We are Cameroonians and proud members of the Chevening and Commonwealth alumni community — programmes that represent some of the United Kingdom’s most powerful commitments to global education, leadership, and partnership. For decades, the opportunity to study in the UK has transformed the lives of many Cameroonians. These opportunities do not only benefit individuals; they help build institutions, strengthen governance, and support development back in Cameroon. Above 95% of Cameroonians who studied in the UK returned to contribute meaningfully to their country and communities, with others moving on to become strategic thought leaders across the African continent. Today, we see the impact of that investment across different sectors. thought leaders in the non-profit sector, academics, engineers, and public servants who studied in the UK are helping shape Cameroon’s development. For example, Cameroon’s current Prime Minister, Chief Dr Dion Ngute, and respected academic Professor Nkeng Elambo are among those who benefited from UK scholarship programmes. Across the country, many of the Chevening and Commonwealth Alumni are leading initiatives that are directly impacting the socio-economic and political life of the country. This has been thanks to the quality education acquired in the UK. This is why the recent decision to place a temporary brake on study visas for Cameroon is deeply concerning. It risks shutting the door on a new generation of talented young Cameroonians who aspire to gain quality education and return home to contribute to their country. Most Cameroonian students applying to study in the UK are genuine students. They invest years preparing for these opportunities. Punishing an entire nation because of isolated cases is unfair and risks damaging a long-standing relationship built on education, partnership, and mutual respect. If this decision remains in place, many talented young people will lose the opportunity to access world-class education. Cameroon could lose future leaders, innovators, and professionals who would otherwise contribute to development at home and strengthen ties between the UK and Africa. As a group of Chevening and Commonwealth Alumni who have seen firsthand the transformative power of UK education, we believe strongly that access to education should not be restricted in ways that undermine fairness, opportunity, and global development. That is why we are asking the UK Government to reconsider this decision and restore fair access to study opportunities for Cameroonian students.

Barnet Council approved redevelopment plans that allow the demolition of the existing bus station and bus garage beside Edgware Underground station. The bus station currently functions as a single sheltered interchange, allowing passengers to transfer easily between multiple bus routes and the Underground via a short, covered walkway linking the bus concourse to the Tube entrance. Around 23,000 passengers use the Edgware bus station each day. Under the approved scheme the bus station would not be replaced. Instead, buses would operate from scattered separate roadside stops along Station Road, requiring passengers to wait outdoors and walk further between buses and the Underground. Analysis of the proposed layout indicates that on average the bus-to-Tube interchange distance would increase by around 25-fold, from only a few metres today to well over 100 metres. Edgware Underground station has step-free access, meaning it is widely used by disabled passengers and others who rely on accessible transport. For passengers with limited mobility, one bus transfer that currently takes around 29 seconds within the sheltered station environment could take around six minutes if buses operate from dispersed roadside stops, requiring passengers to walk further and cross the busy Station Road (A5109). While this relates to a specific route, it illustrates the scale of potential change to interchange times. Longer transfers would affect all passengers but would disproportionately impact disabled people and others with limited mobility who rely on step-free stations and short interchange routes. The redevelopment also relies on constructing a large underground electric bus garage beneath residential towers, which has not yet been demonstrated to be safely deliverable. During consultation, the London Fire Brigade raised serious fire-safety concerns about the proposal. If the underground depot ultimately proves undeliverable, the current plans could allow the existing bus station and garage to be demolished before any replacement transport hub has been demonstrated to be safely deliverable and operational.

The Scottish Government and the UK Government must take action to protect younger women. I was healthy. I had a good career, a family, and a full life ahead of me. Breast cancer was the last thing I ever expected. At 38, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer can be a silent killer. Like many women in their mid 20s, 30s and 40s, I believed screening was something that happened later in life. But cancer doesn’t wait for a certain age. Since my diagnosis, I have met many other younger women facing the same reality — mothers, daughters, professionals, women planning their futures. Many of them were told they were too young for breast cancer. Many were not picked up through screening. By the time cancer is found in younger women, it is often more advanced and harder to treat. I am sharing my story because earlier screening could save lives. Women in their mid 20s, 30s and 40s deserve the chance of earlier detection. It’s time for the Scottish Government to act and introduce annual breast screening for younger women.

Poringland Pantry is a life line food service that saves and collects unsold food from supermarkets and re purposes and re distributes it to those in need and struggling. We have over 80 registered users from young families, to pensioners, from those living alone to those struggling to feed large families. Offer a wide range of fresh, store cupboard and frozen foods all stored and distributed from one of our central hubs, the one in question being Poringland Pantry: we are threatened with closure as the local Housing Association believe it to be a profit making business as some person that complained told them as much. This couldn’t be further from the truth and we have simple asked for them to fact check their evidence and come pay us a visit. 

We all saw that video.  A man urinating on a northern line Tube seat. Disgusting, right?  But here's the real problem: that urine soaked into the fabric. Every day, thousands sit on those same porous seats that absorb rain sweat, spilled drinks and germs.  Fabric traps bacteria. Plastic doesn't We deserve better. Why Plastic Seats? Hygiene: Plastic can be wiped clean in seconds. No more sitting on last night's mystery spill. No Odours: Say goodbye to musty, damp smells clinging to your clothes Germ-Free: After the pandemic, why are we still sitting on fabric sponges? If you're tired of checking seats before you sit, sign this petition Tell TfL: Clean transport isn't a luxury. It's a right. These people deserve to be fined or penalised. Sign now. Let's make London's commute hygienic.

This is a countrywide scandal - see  'Dirty Business' Watch it here on Channel 4: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dirty-business?cntsrc=social_share_android_dirty_business Our rivers and wildlife have been catastrophically damaged. The Environment Agency has failed to protect them. 

Since the outbreak of the Iran war, the price of domestic fuel has more than tripled in many areas. Households are being hit with soaring costs for a basic necessity. We believe these price rises amount to profiteering during an international crisis and call on the Government to urgently investigate and take action to protect consumers.

A Statutory Harbour Authority would: • Ensure harbour income is reinvested locally for the benefit of harbour users and the village • Provide long-term funding for maintaining Hurst Spit and the harbour • Give Keyhaven a clear, accountable body responsible for harbour management and navigation Harbours across the UK — large and small — operate successfully under Statutory Harbour Authorities. Keyhaven is more than big enough to do the same. This is our chance to secure the future of Keyhaven Harbour. ✍️ Sign the petition to ask the council and government to support the creation of a Keyhaven Statutory Harbour Authority.

Marjorie I’m Marjorie. I’m 80 now. I have very severe physical disabilities. The Helena Lane Day Care Service in Ludlow is my absolute lifeline. The Day Care Service provides me with social, physical, and emotional care: with friendship; with a hot meal; with help to have a bath; with support and advice when I need it. My life is so much better because of this service – and Shropshire Council proposes to end it. They’ve already run this service down and down – five days to three, full days to half days, staff numbers cut, transport to the Centre axed – and they’ve been TURNING AWAY people who want and need to use this level of care.  But now they give “low attendance” as a key reason for the proposal to close the service altogether! I’m going to go completely ‘doo lally tap’ if I can’t go out anymore. I’m so scared that this is what they’re forcing on me. I can’t stand without assistance. I can’t climb stairs at all. I can’t reach for things on shelves or in cupboards. I can’t walk more than a few yards using my 4-wheel rollator. I depend on other people for my personal care. The service at Helena Lane is a central part of my life. I wonder if Council’s consultation paper is straight from fairyland? This is what they’re offering me after they close the Day Care Service: • Three times in a short document it’s suggested that I need to be accessing employment (!) – but I’m 80 and very disabled and I need a carer to even get out of bed. • They suggest I could use a different day service. Where? Shrewsbury? How do they think I’m going to get there? • And they direct me to a weekly community lunch run by volunteers. Great – but I can’t physically get into the building and I wouldn’t be able to access the loo even if I could. “Sit at home and rot” seems to be the plan for people like me. Please think about what I’ve said, and also please read the comments below from my friend Nino. Her husband has dementia and attends day care at Helena Lane.  She explains what closing the service will mean for people with dementia and their carers. We both think rural services matter - and Ludlow surely deserves better than this.  Please, please sign this petition. Nino Like Marjorie, I'm furious that Shropshire Council intends to end the Day Care Service at Helena Lane. My husband has dementia and can't be left on his own now. A four-hour slot one day a week at Helena Lane is a godsend. It means he has that routine of social contact in a safe environment – and I get a little bit of time for me. I can’t begin to explain how important that is. Both of us would like him to attend Helena Lane for the three days a week they’re open – but they can't offer that because staff numbers have been cut. Ironic, really, when the Council wants to stop the service because of low demand! The Council seems to think that voluntary services like Hands Together Ludlow can step in to replace Helena Lane. It’s a fantasy! We already know about these services and we use them – but they CANNOT substitute for skilled care from qualified staff. If the Helena Lane service goes, there will be no venue in Ludlow where someone with severe dementia can attend without their carer. That will be a huge loss – for people with dementia AND for carers. There is already so little support. If this closure happens, it’s a disaster for Ludlow people affected by dementia. IF YOU LIVE IN SHROPSHIRE, PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION NOW!

The decision to close SARCs in Plymouth & Truro and expecting victims to travel to a central service in Bodmin would be devastating to many across Devon & Cornwall.  People who have been attacked would be expected to travel up to 3 hours to receive medical examinations.  Victims of sexual assault often feel embarrassed or nervous about seeking support after assault or rape. Expecting them to go out of their way for examination would only add to this feeling. 

Residents’ Petition for Traffic Calming Measures for Lexton Gardens SW12 0AY Dear Councillors, We, the undersigned residents, close associates and frequent users and friends  of Lexton Gardens, SW12 0AY, write to formally request that Lambeth Council take forward traffic-calming measures on our road as a matter of urgency.   Lexton Gardens is a short residential street of 26 households. It is home to families with young children, older residents, and pedestrians who use the road daily to access nearby nurseries and schools, including St Bede’s and The White House And Telferscot. It should not function as a convenient cut-through for drivers travelling between New Park Road and Kings Avenue.   Our concern is real and immediate. We have already experienced near misses involving vehicles and pedestrians. Residents are increasingly worried that, without intervention, it is only a matter of time before a child or other pedestrian is seriously injured.   Several features of Lexton Gardens make it particularly hazardous.   First, the road has an S-shaped layout, which creates blind spots and poor sight lines for both drivers and pedestrians.  Depending on where a person is standing or driving, it is not always possible to see clearly around the bend. This is especially dangerous on a residential road used by children.   Secondly, many properties have driveways, which means residents are regularly reversing in or out. Because there are fewer cars parked along the kerb, some drivers appear to treat the road as more open and wider than it really is. This encourages higher speeds and corner-cutting, despite the limited visibility. Thirdly, the gradient of the road encourages acceleration, particularly from the New Park Road end.  The overall effect is that vehicles can enter and travel along Lexton Gardens too quickly for the layout and character of the street.   The level of risk is increased further by the people who use the road every day. Many of our children are now of an age where they are beginning to walk to school independently.  We also have younger children who are naturally less danger-aware, and some children with additional needs who may be more impulsive or less attentive around traffic.  In addition, Lexton Gardens is used by many non-residents as a walking route to nearby schools and nurseries, meaning there is a regular flow of pedestrians at school-run times. Residents are particularly concerned because drivers appear to use Lexton Gardens to avoid slower travel on the surrounding main roads.  There are speed humps on New Park Road and Kings Avenue, but none on Lexton Gardens.  This makes our road attractive to drivers seeking a smoother and quicker route, despite the fact that it is a  narrow residential street with limited visibility and high pedestrian use.   We do not want to wait for a serious injury or fatality before action is taken. We have had Pet Fatalities and the recent tragic death of a schoolgirl on Garrard’s Road has brought home to many local families just how devastating the consequences of road danger can be.   Residents of Lexton Gardens are united in wanting preventative action now, before a similar tragedy occurs on our own road.   We are not asking for speed humps. On a short road such as ours, they can create additional noise and vibration when vehicles fail to slow properly.  In our view, a better and more proportionate solution would be alternating build-outs or carriageway narrowing, creating a layout that requires drivers to reduce speed and proceed with care.   This type of measure would  offer a number of important advantages. It would physically and psychologically encourage lower speeds, reduce the attractiveness of the road as a cut-through, improve pedestrian safety at blind sections of the street, avoid the repeated impact noise associated with speed humps, reduce wear on vehicles, and be less uncomfortable for cyclists.  It would also preserve a more suitable route for emergency access than more aggressive vertical calming measures.   We therefore ask the Council to:   1. Arrange an urgent site visit to Lexton Gardens during term-time and school-run hours; 2. Carry out speed and traffic-volume monitoring on the road; 3. Assess the road specifically for traffic-calming measures suited to its layout and residential character; 4. Bring forward options for a scheme, with alternating build-outs or carriageway narrowing as the preferred starting point for consideration.   This petition is accompanied by a signature schedule setting out the house numbers, names and signatures of supporting residents, demonstrating clear and direct support from households on Lexton Gardens. We are sending this letter not only to our ward councillors, but also copying it to the relevant Highways and Transport officers.  We ask that it be formally logged as a resident request for investigation and action, including a site visit during school-run hours, speed monitoring and traffic-volume assessment.   We would be grateful for written confirmation that this request has been logged, together with the name of the responsible officer and the anticipated timetable for assessment.   Lexton Gardens is a short, narrow residential road used daily by children, families and pedestrians. It should be designed and managed as one.   Yours faithfully,   The Residents of Lexton Gardens, SW12 0AY    

Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes exposed an international trafficking network involving powerful and well-connected individuals. Evidence presented in court proceedings and released documents suggests that people from multiple countries may have been involved or aware of activities connected to the network. Given the United Kingdom’s international ties and the presence of individuals with connections to Epstein who had links to the UK, many members of the public believe it is necessary to establish whether any UK citizens, institutions, or authorities were involved or failed to act when they should have done. An independent public inquiry would help ensure transparency, restore public confidence, and determine whether any investigative failures occurred. It would also demonstrate the UK’s commitment to accountability and justice for victims of trafficking and exploitation. The inquiry should be established under the Inquiries Act 2005 with full powers to compel evidence and witness testimony.