Many people living in Argyll and Bute are concerned at the serious allegations contained in the Common Space articles written during February and March 2015. Some of these allegations relate to the failed community buyout of Castle Toward which over 10,000 people supported in a previous 38 degrees petition. The Chief Executive of the council, Sally Loudon has been asked by some local residents and by the MSP Mike Russell to instigate an independent investigation into these allegations. So far the response has been they cannot because the allegations are anonymous despite there being precedents for the investigation of anonymous allegations in many areas of public life including the Police, Social Services and Health Boards. Sally Loudon has also given written responses saying the allegations are untrue but without a full, thorough and independent investigation this is unsatisfactory and leaves too many questions unanswered. The General Register of Scotland recently published figures showing a continuing serious decline in the population of Argyll and Bute. We need to know the council is working for the good of the local people and stop this decline in an area rich with natural assets and so much potential for growth.

Network Rail was formed in 2002 after the tragic failure of the privately-owned Railtrack plc, which was heavily criticised over several fatal train crashes in the late 1990s (particularly in Southall and Ladbroke Grove where 38 people lost their lives). It was acknowledged at the time that profit-making had proven incompatible with the need to put the public’s safety first. The Shaw Report, commissioned by the government and published in March 2016, recommended that passenger safety on tracks should not be handled by any private company. Re-privatising Network Rail would be a disaster. Not only is it the unnecessary sell-off of yet another important public asset, but it is also the wilful return to the failed experiment that was Railtrack plc. It would lead to yet more fragmentation and confusion on our railways and result in rising costs for taxpayers and falling safety standards for passengers. Petition Supported by: • All on Board (Compass) http://www.allonboard.org.uk • Bring Back British Rail http://www.bringbackbritishrail.org • Campaign against Climate Change http://www.campaigncc.org • Campaign for Better Transport http://www.bettertransport.org.uk • The People's Assembly http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk • Together For Transport (TSSA) http://www.togetherfortransport.org • We Own It http://www.weownit.org.uk https://s.bsd.net/38degrees/main/page/-/CBY/STOP-Network-Rail-crop.jpg

The mental health crisis in this country is dire. There is a shortage of beds, people waiting too long to be seen by a therapist. My local mind may have to close because of funding. I need people to help me fight for the services we so badly need please can people sign and share xx

Oakham Fire Station is 1 of 20 Fire Stations in Leicestershire Fire and Rescue (LFRS). The geographical area it protects is the second largest in LFRS. The area includes many risks such as part of the A1 motorway, HMP Stocken and a number of industrial units. The station attends a number of Road Traffic Collisions (RTC’s) on the many treacherous roads surrounding the area. Oakham Fire Station is the only Station in LFRS where calls to incidents have not declined over the last 5 years. Because of the risks in the area, Oakham Fire Station contains 3 Fire Service appliances. 1 of which is a fire engine that is available 24/7 and crewed by a minimum of 5 full time firefighters. The other 2 appliances are crewed by part-time retained firefighters who live and work in the Oakham area. The part-time retained firefighters at Oakham crew a second fire engine with a minimum of 4 firefighters. They also crew the Heavy Rescue Unit (HRU) appliance that attends specialist rescues such as RTC’s involving Heavy Goods Vehicles. LFRS have proposed to remove all of Oakham’s part-time retained firefighters and the fire engine they crew by April 2016. There has been no mention of what will happen to the HRU, but without the retained firefighters who crew the vehicle. It is unlikely to remain at Oakham Fire Station. Therefore, Oakham will be left with only 1 fire engine usually riding 5 firefighters, rather than 3 fire appliances with 11 firefighters it currently has ready to respond to any emergency incidents when they are needed. We believe these changes would increase the risk of death and injury to the members of the public in Oakham and Rutland. The estimated cost for LFRS to keep Oakham’s second fire engine and all the retained firefighters who crew it is £97,000 a year. RCC has kindly offered the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) £150,000 in order to maintain Oakham’s second fire engine and its retained firefighters for the next 2 years. On the 8th April 2015 the CFA decided that Oakham’s second fire engine and all its retained firefighters would be removed by April 2016. At the same time the CFA stated they would continue discussions with RCC regarding accepting the offer of £150,000 and using it instead to fund a Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) which is to be placed somewhere in Rutland. We believe the RRV will provide a significantly reduced service to the people of Oakham and Rutland compared to that given by the second fire engine at Oakham. The RRV will be crewed by 2 or 3 firefighters rather than a fire engine which can be crewed by a maximum of 6 firefighters. The RRV will contain significantly less firefighting and rescue equipment compared to a fire engine. Furthermore the RRV may not even be placed in Oakham. To highlight the reduced service the RRV will provide; at present when a fire engine attends a house fire, the crew can only go inside that house if it has a minimum of 4 firefighters. This is to ensure all the safety critical roles and procedures are being met. Since the RRV will only be crewed by 2 or 3 firefighters, in the same situation the crew of the RRV would not be allowed to enter the house to rescue the people inside or extinguish the fire and would instead have to wait outside until further resources arrived. This is unacceptable and could lead to members of the public risking their own lives to try and save their family, friends and neighbours. Whilst the firefighters riding the RRV have to stand outside awaiting further resources. Therefore, it is crucial we oppose the £150,000 offered by RCC to be used for anything other than helping to maintain Oakham’s second fire engine and the retained firefighters who crew it.

NYCC has already made subsidy cuts to bus services of a whopping £2 million in 2013/2014 - the highest in the UK - and now it wants to cut an extra £500,000 in 2016. Buses are a lifeline for so many, for both practical and social reasons. If a person cannot drive, or doesn't have access to transport, why should they be disadvantaged further? If somebody relies on the bus to get to work, why should they worry - again - that they may not be able to get there? You never know when you may need a bus so please don't take them for granted. They are a necessity and not a luxury. Here's my story: I've been using the 31x between Easingwold and Helmsley on an almost daily basis for several years to get to work. It's clean, reliable and a safe way to get to a lovely rural part of the world that is very popular with tourists. NYCC is thinking of cutting my two regular journeys to term-time only, with unacceptable cuts to the rest of the service which will effectively reduce it to three days a week and two journeys a day - one from and one to Helmsley - and nothing at all at the weekend. You can find full proposal information here: www.northyorks.gov.uk/bussubsidy DON'T LET NYCC CUT OR FRAGMENT ANY MORE SERVICES.

To provide a positive national platform in addressing, establishing and supporting the rights of Disabled People and Caregivers.

The proposed changes to services across our town's children's centres will have a devastating impact on our communities and will leave thousands of children and families without adequate early years services.

We are frustrated that calls are not answered, message states busy call volumes - this is not acceptable. We are frustrated that average waiting times are 30 -45 minutes with calls costing 9p a minute this is often more than most people can afford. Advisers seem to struggle understanding the notes on screen, letters sent seem not to make it on to the system, advisers are not able to say what will be paid when or how much -this helps no one. Advisers require further training! " Recently called CTC over 4 days before able to get through when money dropped due to their error - no food for the kids or petrol to get to work -left on hold for 45 minutes- money I couldn't afford but had to choose between food and the call to get the mistake sorted out!" This service is entitled a helpline but this is far from the service experienced, which leaves many in financial hardship and without a clear answer to the initial reason for the call.

'Education Other Than At Schools' (EOTAS) provides a service which is in very high demand. In addition, there are so many more children still on the waiting list, due to the limited amount of teachers that they have at the moment. The Council is intent on cutting the tuition team further (from 12.6 to 4 full time equivalent teachers ). That’s not enough! It’s going to mean a great deal of children like me are not going to get the education they need and deserve. Under the new proposals, children with mental health issues will no longer be eligible for home tuition and the Key Stage Four Pupil Referral Unit, a provision for pupils for whom school is not suitable, will be shut down. For two and a half years I received home tuition. I was so ill that I couldn't even get out of bed and there wasn't really a question about whether or not I could get into school. I had two wonderful home tutors who not only were my teachers but became great friends. They made my lessons not only manageable but also fun and made me eager to learn. They got me through my GCSE's, helping me achieve an A, two B's and two C's, where most people including myself thought I might not pass any of my exams. I know so many kids personally that are really very ill/disabled and are in receipt of home tuition or have received it in the past. Over and over I have heard of the invaluable support, teaching and guidance that these teachers have given. I'm now far better, my condition has stabilised and I have just had my 17th birthday. I am my studying my A-levels in college, looking at universities and considering a career in politics and art. None of this would be possible without my fantastic home tutors. Without Home Tuition, I would just have been another NEET statistic (Not in education or in employment training). Most of time the kinds of children that are in need of home tuition are the ones who will need to rely on their education most in future. The team are highly skilled, highly qualified and experienced teachers. This is not just about keeping their jobs. It’s about looking out for all the vulnerable children that need an education! Once this service is gone, it's gone. There’s no getting this service or these teachers back. What if your child in the future is unable to attend school? What if for some reason you or your child develop symptoms that make going to school difficult if not impossible? Save our services! You never know when you ‘re going to need help! Thanks

I care about this issue because there are thousands of deaf people in the UK and abroad who are disappointed with the subtitles on TV! I want subtitles to be more clearer than mistakes made very often on TV. If subtitle mistake was made once or twice it would be fine but now it's getting worse. Do your job properly BBC!

Tamblyn Way, the forty year old steps down to the beach at Droskyn, is one of the many factors that make Perranporth such a special place. It was named in honour of Mr Tamblyn, a local resident, for all the hard work he did on behalf of the community but four years ago it was closed and remains so with nobody seeming to know what is to become of it.

Our community libraries are under threat! The council want to stop funding the running of Bromley's community libraries, and have asked for volunteer groups to run and fund the libraries, threatening the loss of jobs for qualified library staff and the closure of the libraries. The council has millions of pounds in reserves, some of which should be used to maintain an efficient and comprehensive library service as required by law. It is a vital community hub used by the most vulnerable members of society- children and the elderly and it cannot be lost.