For the responsibility that they take, the high pressures and demands required of care workers this wage is an insult. Many unskilled workers earn well above what carers earn with very little responsibility asked of them. This higher wage should apply across the board for all carers, HCA's whether based in hospitals, care homes or community.

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

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)

In 2012, I was admitted to a mental health hospital following a suicide attempt. During my treatment, I admitted that one location I used to talk to other sufferers, and share my story, was Tumblr. Looking back at Tumblr now, and the images that are being taken, shared and used to discuss mental health are actually having a devestating effect on those who are seeking help and comfort. Images shown range from black and white text pictures, through to images of nooses and coffins, through to images and videos of self harm - both after the harm but some of the harm happening. Those suffering from mental health are already in a vulnerable position. Having this media available at their fingertips - Tumblr now has an app - means they are getting huge amounts of negative images 24/7. Just take a moment to imagine what this might do to someone close to you if they were ever in need. If, like me, you feel this should be stopped, please sign this petition.

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.

Because my wife died from cancer last year & these hospices should receive government funding instead of having to rely totally on fundraising.

On the 1st of July 2017, Angus Council plan to commence the implementation of proposals which will see social care provision changed, services cut and privatised. ‎The number of staff responding to Community Alarm calls will be cut during the day, working hours will be cut, some staff will be forced to provide a car to undertake their duties and there will be approximately 170 job losses. All of this will impact on the most vulnerable members of our community. We believe that the evidence does not exist to support these plans or to implement them safely. We believe that private sector interest to provide social care in rural Angus just isn't there. Care for profit is wrong. We call on Angus Council and the Integrated Joint Board to halt these plans and to reassess this strategy. Cuts to vital care services will impact on the most vulnerable members of our community.

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.”

Residents have already been greatly affected by the recent restriction in opening hours to only three mornings a week. As such, most are expected to travel to the White Horse Medical Practice in Westbury to seek medical attention. Yet, this is very difficult seeing as White Horse Medical Practice in Westbury is situated on the outskirts of town and therefore is not accessible to those who do not possess their own transport. In addition, White Horse Medical Practice has already been struggling to cope with demand, due to continuing growth in the town's population. All in all, the current situation is already unsustainable and will only get worse, should Smallbrook Surgery close altogether at the end of the current 3-days-a-week trial period.