 221 British Council teaching centres and schools abroad were closed and 26 out of 41 test centres were also closed due to Coronavirus pandemic measures. This cut off the major source of income. Some teaching and exams services have moved online, where possible, and there is limited activity in some countries where the pandemic restrictions are easing. However, this is not enough to generate the income required. These closures are having a devastating impact on the cash flow and financial reserves of the organisation with money likely to run out in the coming weeks unless vital and urgent additional government funds are secured So far, there has been a small amount of additional money allocated to the British Council. The FCO are reviewing the operations of the British Council, and if emergency funding is offered it is likely to come with conditions which could be detrimental to the future of the organisation. British Council employees could face wage reductions and redundancies. The organisation could be cut back or brought back under a tighter control by government ministers, losing its arm’s length and independent status which is an important factor in its global success. Any government review of this valuable national asset should not be behind closed doors, any recommendations should be public and open to scrutiny. We need to act now, to ensure the UK government provides the financial support to save and preserve the British Council, before it is too late.

In the last 2 months, since 'Corona virus Lockdown' began, it has become apparent that broadband provision in the Ballyroney area is extremely poor. Ballyroney is a rural area. Broadband speed is low (often less than 2 Mb/s). Home working is difficult, local businesses have difficulty operating, children have difficulty accessing online learning and people have difficulty accessing online services such as shopping, banking and streaming services.

Background The pandemic is costing the Government billions. Do we really need to spend possibly another £100 billion on a project that has already been overtaken? When taking his February decision on HS2 the Prime Minister was, advised by both his Senior Adviser and his Transport Adviser to cancel the project but the then Chancellor of the Exchequer said it could be afforded. It was said to be justified by the cost to benefit ratio. Yet some say that ratio is being distorted by writing off much expenditure already incurred. Certainly the benefit will be eroded by the new procedures we are now being forced to learn. There is already less reliance on big meetings round a table usually in London. At the same time electric powered transport is being developed not only for cars and small buses but even for aeroplanes. The focus will be on journey times from home, now often the office, to venues for many fewer physical meetings likely to be held in out of town venues or close to small regional airports. Inter City connections will not give any time saving for such journeys. Much as the mid 20th Century saw the decline of railways as we took to the Motorways, so the 21st will see the decline of InterCity as we take to InterNet. The Future Politicians of all parties aspire to leave a legacy. That of the present generation is currently set to be a transport system mismatched with the needs of a post Coronavirus society. The cost would be: * a massive increase in debt at a time when debt will already be almost overwhelming; * the destruction of ancient woodland and desecration of nature; * the risk of increasing the spread of Covid-19 from workers arriving on site for HS2 in close knit groups as has already been reported. * the risk of jeopardising the improvement of rail links in the North of England in the event of an overspend on the current HS2 budget. Planning should start for the infrastucture needed in the world to which we are now moving. This should include major improvements to local or regional rail links in the North of England but it will not include the HS2 project which should now be cancelled or at the very least deferred.

He deserves recognition. He put his life on the line in WW2 - then raised a LOT for NHS Charities. More deserving than any 'businessman'.

NHS and social care workers, carers, key workers and hundreds of thousands of community volunteers are keeping us and our country safe in the fight against Coronavirus – the silent enemy. An enemy that does not differentiate between young or old; rich or poor; or those with power or the powerless. We have witnessed immense courage and bravery of our NHS, public sector and community spirited volunteers who are serving humanity selflessly without the fear of putting themselves at risk. Everyone is doing their little bit in saving lives, helping and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. Doctors, nurses, care workers, teachers and bus drivers have already sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and in their attempt to save the lives of others. The appreciation and love shown up and down the country by many people through lighting up buildings, by standing on our streets to #ClapforNHS #ClapforCarers #ClapforKeyWorkers and displaying rainbows in windows is overwhelming. We now need to further show our solidarity and support to honour them appropriately. We are proud of our NHS, social care, carers, key workers and community volunteer heroes for their efforts in protecting us all now and in the future. Generations to come will look back at their contributions and sacrifices for keeping us safe.

Care Workers are the lowest paid in society but are one of the most important workers - caring for the most vulnerable. They are front-line workers and therefore are one of the most at risk workers during this Corona Virus pandemic. We cannot allow poverty pay to put citizens at risk! Respect the work that they do and ensure their well-being.

As a thank you to the countries key workers for the work they are doing for us, the people, during this health crisis.

It is important that we keep the Co-op open - both for people's jobs, and because the Post Office inside the shop is very important to the public. If the shop closes down, the Triangle area of Clevedon will be badly affected and people will have to go elsewhere to access these services. The nearest alternative Post Office is in a poor location and has bad parking facilities. As a result, elderly people will struggle to access this crucial community service. As a partially disabled person, I will definitely find it difficult to reach this other location. That's why it is crucial that the central Co-op - and the Post Office within it - remains open.