Communities across Suffolk are suffering from NHS dentist closures and the widespread lack of accessible NHS dentistry provision. Health inequality in Suffolk continues to rise. Patients are being put at considerable inconvenience and distress. The physical and mental pain suffered by those who are unable to find an NHS dentistry provider local to them, has all too often been matched by the financial hardships of being forced to 'go private' as practices are not taking on NHS patients. A Campaign Group has been put together to hear testimony and urge 'NHS England and NHS Improvement (East of England)' to reinstate local NHS dentistry provision in Suffolk. We are calling for the full restoration of NHS dentistry services in Suffolk. The NHS was founded in 1948 as a free-to-all service. We want it back! https://www.facebook.com/groups/suffolkteeth https://twitter.com/SuffolkTeeth

Didcot has no walk-in urgent health care facility. Didcot’s population is currently 32,800 (official estimate) and because of the many surrounding villages, there are over 44,000 patients registered with its 3 GP surgeries. Further rapid growth in housing is planned over the next decade. The nearest MIU is 7 miles away at Abingdon; a 30-40 minute bus ride or an expensive taxi journey for anyone without a car. The journey is even more difficult for those living in one of the villages, for example, Hagbourne, Blewbury, Upton, Harwell or Moreton. There are Minor Injuries Units at Witney (pop: 30,500) which is smaller than Didcot and Henley-on-Thames (pop: 11,900) which is less than half the size of Didcot. Even little Wallingford (population: 8,250) has a First Aid Unit. Didcot deserves better!

People are being refused travel and missing appointments and are late for work and having to get taxi s , there are not enough seats available, if this was 1 hourly service as before then this would benefit many , also the issue of there being no bus after 6pm and this is effectively causing problems for the local public house/restaurant as it is primarily losing 24 regular customers per week. This is not what businesses need post covid ,there is also a couple of flats that are rented out by a local man and he is concerned that if there is no regular transport available then why would someone want to live at one of the properties.

To remember a much loved man who made a difference to a lot of people whilst in public office. It's fitting seeing that he served for many decades in Cosham Police station.

Canons Park Estate Limited is a volunteer-led residents association established to manage and look after the Canons Park Estate in Edgware. The Estate is a designated conservation area within the London Borough of Harrow. The main road on the estate is Canons Drive, originally a carriage drive to Canons, a stately home built for the first Duke of Chandos. Canons is now the home of North London Collegiate School. The trees on Canons Drive include Wellingtonia (sequoia) Redwood trees and Cedar trees planted in the 1860s, making Canons Drive an avenue of one of the finest collections of trees in the country. This avenue of Wellingtonia trees is unique in London. The trees are protected by Tree Preservation Orders. Residents living at 3 properties on Canons Drive have made a claim to their insurers following cracking in their properties which they allege is caused by tree roots from historic trees situated on the grass verges in front of their properties. The insurers have applied to Harrow Council to remove the protection provided by the Tree Preservation Orders in respect of 5 trees (3 Wellingtonia and 2 Cedars) with the aim of felling all 5 trees, thereby destroying the beautiful landscape. We the undersigned wish to notify the Council of our objection to the removal of the protection provided by the TPOs. There are known solutions to repairing each property that (it is alleged) have been impacted by the continuing presence of the trees. These solutions would leave the trees in place rather than threatening their removal. The removal of the trees would irreparably harm the stunning vista created by these fine specimens which line Canons Drive. These magnificent trees are greatly appreciated by residents and visitors to the Canons Park Estate Please sign our Petition and share with others. .

For generations and generations, the number of options around the way we work have been few and far between. But one of the few things the pandemic did, was to prove that lots of jobs can be done from home. Some people might love working from home, while others might work best in a busy office environment. But what's important is the right to choose and decide what is best for you. A Government task force has been put together and they are calling for all businesses regardless of the pandemic, to grant workers the flexibility to choose where and how they work. Right now, the Government is weighing up their options and deciding what to do next, and they’re due to make an announcement in just a few weeks. A huge petition could push the Government to give people the flexibility they need.

Research shows that herbicide use has multiple harmful effects on human and animal health, and causes environmental pollution and degradation. Glyphosate has, according to recent studies, been linked to the death of bees. It weakens their gut bacteria making them more susceptible to disease leading to a higher bee mortality rate. Bees play an essential role in our ecosystem because of their primary mission, which is pollination. This action allows plants to reproduce. Bees are among the most effective pollinating insects alongside wasps and butterflies. Globally, there are more honey bees than any other pollinating insects. They are vital to pollinate the plants that produce the food that we eat to survive. Pollination is vital to the health of the global food system. And a single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers in one day. If the bees go extinct, a ripple effect will be felt through the ecosystems, such as a plant die-off that will impact the entire food chain. "The absence of bees and other pollinators would wipe out coffee, apples, almonds, tomatoes, and cocoa, to name just a few of the crops that rely on pollination," Graziano da Silva, scholar and director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization from 2012 to 2019. There have been 3 successful lawsuits against Monsanto (now owned by Bayer), which brought glyphosate-based herbicides to the market in the 1970s, and there are many more cases going to trial. Nineteen countries have already either banned or restricted the use of glyphosate, and 5 more have plans to do so imminently. Many towns and cities across the world have made the decision to go pesticide-free, using methods such as hot-foam, flame weeding, scraping, acetic acid solution and accepting a certain level of ‘weediness’.

Nothing angers the British public more than multinationals like Amazon, Google and others paying ultra low levels of tax. The Biden plan is a once in a generation opportunity to put that right. The US president has proposed a new global minimum tax rate for companies to tackle this behaviour. After a year in which many big tech firms have done well, we need to build back better and move beyond our outdated global tax system. The UK could benefit to the tune of £13.5 billion a year. With the UK's corporate tax rate due to go up to 25% in 2023, a 25% global minimum corporate tax rate would help to level the playing field for many British businesses who can’t dodge their taxes.

The benefits of good out door space are not only for children’s physical health as we are living in a generation where more and more young people are stuck in front of computer screens but it also supports with children’s mental health which in recent months has been highlighted in the media. Also some children on the estate suffer with Autism, Learning Difficulties and Down syndrome and would benefit from a much improved outdoor space. The community keeps on growing many childrens families do not have the financial means to keep leaving the estate to find things to do with their children as most activities come at a cost. Commissioning a park as other housing estates have is the right thing to do. The estate of Skye Drive has a park and so does Bannerbrook Housing Estate in Coventry. Saxon Rise, Saxon Heights and Saxon Meadows does not have this facility.

Ezekiel Herman is a Dad of four who is the only tenant in his tower block: Saxelby House on the Druids Heath estate. Ezekiel's neighbours have all been cleared from the block as part of the £42million regeneration the council has imposed upon the area. Ezekiel has been on his own in the block for seven months and desperately wants to leave too - the block is unsafe, cold and scary now it's empty. But Birmingham City Council refuse to offer Ezekiel a suitable alternative property and are now trying to evict him. They will only offer him 1 bedroom properties which would mean he would be unable to spend time with his children or care for them when needed. When Ezekiel appealed this, he was offered 2 bedroom properties - but only in retirement blocks with wardens and safety alarms which they have admitted "the children would not be able to live in". Birmingham City Council claim that this is due to their reallocation policy, which "suits the city but will not make everyone happy." Despite numerous requests by Ezekiel, interventions by his doctor who has made clear that this has affected his health, and proof that he is responsible for the care of his children, they have refused to budge. Ezekiel is not the only person affected by this policy. We have heard from other residents who felt pushed out of their homes after Birmingham City Council informed them that turning down property offers would result in them being taken to court. Some residents were lucky to find a property they were happy with. But more are unhappy: they have been made to move far away from schools, jobs and their families, or accept properties in poor condition. At the root of this is the choice Birmingham City Council made at the beginning of the regeneration to evict all affected residents and demolish towers before building any more homes. This means that they are increasing the number of Brummies who need council houses by hundreds, but building no extra properties to house them. This affects not just the people of Druids Heath, but everyone in Birmingham, and adds to the chronic social housing shortage in the city. As more clearances are due to take place on Druids Heath, and with the future of the entire estate currently unclear, this policy must be changed, more homes must be built, and Ezekiel and all his neighbours must be treated fairly.

Menopause affects half of all patients GPs see on a day to day basis but sadly many women do not receive the support they so desperately need. 1 out of 4 women experience debilitating symptoms that affect their quality of life, with many giving up work or reducing their hours in order to cope. 50% of menopausal women say they feel depressed and are often misdiagnosed and given antidepressants. One third of women visiting their GP are not even made aware of HRT. Many women are incorrectly denied HRT due to existing or family health concerns. Many women are fearful of asking for HRT because of the widespread belief that it causes breast cancer, thanks to the headlines from 2002 when a flawed study incorrectly stated there was a link. Despite the study being discredited, this belief has continued to this day. As a result of these misunderstandings, only 1 in 10 women choose to use HRT. My experience of menopause started around 10 years ago and I consider myself to be in the 25% of women who experience debilitating symptoms that can change lives. I have experienced a myriad of symptoms, many of which I consulted various GPs about, resulting in x rays, ultrasounds, heart monitors and antidepressants. Not once was menopause mentioned. Despite my request for HRT to help with hot flushes and night sweats, I was advised not to use it because of the increased risk of breast cancer. Two years ago my symptoms became considerably worse, so again I sought HRT, this time successfully, but my GP was unfamiliar with the up to date products I should have been prescribed and gave incorrect information. I ended up having to pay a private Menopause Specialist for correct dosages. I have since developed a chronic condition related to menopause that so far no GP has been able to help me with. The right advice early on would have made a huge difference, but sadly it wasn’t forthcoming. Instead, it has taken many expensive appointments with private specialists to try and improve my health and I am still struggling. Luckily, I can afford to pay for expertise but many women do not have this financial luxury. Instead, they continue to suffer having been refused HRT by their NHS doctor, and have nowhere else to turn for help. My struggle has lasted about 10 years so far, but how much misery could have been avoided if even one of my GPs was fully up to date on research, symptoms and treatment? Unfortunately, experiences such as mine are all too common, and something needs to change. The frustrating thing is that HRT is so beneficial and can protect women from many chronic conditions including dementia, heart disease, Alzheimers, colon cancer and osteoporosis. Surely we should be encouraging all women to think about using it to help them live longer, healthier lives? The financial savings to the state would be huge in terms of reduced health care costs. Employers would also benefit from having highly skilled women stay in their workforce instead of losing them as they struggle to cope with their symptoms. And of course the benefits to the women themselves and their families would be huge. Menopause affects everyone. On 13 May 2021 I was shocked to read that a survey of 33 university medical degrees, carried out by menopause campaigner Diane Danzebrink, revealed that 41% of the courses did not have any menopause education on the curriculum. How many medical students are therefore leaving without any knowledge of the menopause at all? Some will go on to specialise in general practice where I believe the menopause module of their training is voluntary. How many newly qualified GPs take up positions in the community, in our area, with no knowledge or training whatsoever? I find it staggering in this day and age that the needs of women are deemed so unimportant that doctors are not required to complete training on the one thing that affects all women. I’m sure if something affected the health and well being of every single man in the population that a solution would have been found long ago. We are therefore asking you to do everything in your power to improve the training given to our GPs. A woman needs to be able to go to her GP and receive up to date and accurate information about the menopause, its symptoms and how it can be managed, in order to improve the quality of her life and long term health. The Menopause Charity has just been launched and its goal is to provide up to date information to women, GPs and other health practitioners. For the next year they are giving away one free place per GP practice on an accredited professional development course called, ‘Confidence in the Menopause’. I urge you to request that all GP practices take full advantage of this offer to ensure that there is at least one menopause specialist in every practice as soon as possible, and that other GPs are required to complete the training over the course of the year. This would be an excellent step forward which would impact positively on all the women within your region and on your budgets. For more information the link is below. https://www.themenopausecharity.org/training/ Thank you so much for reading this. We hope you agree that the training of our GPs in this very important and much neglected area needs to be addressed. Cate O’Neill

Right now, an estimated 353,000 private renters are in arrears. Rent arrears have doubled since the beginning of Covid, and time is running out for the Government to prevent a homelessness crisis. Private renters are struggling because of the pandemic, and the Government has not offered enough enough support for those who have lost income. We need a Covid Rent Debt Fund to clear arrears, so that they cover average rents. Otherwise, thousands of renters will be extremely vulnerable to losing their homes, relying on their local councils to be rehoused, and risking homelessness, in just a couple of weeks’ time. Why we need a covid rent debt fund now. On 1 June the ban on bailiff evictions, which have been in place during the lockdowns, will be lifted. The courts have been processing evictions since September, which means that thousands of tenants will start being made homeless by mid-June. 60% of private renters had no savings at the start of the pandemic and a further 18% have had to use savings to pay their rent in the past year. How can these families and households afford to pay the rent, when they have experienced drops in their incomes, redundancies or a loss of business? The simple answer for many is they cannot. To make matters even worse, for the record number of people who now rely on Universal Credit because of the pandemic, many are now finding that benefits are not enough to cover the rent. People like Gareth from Worcestershire have had no choice but to fall into debt. He contacted us in April to tell us his story. “Since April 2020 my contracting business hit a full stop and I have been without income since that time… After 8 months I explained the situation to my rental agent who offered a slightly reduced monthly payment but still to be owed. So no benefit, just additional debt.” Renters are one of the most economically vulnerable groups in the country, and yet the Government still has not offered them more support. We need COVID rent debt fund.