• Stop Social Cleansing in London!
    The government's proposals to force councils to sell of remaining social housing stock will, in combination with the lowering of the welfare cap to £23,000, make London an uninhabitable city for many. This will only get worse over the next five years and lead to unprecedented levels of social cleansing from the capital. The amendment would force the government to empower London's Mayor in seeking to redress this balance, and provide additional social homes for people in one of the world's greatest cities. The Thatcherite campaign of council stock depletion would, over time, be reversed. Though it focuses on London, social housing is an issue everywhere, and we believe this would be a start. Stop the social cleansing of London. Your signature can be a part of that.
    153 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Richard Andrews
  • Save the Kingfisher Nursery
    The Nursery provides and important lifeline for Parents who wish to study in Further Education, as well as for Staff at the College and High School and community beyond. The Nursery is well loved and has an excellent track record and it's loss would be keenly felt. We do not feel that enough options have been explored by the College to keep the Nursery Open and we would like to see the figures and the basis for the decision to close it made public, as well as the results of the 'Consultation' process the College went through.
    477 of 500 Signatures
    Created by Steve Bush
  • Keep Fife's Libraries Open
    On 18th June Fife Cultural Trust, who run Fife's libraries on behalf of Fife Council, announced the proposal to close 16 libraries across the county: Glenwood (Glenrothes), Thornton, Markinch, Pitteuchar (Glenrothes), Kinghorn, Crail, Lundin Links, Pittenweem, Colinsburgh, Falkland, Freuchie, East Wemyss, Bowhill, Crossgates, Abbeyview (Dunfermline) and Townhill. These libraries provide many people with vital internet services and access to books that they would otherwise not get. Many unemployed people or those on low income cannot afford internet contracts and therefore use the libraries for this: closing them means far more restricted access to things like online banking, bill payments and job searching. Some of the areas affected are rural and by closing these internet access points they will have to use public transport to travel further afield; this is money they do not have, and may lead to benefit sanctions if they cannot apply for jobs. Update (23/6/15): Local councillors have managed to stall the closures by demanding Fife Council give a public consultation. While this is great news we still need to continue having our voices heard.
    3,801 of 4,000 Signatures
    Created by Bryce Sutherland
  • Save Cefn Fforest Leisure Centre and others from closure
    Caerphilly CBC has drawn up a new Health and Leisure Strategy that would see 7 of the 11 leisure centre in the area close, including the much loved and well used Cefn Fforest baths. There was a wonderful turn out to the public meeting about the closures on Wed 17th June, where over 100 people spoke with anger and passion against the short-sightedness of these plans. Some comments include: - the difficulties travelling to another area for leisure means that children and adults alike would not be able to exercise or swim as frequently - None of the schools in the area were consulted and yet most use the school for swimming lessons - the hypocrisy of the council encouraging healthy living and yet taking away a prime resource for improving health and well being - the negative effect on our children who won't be able to walk to a local baths, we talked of the wonderful outdoor pool in Pontllanfraith, which is still missed - losing the baths will no doubt effect poverty in a ward that already has one of the highest levels in the whole of Caerphilly Despite the three County councillors saying that they would fight to keep them open, we need to do all we can to let Caerphilly CBC that we are absolutely opposed to their new strategy and they find alternative ways of saving money that will not effect the well-being of so many, as well as the opportunities for our children.
    2,289 of 3,000 Signatures
    Created by Paula Dauncey
  • End the wait for eating disorder treatment
    In his portfolio as Care minister, Norman Lamb made strides in parity of esteem for mental health, but promises need to be kept. In April 2015, maximum waiting times standards for mental health were introduced, but how are specialist services going to meet these targets? Without the targets, very ill patients are waiting over a year for an assessment. There simply isn't enough appointments, services or professionals. Secondly, the NHS England specialist criteria dictates that patients can only receive treatment when they have reached a critical point. This contradicts all evidence on early intervention. 1.6 Million people in the UK suffer with an eating disorder. This evidence is based on NICE research carried out in 2004. Recently reports have highlighted that numbers of hospital admissions amongst teenagers have doubled in two years. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses. 1 in 5 people can die from complications or suicide. They have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. However sufferers are also able to recover. Like with cancer, if an eating disorder sufferer is able to access treatment early their chances of making a full recovery are greatly increased. If treatment is delayed or intermittent treatment can become costly leading to hospital admissions, additional complications and costs to other areas in their life such as work, school, housing and social relationships. I, have first hand experience of this, and know many others who have been turned away from treatment to devastating effects. I have often said that you wouldn't turn a patient with a broken leg away from A & E and expect them to wait till the other leg was broken. My own case study saw me relapse with my eating disorder. I had previously had intensive inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa, but sometimes you just aren't fixed straight away, or you haven't learned to cope alone fully, which is what happened to me further down the line. I was strong enough to recognise that things were going wrong, but having waited a year for a referral and my mental wellbeing falling off a cliff I was getting desperate. When eventually I did get my assessment, I was told my condition wasn't serious enough to meet the criteria, and was discharged. During this process, I lost a lot more weight, and ended up in A & E with malnutrition. I have since received private outpatient treatment, which my parents have supported me with and am now in a stable place. I still have bad days, but I am a lot stronger and am positive in my ability to recover. My outpatient therapy lasted a year and 3 months, and cost £25 a week for a therapist (trainee to keep costs low) and £105 a fortnight for a dietitian. I saw a consultant at a reduced rate of £50 for 30 mins 3 times over a year. This should be the minimum for eating disorders outpatient treatment, and yet I would not have got both even if I had got outpatient treatment through the NHS. For eating disorders you need to tackle the physical and the mental side by side in recovery. I haven't gone into too much detail about BMI and criteria, but when I was told I didn't meet their strict criteria for treatment, I did a lot of investigating and was able to deduce what this meant via NHS England (official source). Due to a lack of funding the criteria is only set up to treat patients when their illness requires a physical intervention. This focusses more on severe anorexia nervosa and occasionally bulimia nervosa. However, the challenge is that by the time patients reach this point inpatient is the only option, and a lengthy admission is needed to save a life, becoming A & E for eating disorders. The crisis is when someone requires a bed, and there are no beds available, before a person is ready for discharge. The current method is not focussing on prevention, but focussing on interim solutions. If the NHS wants to save money, it needs to be innovative and focus on a criteria which is preventative, backed up by all the calls that early intervention is cost effective and saves lives. Furthermore this approach reaches a broader number of diagnosis's which the current criteria ignores. PLEASE SIGN THIS IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/14/eating-disorders-long-waits-nhs-treatment-lives-risk#comments
    517 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Katherine Pugh
  • Barrack Homes for homeless veterans
    Firstly to ensure that those thrown out on the scrap heap of unemployed because the MOD wish to reduce pension rights for veterans. Next to Keep them off the streets. Thirdly to reduce the chance of becoming a statistic and finally for helping veterans to have something else other than low paid security work. The disused barrack and homes and ex married quarters could be maintained and used for training or veterans to enable them to take up work and also then mean that providing a charity set up as Barrack homes for Ex Service Personnel could result in less veterans finishing up in prison or homeless on the streets. Why? because often, families have moved on and it is so difficult to adapt to civilian life. How do I know? I am a veteran and it took me over 5 years to come to terms with having nowhere and no one
    126 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Don McGetrick
  • Wirral council, keep parking in New Brighton charge free.....
    This will have a negative effect on local businesses, and would undo some of the success of the newly redeveloped New Brighton....
    1,088 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Nick Clarke
  • Save Westland Leisure Complex
    Westland Leisure Complex provides many essential facilities for the people of Yeovil and surrounding areas. For example, entertainment, sporting & social facilities for the local community, conference facilities to local businesses, and much more. There are no other venues like it for many miles around. We believe that with effective management, the complex can return to being a thriving and profitable concern, and a valuable asset within the local community.
    1,803 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Russell Payne
  • Make First Aid a part of the National Curriculum
    Why should a child watch a member of their family or friend suffer in pain and have no idea what to do? That kind of pressure and guilt should not be put on children. First aid should be taught in Primary and Secondary schools so that our children can be the difference between life and death and can even know what to do for themselves if they need first aid. It's all well and good children learning science, mathematics and literacy, but saving a life overrules all of that in retrospect. Give our children a well rounded education with important life skills!
    387 of 400 Signatures
    Created by Stephanie Palmer
  • Save The Roddens
    The Roddens Care Home Ballymoney has played an instrumental role for decades now in caring for the most vulnerable in society. Highly trained staff have offered first class residential care , step down beds , respite and recuperation for the people of Ballymoney and beyond, easing the burden on our already overstretched hospitals and domiciliary care teams. If this home closes it will have a detrimental impact on our elderly.
    718 of 800 Signatures
    Created by Rodger Doherty
  • Keep York art gallery free for residents
    York has few benefits for residents. The new art gallery should be free and this will stimulate greater attendance, so revenue will still be gathered.
    86 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Rob Oxberry
  • Local Voice for the Walkley Carnegie Building
    We believe the sale of the building to a private company (Forum Cafe Bars Ltd) is being rushed without possible alternatives being considered. The local community has not been properly consulted and the sale process has been neither democratic nor transparent. The building was gifted by Carnegie to serve the people of Walkley. Once it is sold to a private company it will never again be a public resource - there is no going back. This community resource will be lost forever. The proposed arrangements have been described as a partnership but wider community voice has been removed. Some local people have voiced their opposition but have been ignored. There has been little or no consultation, little or no information has been made available to the wider community and specific questions about the sale process have not been answered. It is important that the sale is put on hold until: 1) the community has a say in the future Walkley Carnegie Library building 2) the sale process (removal from public ownership) being followed is documented, made transparent and shared with the community.
    2,025 of 3,000 Signatures
    Created by Catherine Butcher