Alston is the highest market town in England, and lies 21 miles from any other towns-only 2 of which have a hospital. Alston is over an hour's drive from Carlisle Hospital. ALL 5 roads out of Alston cross high moorland in the North Pennines, and these are frequently closed or rendered treacherous by winter weather between November and March. Ambulances would face a very long, slow and difficult journey to reach a patient and to get them to hospital. Lives will be put at risk. Lives may well be lost if the threat of closure of our Cottage Hospital beds is carried out. Moreover, our absolutely brilliant Doctors Surgery, which depends on the hospital beds to sustain it, could then also eventually close. Where will the 2000-3000 residents of Alston and Alston Moor then go for initial emergency care, to see a doctor, or for other general GP services? There is no bus service to speak of (also cut back). In addition some of the stunning roads in the region produce more than average numbers of road accidents, particularly involving motorbikes and are often very serious. One of our local GPs can be on the scene within minutes--at the moment. If the GP Surgery also has to close, the nearest 'first response' possible will have to travel 21 miles (on notoriously slow windy roads) just to reach the casualty. Do all these lives count for nothing, that we we should lose our hospital beds, our local GPs and an effective emergency response, simply because we live in a beautiful but isolated locality? Why not, indeed, use the beds at Alston (and a small number of other places in Cumbria similarly threatened) as 'OVERSPILL' beds. These beds could be used temporarily by those patients, often elderly, who no longer need to receive medical treatment on the Ward but who need some nursing and monitoring.....whilst they wait for appropriate care to be provided in/by their own community. This would also relieve and 'unblock' several beds in General hospitals for those on the waiting list, and for emergency treatments. Surely this a much more cost-effective way of using our Cottage Hospital beds, rather than simply closing them and leaving a great facility redundant?

Since his Inauguration, President Trump has created significant division and prejudice regarding human rights, asylum and refugee seeking people. His ban on muslims has created significant unrest and his hate speech is not befitting of a World Leader. Therefore, we call upon the Prime Minister and UK Parliament to request a cancellation of the offer for a State Visit that may threaten the UK and create divisive actions.

I believe that the public display of planning permission notices should be a compulsory part of the planning process for applications to carry out work on trees with Tree Protection Orders and in Local Conservation Areas. At the moment there is no 'requirement' to display such public notices. This means that the first local people know of work to these special trees is when the work actually starts. This is likely to be long after the window of opportunity for comment as part of the planning process has passed. I became aware of this issue recently when I was looking on our local planning authority website after hearing a rumour of tree work in our local park. It was only then that I found out that one of the trees to be felled was a much loved local Oak. The park is in a Conservation Area. I felt devastated that it was already too late to have any input into the application. I hadn't known to look on the planning website beforehand to check on tree work as I had assumed any notices would be posted nearby as with other types of planning application. I tried everything I could think of to save the tree but all to no avail. I doesn't seem right to me that trees with supposedly protected status have so little protection in practice and I feel that others will also be shocked to learn that permission can be given to fell these special trees without consulting or even informing local people at all. Please sign my petition to help protect our special trees for future generations and wildlife to enjoy.

There is no public transport to the other surgeries meaning elderly/disabled patients unable to attend unless prepared to pay £14 for a taxi. The other surgeries are already struggling with their list and finding GPs to fill positions. Right now it's 3-4 weeks wait for an appointment there which will only increase when 10,000 patients are added to their lists.

I have visited Turtle beaches in Northern and Southern Cyprus, and many other countries around the world. I have been very upset in finding rubbish of all sorts floating in the sea. Some of these are dangerously small particles such as broken down plastic, and bottle tops and other types of plastic which break into tiny pieces and get into the eco - system and into the stomachs of marine life around the world, and cause great pain, distress and even death. This is becoming very serious as the particles are so small they are now found in the stomachs of plackton pretty well the smallest form of life in our seas, and is a staple diet of many marine animals including whales. In the long term this will do untold damage not only to the marine life, but it will also get into our food chain with unknown consequences. Turtles are beautiful creatures and live all of their lives out at sea from the moment they hatch. Only one in a thousand will survive out in the oceans, and one of the things that will kill them on a regular basis are plastic bags. They feed on jelly fish, as part of their diet, and when they see a plastic bag they think it's a jellyfish and will eat it with diar and very sad consequences. The sea is the most wonderful enviroment for all of us. Not only providing us with fish to eat, but the most wonderful holidays with swimming, surfing, scenery, sailing, sandy beaches, rock pools the list is endless. Not only that, it helps to control the temperature of our world, and yet we treat it with distain. There is so much pollution and rubbish tipped into the oceas everyday, that more and more marine life is being affected. One of the main culprits is body scrubs and toothpastes. They contain thousands of small plastic beads which find their way into the sea, and then consumed by marine life. So to help please DO NOT buy these products unless the ingredients are peach kernels or sugar instead. More needs to be done in using plastic bags for fruit and vegetables at the supermarkets. It's been a start to pay for plastic carrier bags, but these small plastic bags in the fruit and veg area, are just as dangerous in our countryside and oceans, please encourage the supermarkets to use brown paper bags, which are far better and don't make the fruit and veg sweat, and are recyclable. The government is banning some products but not all, and a great more needs to be done, as there are more products out there which use plastic including cleaning products. If you love our planet, and everything about nature, then PLEASE sign my petition so we can help our beautiful oceans and everything that depends on it to live, including us, and our grandchildren to come. A BIG and heartfelt THANK YOU.

Loch Ness is under threat from over 500 wind turbines approved and in the planning stage within a 22 mile radius. Loch Ness and the Great Glen are now prime targets for windfarm developers. There are calls to classify Loch Ness and the Great Glen a World Heritage Site because of their international importance. They are Scotland’s second most popular tourist draw. Yet, environmental destruction could threaten some of the Highland’s most scenic areas. Loch Ness and environs and the Great Glen are under threat as never before from the attention of wind farm companies. You can make a difference by signing a petition to the Scottish Parliament pleading to save Glen Urquhart, Loch Ness and the Great Glen. These are the world’s most beautiful landscapes and contain some of Europe’s last remaining wild land. http://www.savelochness.com/main.html http://www.stop-turbines-at-glenurquhart.co.uk/index.html http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2015/04/03/loch-ness-anti-wind-farm-campaigners-speak-out-about-new-turbine-proposals-for-this-scenic-scottish-jewel/ Windfarm developers Force9 have now appealed this ruling to turn down the windfarm at local authority level. They have now appealed to the Scottish Government. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/914554/victory-for-campaign-after-windfarm-above-loch-ness-is-turned-down/ https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/about/resources/774-cnoc-an-eas-wind-farm

Where there is a caring role, very often the family experience severe financial hardship and this is exacerbated if the carer cannot claim carers allowance. Many carers have to give up work, training or education to look after the person they care for and are unable to claim any money in recognition of their caring role if the person they care for is on ESA and does not qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). An example of this is a 25 year old carer who had to drop out of university 4 years ago when his father died suddenly and his mother had a breakdown. She is unable to look after herself without his help yet he is unable to claim carers allowance as she is on ESA and has been refused PIP and he is unable to work because of his caring responsibilities. Consequently, they suffer extreme poverty and are in debt which has resulted in potential eviction from their home. Another example is a 17 year old who had to move from his father's house to another county to care for his mother who suffers extreme anxiety which means she is unable to leave the house on her own, answer the phone or the front door so relies heavily on her son. As he is only 17 and unable to work or engage in training or eduaction due to his caring role the family are unable to claim child benefit for him or carers allowance as the mother is on ESA and has been refused PIP. There are many more such examples and I feel strongly this needs to change so that those who suffer some of the wprst financial hardship are not made to suffer further.

My son has multiple needs and had no home school or any type of education in 2 years 5 special needs schools have refused my son and stats dont no what to do they lied to the press and since my article many parents have come forward with the same problem in the local community y should we fight so hard for our kids to have education my son is 2. Years behind because stats failed

The nurseries are outstanding and a fabric of the local community. Some have been running for over 30 years, with dedicated well trained staff teams. They provide affordable childcare to children with different type of needs i.e special educational needs, deaf children, parents on low -medium income, lone parents, students, residents that may require support. Cutting funding for these nursery's will affect parent’s ability to work and will affect the children's well-being, especially children who are disabled or have other specialised needs. If privatised the cost of these nurseries will go up, meaning that many parents will not be able to afford to send their children. As parents we are concerned that cuts are the driving force of the Tower Hamlets proposals. Value needs to be given to quality of care provision, service user’s experience, rather than who can do it cheaper. Tower Hamlets Council is depriving the vulnerable children the services vital to their development, putting additional stress on parents of Tower Hamlets and communities, destroying long lasting community hubs. Our Tower Hamlets, Our Voice, Our Nurseries.

Currently, in the UK everyone has to pass their maths and English language GCSE, regardless of any disabilities that may prevent them from doing so. Since 2013, all 16 to 18-year-old students who do not already have a grade C in English or maths have to continue studying the subjects. Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has said: “Inspection evidence shows that, for some students, having to retake their GCSE can be demotivating and that attendance at these lessons is lower.” My mother works in the field of special education and says it is upsetting and unfair to those with learning difficulties who just can't pass. It is obvious that some people are more able than others, and judging everyone by the same standards is unfair and wrong. I know of a 19-year-old resitting his GCSE maths and English for the fourth time this summer, and planning to continue trying for another two years. He is perfectly eloquent, has a job, and plans to join the army. The only thing holding him back is his dyslexia and dyscalculia (number and letter blindness) that means he can't read the test papers and is stopping him continuing with his life. We plan to ask the government to allow people with a diagnosed learning difficulty to stop repeating their GCSE Mathematics and English after they have completed full-time education (at 18) if they and a specialist learning support member both agree they do not wish to continue. The government should then be more flexible with other qualifications and job prospects.

On 23 January 2017 President Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Global Gag Rule, or the Mexico City Policy. This order denies U.S. funding to global health and family planning organisations if they use money from other donors to provide abortion services, counselling or referrals—even if abortion is legal in a country. It blocks critical funding for life-saving health services like contraception, maternal health, Zika and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment for any organisation that refuses to sign it. It will have a devastating effect. The World Health Organisation estimates that every day, 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth and 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. The Policy will hit hardest women living at the margins of society – the poorest, the most remote and those under 25. Zika and HIV are more likely to spread. Millions will suffer. The Global Gag Rule jeopardises the investment the UK Government has made in women’s health globally. Due to close inter-linkages between women’s health and poverty, environmental degradation, forced migration and conflict, these trends will worsen. The Global Gag Rule is an attempt to silence the voice, choice, and control of the world’s poorest women. The Policy is an assault on every woman, everywhere. In the spirit of the Women’s Marches last weekend, we call on the UK government to join other governments in championing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights both politically and financially. So please sign and share our petition asking the UK Government to champion life-saving services for women across the world. Many thanks, The IPPF team For more on the Global Gag Rule: http://www.ippf.org/news/why-we-will-not-sign-global-gag-rule

The new X20 bus route no longer passes through the North Broomhill & Togston villages, the residents now face up to a 3 mile rural walk to the nearest bus stop based in Hadston village to use the X20 bus service to reach the two nearest towns. We have elderly, frail & young members of our community whom are too vulnerable to make an approximate 30 minute walk between rural villages and cannot navigate the suggested alternative bus routes as they all require bus changes in different villages with a considerable distance between bus stations. An alternative service (X18) allowing passengers to commute from North Broomhill & Togston village to Hadston village and only runs once an hour, has the bus stop located at what is known as the 'road end' thus these vulnerable members of our community have to walk a considerable distance in order to access their local Doctors surgery, Children's Care Centre, Community Centre, pharmacy and shopping precinct. We would really appreciate your help in highlighting our concerns and asking DR Manfred Rudhart CEO Arriva North East to reinstate a vital bus route for those most with need and vulnerability in our community. Many thanks for taking the time to read this.