A Guardian article, published in June last year, estimated that sites for a further 500 free schools are required and that most will be playing fields. Recent National Audit Office criticism of the Education Funding Authority (EFA) for overpaying for free school sites, will make playing fields an even more attractive cheap option. Although playing fields are usually protected from development by local authority planning policies, the EFA are exempt from these. Mapledurham Playing Fields, a charitable trust bequeathed exclusively for recreation (Recreation Ground Charity #304328), is a case in point. This has been targeted by the EFA as the site of a free school. The trustee, Reading Borough Council (RBC), which is also the Local Education Authority responsible for meeting demand for school places, has given conditional approval to the plan. The EFA has submitted planning application. This contravenes national and local planning policy and is opposed by Sport England, Fields in Trust, the Campaign for Protection of Rural England, RBC's own Parks Department as well as hundreds of local residents and Playing Fields users. Nevertheless we believe that planning permission may very well be granted. If you believe parks and playing fields should be protected and would like to add your voice in support of this test case please sign our petition. Further information about the campaign to protect Mapledurham Playing Fields is available at www.ProtectMPF.uk or email [email protected]. The planning application, which is case 171023, can be viewed in the planning applications on RBC's website at planning.reading.gov.uk

I have suffered with anxiety and depression and I think its disgusting the way people like myself are being treated its a illness that can't see but there are lots of symptoms and you go to see the doctor and they fob you off with medication so come on people get behind this and let's win something for us It's important for our well being and for our children

Mental health is often sidelined in NHS discussions

State education of school age children is supposed to be free at point of use. Even simply imposing a uniform has the effect of making parents pay a fee to claim the "free" service but some schools go further and abuse their position. By requiring uniforms be bought from the school or its appointed suppliers, schools create a monopoly. Parents are prevented from shopping around competing suppliers so are forced to pay excessively high prices. The system is wide open to corruption as schools are able to charge suppliers for the privilege of being the appointed supplier. Children of impoverished parents, who cannot afford the uniform, are penalised either by being denied an education or put into isolation. Parents are sometimes forced to choose between providing food for their families or buying a school uniform. Uniform rules are also often sexist in that they impose stricter requirements on members of one sex than they do on members of the other.

Reasons for Keeping Ward 15, RAH Open • Our children and the future children are the reason we have formed a campaign group. We have the support of many in our community and will continue to raise awareness and get more people involved. A move to The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is more than a simple inconvenience, it will have a huge impact on many family's lives. Ward 15 is a safety net and a centre of excellence. It should be cultivated and encouraged to offer more services. The answer to good quality care is not centralised huge hospitals, but second to none local services. Why close such a centre of excellence, surely the service it provides to the local community should be invested in further, to increase its role and continued existence. If Ward 15 closes, in an emergency situation, a child could have an additional 30 minutes, life threatening travelling time by ambulance, car or taxi to the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. The cost and logistics of getting to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital from Paisley and further afield is prohibitive to a lot of people. This can have a huge impact on a child’s recovery as friends and family may not be able to visit, impacting on the children’s mental health. It is ludicrous to remove paediatric services from areas where they are most needed. More children with very complex health needs are enjoying a family life enjoyed by their peers. Many of them rely on the high quality service provided by Ward 15 to remain at home with support close at hand when they need it. The care families provide saves the NHS billions of pounds per year. “I have 5 children and my oldest is 10 and has cerebral palsy and asthma, I also have an 8-year-old who has been in the ward and a 7-year-old who has ADHD and autism. I also have 3-year-old twins one has lymphedema in her right arm and she has heart problems and has a brain haemorrhage, so you can imagine I have been in the ward loads of times, and I am in the Panda Centre every other week with appointments, SO I NEED THIS WARD TO STAY” Desperate Mum “Ward 15 saved my son when he was 11 days old, my GP referred him to the short stay with what we thought was a very bad cold. A doctor took one look at him and said he has meningitis. He is now 7 years old and has been left with complex life limiting conditions which means he is in ward 15 as an inpatient, for varying lengths of time, on a weekly basis. In the time it would take me to rush him to the QEUH my son could die! I also have an 9 year old with additional support need who also attends the ward and the Panda Centre. If the health board close ward 15 they will be signing my 7 year olds death certificate.” Karen M (founding member of Kids Need our Ward)

There are many woman and children who have spent many years with out being close to there loved ones this has an effect on familys don't let the family's suffer

People with Dementia need Social Care. My mother had this awful disease. This is both for the sufferer and their family. They need this WITHOUT being Means Tested. Dementia destroys lives so some help to give Families quality time without the threat of losing homes etc.

BBC has stated that Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan are facing the greatest famine for over 60 years. Millions of people especially children are at risk. We are currently wasting huge amounts of food often through over buying as supermarkets encourage us through their 'buy one get one free' campaigns. We take more than we need.

I’m calling for a change in the rules so that people with dementia are specifically eligible to apply for a Blue Badge, which means easier trips to the shop, the doctor’s or the hospital for dementia patients if they choose to apply. “I hope the Government will consider this change.” The final decision on who is eligible is up to local councils. But Government provides guidance can prove crucial in earmarking badges - and dementia is not on the list of criteria. Charities say some local authorities give blue badges to people with dementia while others enforce much tighter rules. Although the person with dementia may be able to walk the required distance that exempts them from being issued a Blue Badge the person has to be helped in and out of their vehicle, and guided, they can be unsteady on their feet and suffer dizziness/confusion as to where they are because of their dementia. This means that, e.g. they cannot be dropped off while a driver goes to park, because they are in danger from wandering off or walking into the road. Campaigners say the disease can be as mentally and often physically debilitating as other illnesses. The number of people with dementia is set to rise from 850,000 this year to over two million by 2051. Alzheimer’s Society national campaigns manager Sam Gould said: “Many people with dementia gradually lose their ability to walk and perform simple tasks as their condition progresses. “This means activities that many of us take for granted, like visiting the shops or attending GP appointments, can become physically challenging and make some journeys daunting. “We support the call for people with dementia to be able to access the Blue Badge scheme, as this could mean that more people with dementia are able to continue doing the things they enjoy and maintain their independence for longer.”

The family home as been in our family for 30++years

Because it's for the safety of everyone involved. Plus it's dangerous and also crime rate will now rise.

The youth project and KRAN are based at the Shed. They work with local young people many of whom live in Harbour Ward, one of the most deprived in the area. The young people receive sex and health education, drug and alcohol awareness, and help with writing CVs and applying for jobs. They are also encouraged to take part in a range of positive activities (such as sport, art, and music technology) and are able to make friends and integrate with other local young people. The Shed is a safe, non-judgemental space where all are welcome. One young person who uses the Shed said this, "People who find it hard to fit in anywhere else come here which enables them to feel valued...it also provides them with education and teaches them that everyone is equal no matter what their background is. We wouldn't have learnt these life lessons and morals if it wasn't for the Shed and the kind-hearted staff that give up their time to make sure we feel we belong."