There are approximately 20,000 students who did A levels as external students. Some are homeschooling, some re-sitting, often because of a tragedy in their lives. Since they were not in a school or College, CAG doesn't work for them as centres are understandably saying they cannot give them a grade. But it means that unlike every other A level student, they have been left with nothing. Government have said they can re-sit in the autumn. That means they can't go to university this year. But they could be given predicted grades NOW. Most of these students cannot afford to take a gap year. They watch their friends move on and, through no fault of their own, they are left behind. Again. Ferdaus, for example, got a place at Kings College to do medicine. He re-sat due to family illness last year. "I was very very anxious during the confirmation [of results] period. I'm depressed. It's not even limbo. It's nothing. I'm in a black hole." Israt didn't do A levels last year as her father was dying. Now she's left with nothing and says she's 'never felt so low or suicidal.' Another BAME student from a working class family had mental health problems and didn't get the grades they knew they could. Re-sitting was a financial burden on them and their family. Had got a uni place. "I'm a future psychologist. We're all future 'somethings' but our futures are being held hostage for another year. I'm devastated. I can't do this again." Please sign the petition, circulate and contact your MP urgently.

The government is due to make Tony Abbott a UK trade representative. But this man should not be representing the UK. He will go down in history as one of Australia's worst Prime Ministers. His only claim to fame will always be - now and forever - as the target of Australia's most unforgettable television moment of all time: Julia Gillard's famous misogyny speech. As Kay Burley on Sky News pointed out today "he's a homophobe and a misogynist". And as she rightly asked, is he a "fit and proper person to represent us, as far as trade is concerned, given the views that he holds?" Abbott also renounced his British citizenship to serve in the Australian parliament - do we really want someone who has renounced his British citizenship? There are so many brilliant and diverse candidates that could do this job brilliantly. Why have you chosen a man who believes women should be at home doing the ironing?

The Home Office is planning to deport dozens of asylum seekers on charter flights on the 26th and 27th of August, and on the 3rd of September. They will be forcibly removed to France and Spain, where they face onward deportation to unsafe countries, including a war zone and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Up to 40 asylum seekers are currently detained in Brook House IRC, where self-harm and suicide attempts are widespread. Many of them are protesting their deportation through a hunger strike that began on the 13th of August. In the words of one protester: "We left Yemen to escape persecution and war and to avoid death. And to come to a country that is safe, where we can live safely and healthily without fear of persecution." Many of the people who fled countries such Iran, Iraq and Kuwait are traumatised and vulnerable. The Home Office's attempt to deport them during a pandemic is appalling and must be prevented. Sign this petition and join campaigners across the UK who are calling for the immediate cancellation of these charter flights.

The City of Edinburgh Council use Glyphosate for weed control on our streets, pavements, parks, playgrounds, around schools, cemeteries and green spaces. Glyphosate is under worldwide investigation for its multiple harmful effects on human and animal health including Cancer. It is linked to many health concerns such as asthma, immune issues, Parkinsons, respiratory problems, burning sensations - inflammation, diarrhoea, skin issues, allergies and intolerances. Children are more at risk than adults due to their age and also their behaviour, for example, investigating nature, crawling and playing on grass. Dogs and cats are particularly vulnerable too due to their close proximity to the ground. There are also numerous environmental concerns - pollution of the air we breathe, degradation of the soil and contamination of our delicate waterways. Pesticides have also been shown to have a damaging effect on wildlife, birds and bee populations and other pollinators which are currently in steep decline and need all the help they can get. In 2015, the World Health Organisation said Glyphosate was a probable carcinogen. Billions of dollars have now been set aside for hundreds of thousands of litigation cases arising from claimants against this chemical. ‘Round Up', of which the main ingredient is Glyphosate, has recently been pulled from the shelves of B & Q and Dobbies. Many countries have banned this chemical and communities are asking for no further Glyphosate to be applied where they live, work and play and for safe alternatives to be used instead. 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 higher level of weediness and wildflowers. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have been using the Foamstream system from ‘Weedingtech' since 2016! Foamstream uses a blend of plant oils and hot water to kill weeds, is safe to use around humans and animals and is non-harmful to the environment. Dalkeith previously had a moratorium against Glyphosate being used in their community after councillors raised concerns about bee deaths and dog illness. In 2019/2020 Balerno residents raised community concerns about exposure to this chemical and launched a community petition, proposing to The City of Edinburgh Council a trial of Foamstream supported by a community volunteer weeding group. Edinburgh Council are now discussing a trial of Foamstream for 2021 and have agreed that no further Glyphosate is to be applied in Balerno for 2020, protecting the health of the community. We ask now for The City of Edinburgh Council to apply the precautionary principle to Currie, Juniper Green and Barberton and protect the health of these communities. We therefore call on The City of Edinburgh Council to put an end to all pesticide use for weed removal in all of Currie, Juniper Green and Barberton and use safe alternatives instead, protecting health and the health of our environment for now and for future generations. Please also sign the petition to stop pesticide use across the whole of Edinburgh: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pesticide-free-edinburgh https://www.pan-uk.org/campaign-success-for-pesticide-free-balerno/ https://www.weedingtech.com/case_studies/glastonbury-town-council/ https://www.hortweek.com/dobbies-garden-centres-drop-glyphosate/retail/article/1663176 https://www.hortweek.com/b-q-drops-glyphosate-based-weedkiller-roundup/retail/article/1683580 https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2020/08/pesticides-a-no-no-in-balerno-and-elsewhere/%3famp

This is a very fertile green area in the city and very pleasant for families.This must be stopped. the willow trees must not be felled.

If you are a nurse, care worker or retail worker in Monmouthshire then you probably can't afford to live here. Unless you are in priority need you probably won't get social housing, and with around 3000 households on the waiting list you'll be advised to rent privately. With soaring local rents and short term tenancies this isn't a good basis for making a life or for raising a family. In 2018, County Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, leader of the Labour group on Monmouthshire County Council, put forward a practical plan for more social rented homes in Monmouthshire, using some of the land holdings that the Council and other public bodies own. The plan was agreed by all parties, including the ruling Conservative group, who then quietly shelved it. In the wake of Covid 19 we believe that the people we all rely on, our heroic key workers, and also the many disabled and vulnerable local people, deserve better. Everyone needs a secure, low carbon, affordable home. They must not continue to be pushed out of the area where they work and belong by inflated house prices. The County Council may say that they have a long term plan for private developers to build affordable housing through planning gain, but we've all seen those promises watered down and not delivered, and with the current recession and uncertainty those homes may never be built. The Council may also say they no longer have the money, and with local authority budgets under pressure we know that it will be hard to find. But with determination, and the support of the Welsh Government, we believe that the affordable, low carbon, secure rented homes the county needs can be delivered, creating local construction jobs in the process. If you agree, sign our petition, and please share it on social media. For more information go to www.h4mh.org.uk or to get involved email [email protected]. We want to hear your story.

The company, Europe's leading sandwich maker, supplier to M&S, has put staff who tested positive on statutory sick pay and all other staff on the furlough scheme. So the government is paying 80% of the salary bill. The company has refused to provide the 20% top-up. This despite posting £56.4 million pre-tax profits last year. Employees were furloughed and sent home to self-isolate for 14 days. They're carrying the burden of the Covid-19 outbreak. Hundreds of families will be plunged into poverty as a result of Greencore's actions. The Union estimates that 60% of the workforce will be left below the minimum wage. If they only get 80% of their current wages - which is what the Government's furlough scheme provides - they won't be able to make ends meet. The managers are self-isolating on full sick pay. The workforce should get the same.

Children have been shown to be asymptomatic carriers of Covid 19 and could infect staff who take it back to their families.

Because did you know it's not a legal requirement to walk your dog in the UK? This is really quite sad. I have an email from the RSPCA saying it's not a legal requirement to exercise your dog, plus it's not a wellfair issue.. This all began due to my neighbour refusing to walk their dogs and the fact I've noticed they do not clean up their dogs mess in the communal garden. When my neighbours are out, the dogs bark all day, which is causing them to become distressed. I believe it's in every dogs right to be walked exercised, socialised and stimulated. I am going to stand up for these dogs in the UK and I hope you will join me. *Petition time: I hope you will all sign it, because our dogs deserve better 🐕*

Very important to all them that work so hard and the long hours and caring for our most vunreuble and elderly , They work hard and they seem to be forgotten yet again its so sad . I looked at my partners wage on a normal 3 days 12 hour shifts no overtime and was getting only a , , £1000 pounds clear and that her working nights its shocking . We and our goverment should consider this with high proirty , I personally have voted the goverment in and live in scotland and boris please do the right thing it could cost you next election

So here is our story and why i feel strongly enough about this to start a petition. Myself and my husband have been trying for a child now for close to two and a half years, after a year and a half we were referred to a fertility specialist in Glasgow and we got our first appointment in Oct 2019, we saw Dr Sastry who was wonderful and extremely helpful, we were advised however that we could not go on the list for IVF until we had been trying for at least 2 years which we expected so this was fine. We had some scans done to check that everything was ok and it was found that i have what looks like a cyst on one ovary and also on the other side what could be a cyst or a possible blockage of a tube they couldn't tell so at this point we were advised the best thing to happen would be surgery to check, we were fine with this and were placed on a waiting list. There were some other conditions for the IVF too i had to lose weight and get my BMI under 30, this was also expected so i got to work on losing the weight. At this point we were so relieved that things were moving forward and we had a plan, for anyone going through struggles with fertility its easy to feel lost and like your getting no where. All was going well we received a date for surgery the 31st March and we received a letter for our next appointment with the fertility specialist for April this would be to get weighed and be put on the IVF waiting list. Then Covid struck and everything fell apart, not just for us but for every other couple waiting for fertility treatment. A week before my surgery i got the call that it was cancelled, it was expected but still a shock and upsetting and then in came the letter that the appointment at the fertility clinic was postponed then shortly after cancelled. I was devastated, id lost the 22lbs to get my weight where it needed to be and id been mentally preparing myself for the next stage of our journey. Luckily we contacted our specialists secretary who advised our specialist that i'd lost the weight and she agreed to add us to the waiting list. Now to why do a petition? In Scotland if your under 40 you get 3 rounds of IVF on the NHS if your 40 as long as they think your chances are good, and you have a good egg reserve etc you will get 1 round, so, what about those people including ourselves that would of had time for 2 or 3 rounds but due to Covid will only get 1, what about those of us waiting on surgery whose surgeons aren't doing gynecological surgery at the moment but when you ask about being referred to a surgeon who is they suggest they send you materials on having it done private? Why should couples be penalised for delays outwith their control? This petition is for allowances to be made for those couples effected by the delays, if someone turns 40 before treatment can be given however they are in good health and have a healthy egg reserve why shouldn't they receive the 2 or 3 rounds they would of had if Covid hadn't hit. My specialist advised that the best way to get the government to look at this was to shout about it, so here i am, shouting, please shout with me.

Even before Covid-19 and the lockdown, the Shooting Star charity shop has always been extremely popular in our area, particularly as it specialises in selling good quality second hand (and often brand new) items for babies and children of all ages at reasonable prices, and all for a very important cause. There are a huge amount of young families (many on low incomes) in Ashford who benefit from the large selection of toys, games, equipment and clothing. Not only is it the only place in our local high street to have such a large selection of children’s items, but if you needed something urgently, the only other choice would be to travel to Staines and many don’t have their own transport to do so easily. It is an absolute asset to our community and has been for many years, being only the second Shooting Star shop to open. Without it and it’s fundraising the Shooting Star House hospice wouldn’t have been able to be built. At this present time, many families are struggling financially because of the affect of Covid-19. Many have lost their jobs due to lockdown or are unable to work due to shielding. People in this situation really will miss the benefits of this essential charity shop. So although we are all in difficult times, it doesn’t make any sense to close the shop for good, especially as it was so popular and is now in more demand than ever before. We all need it as much as they need our donations. Also a large housing project is being built on Church Road which will mean that very soon, even more families will be in the area, so a shop like this will be in even more demand. Not only this, but the wonderful ladies who work there will be without jobs. There are all so friendly and welcoming and have worked so hard for this great cause We implore Shooting Stars Children’s Hospice charity to please think again about keeping this absolute asset to our community in Ashford.