• Eating Disorder Services for East Yorkshire
    I want to highlight the sparsity of resources in the NHS for treating patients with eating disorders. This is a national issue but it has to begin somewhere. I mention anorexia in particular because it came into our family, but the same points apply to all eating disorders. The eating disorder charity BEAT states: "Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, from medical complications associated with the illness as well as suicide." So where is the funding? Where are the specialists? The Royal College of Psychiatrists report: “We are seeing waits of up to 16 months for non-urgent referrals. It is really worrying, because we know that the more quickly people start receiving treatment the quicker they are to respond to it.” Anorexia is an illness. Despite what some people might think, no-one chooses to be anorexic in the same way that no-one chooses cancer. It is a physical illness and it is a mental illness but it is also a neglected illness as far as the NHS is concerned. In the East Riding of Yorkshire, until recently, there was no provision for eating disorders. This year, CAMHS has established an Eating Disorder Service. What about those patients who are not children? Those patients like my own loved one. Four years ago, a beautiful, talented, artistic young lady whom I love with all my heart fell prey to anorexia and I watched in impotence as she shrank before my eyes. She was 16 and resisted medical treatment for the best part of a year. Once she accepted help, her GP was wonderful at keeping an eye on her and referring her to a general mental health therapist but there were no specialists in eating disorders or any specialist treatment. Early in 2017, when my loved one became so ill that she weighed 5 stone and had a BMI of 12, she was admitted to a gastroenterology ward at the general hospital. The doctors and nurses were marvellous but they were not experts in the treatment of eating disorders. However, they found her a place at a residential ED Clinic in Grimsby, 54 miles and a drive of an hour and a half away. Grimsby is not in East Yorkshire; it’s in Lincolnshire. Still, we were lucky. Did you see the programme, ‘Wasting Away: The Truth about Anorexia’, which told the story of news reader Mark Austin’s daughter? I watched in tears as their story unfolded in an almost carbon copy of our own. Now if someone in the public eye, with a doctor for a wife, had no clue what to do, and if help wasn’t readily available to them, then what chance did we have? Mark Austin's research taught him that there are only 200 beds for ED patients in Britain and his programme revealed a young woman from Nottingham who was sent to Edinburgh for treatment. Her mum had to make a 600 mile round trip to visit her. UK eating disorder statistics • 1.6 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder • 11% of the 1.6 million people struggling with an eating disorder are male • Eating disorders are more common in individuals between the ages of 14 and 25 years old • There are up to 18 new diagnoses of bulimia nervosa, per 100,000 people, per year • 1 in 100 women aged between 15 and 30, are affected by anorexia nervosa • 10% of people affected by an eating disorder suffer from anorexia nervosa • 40% of people affected by an eating disorder suffer from bulimia nervosa • The rest of sufferers fall into the BED (binge eating disorder) or OSFED (other specified feeding or eating disorder) categories of eating disorders • Research suggests that the earlier that eating disorder treatment is sought, the better the sufferer’s chance of recovery These UK eating disorder statistics are derived from data published by Beat and Mind. For the sake of the futures of our young people, we need to hold the government to account, locally and nationally, to keep their promises and to ensure that there is money in every local authority for ED Services.
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    Created by Catherine Minnis Picture
  • Change the crossing near Bitterne Station (Southampton) to make it safe for pedestrians & cyclists.
    It takes 7 mins to cross as a pedestrian with the lights, so people take risks running across. There's no safe cycle route, but it could be much safer with a few dropped kerbs and some paint. It is monstrous that the proposed Highways England scheme does not take this into account. We need a regular combined pedestrian/cyclist phase over this dangerous junction. Also, eg: - pavement alteration for bikes by derelict hairdresser and opposite for bikes. - crossing point is needed from station across to Athelstan Rd - over just Bitterne Rd West instead of multiple crossings. - traffic calming needed by the concrete blocks on Bullar Rd, as the crossing is often ignored by vehicles. Please join us on 18th Nov: https://www.facebook.com/events/266846273945353/ (or contact us via http://www.southamptoncyclingcampaign.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/ )
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    Created by Lyn Brayshaw
  • Stop 332 Hamilton Street (previously Nursery)becoming a Hotel
    Hamilton Street is not suitable for a Hotel as it is a residential area with limited parking. A 13 bedroom hotel could attract more than 15 cars (staff included) to an already congested and busy street which has Atherton's only high school and is a route for many primary school children going to St Michael's and Parklee. A hotel is open 24 hours with people coming and going at various times day and night this will cause noise and disturbance for the streets residents. How do we know that it will not become a hostel with up to 26 people or more living in it once planning permission is granted. Many people are already of the view that this is a trick to mask a more sinister plan by the applicant. The area around the war memorial has been made an area of beauty for all the community, a Hotel directly opposite is likely to ruin all the hard work and effort which has been carried out by local people to make the area so great again. A hostel could mean our War Memorial is used as a hangout area. On a personal note I have young children and am deeply concerned about the large number of strangers that would staying overnight in a hotel/hostel close to my family with no one there to manage the hotel overnight. The plans show only 1 full time job and 2 part time so it doesn't imply a traditional hotel where staff are on site 24/7 I have lived on Hamilton Street for over 18 years and cannot believe that a proposal like this could be considered. Please support us in preventing this application from being accepted. You can view the application at https://apps.wigan.gov.uk/planapps/PlanAppsDetails.asp?passAppNo=A/18/86272/CU Thank you
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    Created by Kathryn Walker-Yates
  • Keep Diesel Pollution Out Of The Ely Valley
    The proposed road will force over 400 village school children and residents in the valley to breathe polluting, health harming, diesel freight traffic fumes. It would bring deadly traffic pollution and noise from freight vehicles into an environmentally sensitive valley that houses two primary schools. The list of long term effects of air pollution on children and the elderly is growing almost daily. Wales has a Future Generations Act designed to ensure we consider the needs of future generations, but this road, aimed at servicing the loss making Cardiff Airport which is actually owned by the Welsh Assembly Government, means the future health of Ely Valley school children and residents appears to have been abandoned. The Welsh Assembly Government is planning on spending £100+ million of taxpayers money on this road that will service their own business. The children affected by these plans have no voice. We must speak for them.
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    Created by Glynis Lloyd
  • Bring back the St Helens show petition
    Is important to give something back to the people of St Helens and surrounding areas, this show was something to look forward to each year and now its gone and we have nothing
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    Created by Phil Norbury
  • Save the current attractions (including wheelchair accessible equipment) at Brooklands.
    Brooklands was initially designed as a pleasure park, not an educational nature facility. On the door step are many settings more equipped to be such places like widewater, pullbourough brooks, woods mill, southwater, swanbourne lake and of course the downs. What the locality doesn't have is an abundance of accesible, fun places to go and in fact, Brooklands was West sussex's first accesible play park! With a 2 millions pound budget it seems very little thought has gone in to what the area wants to retain from the original park instead favouring a blank slate approach. Children enjoy water play, play parks and indeed trains. A large indoor leisure facility isn't required to make it a rainy day attraction instead a small soft play area as before is enough for children. The new plans sound good but they miss out the very young and the disabled and take away a lot of the fun. We should be aiming to make attractions more accesible, currently there is wheelchair swings, roundabout and the train was accesible there seems no plans to parallel or better this. This review is one which highlights how important the facilities are or at least were and could be again for everyone. https://www.euansguide.com/venues/brooklands-pleasure-park-sompting-5611/reviews/brooklands-pleasure-park-totally-wheelchair-friendly-for-kids-1931
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    Created by Allegra Rosalind
  • Zebra crossing for Pangbourne school children and residents
    Pangbourne school children urgently require a Zebra crossing outside Pangbourne Primary School. Since the lollipop lady lost her funding, the residents of Pangbourne, desperately need a safe crossing for our children on their way to school. It is a fast 30 mph zone outside the school and cars rarely stop to allow children to cross safely. We feel it is only a matter of time before an awful accident occurs involving a child and a vehicle and this could be easily avoided by installing a zebra crossing. There is a traffic island further down the road but this is not sufficient as cars do not often stop for people, leaving children, families, and often large groups stranded in the middle of the road while cars whizz by. It is not a safe situation for anyone. And it's especially unsafe for children, the disabled, the elderly & families with young children and buggies.
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    Created by Helen Bailey Green
  • Continued Public Use of Holland Gardens SW20 for U10 Football
    We object to attempts made by any of the administrators – whether in an individual capacity, or collectively as a group - to interfere with, or to deny the use of Holland Gardens SW20 for U10 football activities.
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    Created by Kadir Colakoglu
  • Sensible parking restrictions in Grantown-on-Spey
    Grantown Initiative and Grantown-on-Spey and Vicinity Community Council recently wrote to The Highland Council regarding the changes to parking arrangements in Grantown-on-Spey which appear to have been made without due consultation with community organisations or consideration for businesses in Grantown-on-Spey. We believe that changes made to the parking arrangements in Grantown-on-Spey have resulted in a dangerous situation for drivers and pedestrians, are potentially damaging to businesses in the town and generally make the Square far less attractive to visitors. Meanwhile Highland Council has failed to provide adequate additional parking in spite of the fact that it holds land at the former council depot which could be used for such. A review of these newly made parking restrictions and a meeting to discuss was requested by both groups. Whilst we support the principle of Highland Council taking civil enforcement powers in respect of parking in Grantown, we must object to the implementation of this draft Order. We feel that that the Parking Scheme recently introduced in Grantown, over which Highland Council appears to be seeking these powers, is not fit for purpose. Not only does it raise serious safety concerns but it has removed essential parking bays around the Square and along the High Street. Not having had the opportunity to discuss the recently introduced parking scheme, Grantown Initiative now requests that The Highland Council takes immediate steps to rectify these issues enact sensible parking restrictions in Grantown-on-Spey. Specifically we request the following changes; • The removal of the parking bay(s) opposite the Co-Operative which have added to congestion around the busy High street / Seafield Avenue junction and have created a hazardous situation for pedestrians and motorists alike. • Removal of the chicane style parking bays along the length of the square which creates congestion, particularly around the Bus Stops where busses cannot properly access the stops due to parked cars. We would suggest that spaces be realigned to allow easier access for buses and freer flowing traffic and reduce unnecessary congestion. • Removal of the new double yellow lines, which have robbed the square of 20 parking places. • The creation of a new off street parking facility to provide sufficient parking for the town as a whole. This could be provided at the site of the old council yard adjacent to Grantown Primary. This could also be used to provide a safe drop off area for the school. • Provide an opportunity for the community to have a say in parking restrictions in Grantown-on-Spey
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    Created by Stewart Dick
  • St Marks Traffic Options Petition (STOP)
    The safety of our children and families is at the forefront of this petition. Providing an off road drop off zone will provide children with a safe passage to School. It will alleviate the current pressure on the surrounding streets, which currently results in dangerous parking and frustration for parents, drivers and local residents.
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    Created by Marie Skinner
  • Fly Infestations in West Dereham
    The excessive number of flies present in the village (and surrounding villages) is having a detrimental effect on the lives of residents and their families. A constant threat of disease and bacteria, material internal damage to property and expenditure on sprays, screens, tapes and specialist equipment is making peoples lives a misery. We know that it has been a hot summer, but the sheer volume of flies is due to more than the weather and living in a rural area. The image at the top of the page was taken in a West Dereham House. The owner is scrubbing every surface clean each day with bleach in desperation to rid the house of flies and their detritus, only for it to return to this state the following day. Another resident described her young daughter in tears as she abandoned her breakfast due to flies crawling all over the table and the bowl she was eating from. Others have said that family and friends refuse to visit because of the flies, whilst some avoid returning home because of the misery that awaits them. Residents have come forward to say they are reduced to tears by being unable to cook a meal cleanly and safely - just simple things that we take for granted. Anyone that has children will understand what it is like to worry about keeping them safe and healthy and for the residents of West Dereham (and the other villages affected) this is at the forefront of their mind 24 hours a day. Houseflies are known to act as vessels for over 100 pathogens - really nasty bugs and diseases which they spread as they crawl across food and surfaces. When flies feed they first release saliva and digestive juices over food and then sponge up the resulting solution. Enough to give you nightmares particularly when you have a young family. We are asking our MP to take action on our behalf and to apply pressure to both the Environment Agency and King's Lynn Borough council to take urgent action. If nothing is done, we face being in exactly this situation again in 2019. Please support us in pressing for action to be taken by signing this petition.
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    Created by Jenny Simpson
  • Install pedestrian crossing A27 peak lane and the avenue for parents and children
    It’s important to me because I would like to know that when my wife and children head off to school they do not have to cross such a busy junction with no true means of safety other than there judgement at any given moment when the lights change for other road users to stop or go. It’s also worrying that next year we will be sending our 11yr old son to the secondary school via this route on his own and the thought of this or something happening is very worrying. There are a number of families who use this same route and so it’s equally important to them and I have been informed previous petitions have been set up with nothing coming to fruition. Please help us ensure the safety of the families who travel this route almost every single day by signing this petition and when I have enough signatures I will email the local council.
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    Created by Chris Hynd