As an NHS administration worker I feel privileged to work towards helping people on their way to better health and my job has as much impact on patient care. The 3% pay rise this year, after previous years of inadequate rises against the Cost of living crisis, is pushing my position to become untenable as a single parent trying to support two kids through collage the ends just are meeting anymore. I've always considered myself lucky I'm good at creative budgeting and tightening our belts but there's nothing left to tighten, I have colleagues who already use wage advances and adhoc loans to get through the month. I don't feel I'm being unreasonable asking for a fair wage, we work hard and the strain of money worries ontop of the strain of the job is taking its toll, a decent payrise this year will go a way to alleviate some of this.

Community Petition – Downham Road, Chatburn Speeding traffic on Downham Road continues to be a serious concern for residents. Despite the 20 mph limit, many vehicles regularly exceed the speed limit, putting pedestrians, cyclists, and families at risk. We are inviting members of the community to support a petition calling for speed monitoring and traffic calming measures to make the road safer for everyone. Please sign and share the petition to help bring attention to this issue and encourage action. Your support can help make Downham Road safer.

Titanium Dioxide (E171) is a whitening agent used in everything from sweets and cakes to food supplements. In 2022, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) banned E171, concluding it can no longer be considered safe because concerns regarding genotoxicity (potential damage to DNA) could not be ruled out. While the EU, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland have removed this additive to protect their citizens, the UK Food Standards Agency has yet to follow suit for Great Britain. We believe the UK should adopt the Precautionary Principle. Consumers should not be exposed to unnecessary risks for the sake of making food look "whiter."  We urge the Government to: - Implement a ban on E171 in all food and food supplements. -Set a clear transition period for manufacturers to reformulate products. -Align UK food safety standards with the highest international protections.

12 months ago I founded The Binfluencers in Keswick as locals were fed up with folk pitching tents at the side of lakes which is illegal and then all the mess they leave also. We also noticed a huge amount of general litter and huge amounts of poo bags just been discarded throughout the national park. I decided locals voices needed to be heard and the extent of such issues needed to be shown. We do regular litter picks, especially around Derwentwater and we managed to gain media interest. This year we have been collaborating with a local filmmaker who is making a film and and a animated short information film about these issues

Pie’n’Mash Is London’s original fast food, a defining emblem of Cockney and London identity and heritage These traditional shops face challenges of falling High Street footfalls, rising costs, intense competition from international global fast-food chains, and finger‑friendly takeaway options. Yet these shops offer: • Quality, artisan, hand-crafted food, often freshly made on the premises.  • Cultural heritage dating back over 140 years with an iconic association with Cockney culture  • A fiercely loyal and passionate fan base, including more than 50,000 online supporters   • Producers who care about their product, traditions, and communities, many with a family heritage spanning up to four generations. Comedian Rob Beckett shares his passion for the food in the recently published ‘Pie’n’Mash futures’ report writing, “Enjoying Pie’n’Mash is now a way for me to remember who I am, and where I’m from, it goes back to not just my roots, but my family's before me. It has a history and a heritage that's almost unique in London now. Let’s ensure future generations can enjoy the same privilege.”    Food historian, Professor Rebecca Earle of the University of Warwick commented in the report, “Dishes from curry to fish and chips, have their roots in the cuisines and cultures of peoples from elsewhere. Pie’n’mash likewise, emerged from this fusion of cultures, from Ireland, Italy, Britain, and beyond. These foods are history on a plate.” ( Copies of the ‘Pie’n’Mash futures’ report can be obtained from the National Pie’n’Mash Week website https://www.nationalpiemashweek.org.uk/march2026 from www.moderncockneyfestival.org.uk ) 'Cockney’s' in Portobello Road is run by Ruth Phillips and her son Billy. Ruth started the business over 42 years ago by refitting a former laundrette.  Born and raised on the Portobello Road, she had her first Pie’n’Mash aged about three in Smart’s Pie’n’Mash shop (aka Renee’s) in the Goldborne Road - sadly, now closed down. With a mother-in-law who made the pies in a local Cooke’s, she learnt the traditional recipes and skills to set up her own shop. The shop exudes the traditions of Pie’n’Mash shops with its tiled interiors, no nonsense menu, and great value food.

Eat Street was launched as a 24‑hour service, but years of cutbacks and poor management have left it struggling. Food quality has declined, hot meals often ran out before the end of shifts, and night‑shift workers have been left without any hot options at all. Now management plans to close the canteen entirely between 6pm and 6am — removing a vital source of food for thousands of staff, patients, and visitors. Staff across the hospital — including nurses, HCAs, porters, doctors and many others — have raised serious concerns. People working long, demanding shifts deserve access to decent, nutritious food. Families waiting with loved ones, often for many hours in an overcrowded and understaffed hospital, also rely on Eat Street for a hot meal, a short break, and a moment of comfort. Closing the canteen overnight will make an already difficult situation worse. It would leave staff without the fuel they need to work safely through the night, and leave patients’ families with nowhere on site to get food during the hours they need it most. Protecting Eat Street as a full 24‑hour service is essential for the wellbeing of staff and the dignity and support of everyone who comes through the hospital. Please sign our petition today!

I'm a student who has to take 3 trains a day to get to school and another 3 back, this costs me £12 a day, just for one day of education. This adds up and is a significant financial burden on my family. No child should have to pay to get to school, especially at these extortionate prices. Some children I know, spend upwards of 500 pounds for a bus pass that last a single year. This money would be better spent towards necessities or extracurriculars to help develop a child's skill set.

It is vital to prevent their self-interest clouding the judgement of others & swaying or skewing votes in their favour when they may not or unlikely be representing the electorate that voted for them. Parliament are to discuss re-election of MPs who have changed sides on 16 March.

Background Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Hospital Trust (LGT) which combines Lewisham University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich has adopted a digital tool provided by the US conglomerate - Palantir – namely the Federated Data Platform (FDP) for part of its digital systems. In response to a Freedom of Information query LGT confirmed on 21st May 2025 that: “We use only one element of FDP which is the care coordination system or inpatient module for booking theatres. We recently presented our progress to NHSE on this which is mainly around use of the tool for 6:4:2 scheduling and theatres prep processes." What is Palantir? Palantir is a shadowy US firm which provides software to combine and analyse data. It was supported by the CIA and its systems are used for government surveillance and intelligence purposes. Its systems have directly targeted and killed unarmed Palestinians. Its data also underpins the ICE surveillance and targeting of immigrant communities in the USA. Palantir and the NHS Palantir won its first NHS contract in 2020 during the Covid crisis. The deal came just one year after an undisclosed meeting between Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings and Peter Thiel in August 2019. Palantir accepted a fee of £1 for trialling its data collection services during covid. This gave Palantir a foot in the door of the NHS.    Sure enough, in November 2023 Palantir won a £330m contract to build and operate a system to hold and analyse patient data across the NHS, as part of the NHS’s plan for a Single Patient Record.    Soon after winning the election in August 2024, NHS England made it obligatory for trusts to start using the FDP within two years. NHS England says trusts must start using FDP within two years   Palantir, Epstein, Mandelson and Wes Streeting   Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel, who was a close business associate of Jeffrey Epstein: Epstein was a major investor in Peter Thiel’s investment fund. Peter Mandelson was a best friend of Epstein and a business associate of Peter Thiel. In 2018 Palantir hired Mandelson’s PR firm, Global Counsel.     Since 2020 Palantir has amassed 34 government contracts worth £670m. In 2025 Mandelson arranged a meeting between Keir Starmer and Peter Thiel Palantir’s Washington showroom, shortly after which Palantir secured a large MoD contract. Wes Streeting, the current Health Secretary, is the man overseeing the enforcement of the adoption of Palantir’s product across the NHS. His emails with Peter Mandelson show the two were friendly and discussed politics. Both Streeting and Peter Thiel were at this year’s Bilderberg Group meeting of the rich and powerful.  We don’t trust Palantir with our health data, we don’t trust the methods by which Palantir has secured the NHS contract and we don’t trust Palantir to respect the values of our NHS.

1. Urgent mobile speed checks and installation of speed cameras (mobile or fixed) coordinated with the Metropolitan Police and local Safer Neighbourhood Team. 2. Implementation of traffic-calming measures, which may include: • Speed humps or cushions to reduce vehicle speeds • Raised pedestrian crossings to improve visibility and safety • Chicanes or narrowing of the carriageway to slow traffic naturally • Enhanced signage, including speed limit reminders and warnings of children crossing • Improved road markings to highlight pedestrian areas and crossings • Greater awareness and communication to residents and drivers about road safety and speed limits. 1. Consultation with local residents on long-term solutions to improve safety.

It has no moral justification to be involved in actions that WILL harm innocent civilians in the destruction now being inflicted  on Iran by a warmongering USA president 

This campaign helps save money for householders. Reduces water demand from rivers and reservoirs. Helps prevent flooding. Also rainwater is better for plants. Subsidising water butts is a simple low cost policy which would generate immediate benefits.