• What a load of rubbish - Call for Camden Council to change its decision
    From the residents who are signatories to the petition who live in the following wards and who are affected by the rubbish decision of Camden Council which starts in April 2017: Frognal and Fitzjohns, Swiss Cottage, West Hampstead, Belsize, Gospel Oak, Hampstead Town, Highgate and Kilburn Background Camden Council under the guidance of Cllr Merik Apak has decided, in its wisdom, to remove weekly bin collections for most of residents of the wards listed above. Not all roads in those wards are affected but most are. See the Ham and High’s article confirming those affected wards. http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/environment/revealed_the_camden_streets_to_receive_fortnightly_rubbish_collections_1_4842664 If you are not sure if you are affected, you can check your postcode at the link below to see whether you have weekly or bi-weekly collections: Post code checker http://www.veolia.co.uk/london/services/services/north-london/camden/service-change-checker This decision raises a peculiar situation where residents in the same ward with roads which adjoin each other have different rubbish collection dates. The rationale for the decision has been to boost recycling. Camden states that it will still collect recycling and food waste every week. In a letter in the Camden New Journal, Cllr Apak states “for those homes that have been independently assessed to have enough space to store rubbish for two weeks, we will collect their non-recyclable rubbish fortnightly, from April 1 onwards”. Space outside homes have, therefore, been allocated as storage sites for Camden’s waste. If you have the space to store such rubbish, you are chosen. See para 1.4 at the link below: http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/recycling--rubbish-and-reuse/our-new-environment-services-contract/ This decision has nothing to do with the suggestion that residents who do not currently recycle are encouraged to do so. If you live in one of the lucky wards still to receive weekly collections, there is no incentive to recycle – you will still have weekly collections. If you live in one of the unlucky wards, and already recycle - there is no pat on the back – it matters not because you have been selected anyway for 2 weekly collections. Unless you opt out, Camden will now distribute a 240 litre capacity black wheelie bin which you must keep within the boundary of your property. If you already have a large Camden green recycling bin, you now need to add a black one of the same size to your garden. You can opt out of receiving the wheelie bin by 18 Feb. And, the sting in the tail is that if your household rubbish exceeds the size of the new wheelie bin or, if you don’t want one, the 4 Camden orange bags they will give you to put your rubbish in for collection, they won’t take it. Once your orange bags are emptied, you have to put any extra rubbish in them and store for another two weeks or take independently to Camden’s local recycling sites – see para 2.3 of the link above. So Camden is not just moving to 2 weekly collections, they are limiting the amount of rubbish they will take away. So, if you recycle but are a large generator of rubbish – too bad – you have to store it for longer or take it to the dump yourself. What are we paying our Council taxes for?? As part of the same plan, garden waste will now be collected every Saturday as a paid-for, opt-in service. Residents who subscribe to the service will pay £60 for 9 months or £75 for a year – but there is also the option of heading to centres at Hornsey Street or Regis Road to drop off garden waste for free.
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    Created by Jessica Learmond-Criqui
  • Keeping a village social club open
    Men, women, kids (families) of all ages use this social club. There are a lot of family events such as bingo, karaoke, football, bands/music etc. It is a socialising place for people to meet.
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    Created by Amanda Leggett
  • benefit cap
    As more and more family struggle to pay for food and clothing the benefit cap will only make thing even harder for family they will be more homeless people because of the benefit cap. family will have to choose between rent or food.
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    Created by Francis Belhomme
  • Stop the funding cuts to our schools in Shropshire
    Our schools are already at breaking point and the long term impact would be huge. Not just on education but on the job market, welfare and crime. Let's not give up on our kids
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    Created by Lissie Walton
  • Harlescott Level Crossing
    A 14 year old boy was killed because the barriers didn't come down when a train was due and died as a result.
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    Created by Louise Coupland
  • Dog Fouling Prestwick
    The seafront at Prestwick and the roads leading down to it are constantly fouled. This impacts on the whole community and gives a bad name to the majority of dog owners who take responsibility for their animals.
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    Created by Elissa Wilson
  • Save Our Public Nurseries in Tower Hamlets
    The nurseries are outstanding and a fabric of the local community. Some have been running for over 30 years, with dedicated well trained staff teams. They provide affordable childcare to children with different type of needs i.e special educational needs, deaf children, parents on low -medium income, lone parents, students, residents that may require support. Cutting funding for these nursery's will affect parent’s ability to work and will affect the children's well-being, especially children who are disabled or have other specialised needs. If privatised the cost of these nurseries will go up, meaning that many parents will not be able to afford to send their children. As parents we are concerned that cuts are the driving force of the Tower Hamlets proposals. Value needs to be given to quality of care provision, service user’s experience, rather than who can do it cheaper. Tower Hamlets Council is depriving the vulnerable children the services vital to their development, putting additional stress on parents of Tower Hamlets and communities, destroying long lasting community hubs. Our Tower Hamlets, Our Voice, Our Nurseries.
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    Created by Alicja Topij
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    Created by Tracy Hill
  • Affordable CAFCAS fees
    This will enable parents and grandparents to have access to children when parental relationships breakdown. This will reduce the emotional harm done to children when they are prevented from seeing their family members. They will not feel abandoned. It will reduce the conflict between adults who need support to understand the affect their behaviour has on a child. This will make conciliation affordable to all.
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    Created by Jackie Whitwood
  • Save Netherwood Day Centre
    Camden Council is planning to close Netherwood which is a specialist dementia day centre - the only one of its kind - in Camden. This will be the third time Camden has tried to close it since 2011. Each time we campaigned and won. We need to win again. Situated in NW6 between West Hampstead and Kilburn, Netherwood is regularly visited by people the world over, so impressive is its design and the care received by the people who attend it. If Camden Council closes this centre and sells off the land, as is the general feeling, then it will be lost forever. The council will never be able to afford such a site again. If the closure goes ahead, those attending their beloved Netherwood will be "decanted" to another nearby centre which is not a specialist day centre and is not purpose-built. The council says it will have money to make alterations to the building to make it "dementia friendly". We argue: why spend money on partially reconfiguring another centre when you have one right there that is purpose built? We appreciate local governments are having to make huge budget cuts, but we believe losing such a jewel of a resource will be a travesty and will adversely impact generations to come. Please help us save this incredible community resource a third time! Dementia is recognised as a growing concern in today's society. Not only is it important that there is excellent care for the person with dementia, it is also crucial that family carers are given time to themselves to recharge from what can often be a hugely challenging and exhausting situation. Places like Netherwood enable families to STAY together. They also keep people from being hospitalised and we know how important that is in the current climate. If we have brilliant services in the community the ultimate saving to society, both financially and in terms of general well-being, is enormous. Cutting such lifelines will ultimately cost more in the long run with some families perhaps deciding that residential care is the only solution. The cost of this to the council would be enormous. If we are to have a truly dementia-friendly society then places like Netherwood should never be threatened with closure but should be protected in perpetuity.
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    Created by Jane Clinton
  • Save the Kamelia Kids special needs unit!
    Kamelia kids Nursery is the only nursery in West Sussex that has classes especially for special needs children. My son started off at this nursery in one of their mainstream classes. He used to crawl into the cloakroom and lay on the floor to escape the busy environment he couldn't handle. My son is autistic. The nursery moved him to an autistic class within the nursery. He settled immediately. He had extra support and an environment that was specially designed to meet his needs and allow him to make unbelievable progress in his communication and development. These classes give children like my son their best possible chance and a sense of security. Wscc are suggesting that this is about inclusion rather than funding. The truth is we have schools for special needs children funded by the council. That is because they are NEEDED. So why exactly is it that nurseries offering that service aren't? Of course they are! People come from miles around so that their children can access the resources Kamelia kids currently has because they are already few and far between. The early years of a child's development are crutial to shaping their future. As lovely as it would be to believe that all children with additional needs could cope and even thrive in a mainstream environment, as some do, the reality is that there are many that don't. That is fact. For those children they are going to be abandoned to a system that fails them if this is allowed to go ahead. These units/classes are too important to lose. Our special needs children shouldn't be forced into environments they will not only struggle to cope in but where their development will suffer too. This is failing the most vulnerable children in our society. How can that possibly be justified?
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    Created by Donna Wilson
  • Save our East centre
    Our local youth centre which has been helping young people since 1964 risks being sold off by the council. They have decided this without any consultation, and we’re campaigning to keep it open. I as a person who attends the east think it is very disappointing. There are many memories made in the east. The east has ran for 52 years, which my parents and many other of my friends parents have made many good memories here. The east puts a service for young people, where we can talk about sexual health, mental health, as well as holding many other things for young children such as boxing club, NCC and special needs services This building holds many memories and holds a service to young people which nowhere else offers. We’re making a stand and we’re showing the council our love for Prudhoe’s East centre. Please, if you can, sign this and help us save our east centre. Thank you.
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    Created by Lauren Forster