It is important because it gives students confidence about what is going to happen after school. These lessons will help students in emergency situations. Also it will improve their communication skills and boost their confidence.

The building was designed in the early 1960s by local architect James Roberts and is considered by experts to be among the best of mid-Twentieth Century urban design in Birmingham: "Its curvature, rhythm of vertical fins, together with its characteristic projecting concrete uplighters, make it still the most impressive piece of modern streetscape in the city, even 54 years after its completion.” Architect and urban planner, Joe Holyoak Roberts is responsible for Birmingham's most famous building, the iconic Rotunda, which has been both listed and sensitively redeveloped in recent years. But at present there are no such intentions for Smallbrook Queensway, despite it being of similar cultural value to the city. Instead the owner, Commercial Estates Group, wants to replace the concrete panels with cladding and glass, add two extra floors on top and replace the section over Hurst Street with a 22-storey office block. The proposed redevelopment would result in the loss of yet another fine example of Birmingham’s postwar heritage, which, we are warned, would be: “...especially crass at a time when the singular merits of 1960s architecture are at last being widely acknowledged.” Author and film-maker, Jonathan Meades Furthermore, the site does not fall within the Council’s tall building zone, meaning a high-rise block should, in theory, be discouraged. We therefore call upon the City Council to reject CEG's current proposals and urge the developer to draw up an alternative plan that respects and enhances the original features of the building. Here's a link to the article by Joe Holyoak, which features a CGI image of the new proposal: http://goo.gl/d1QNzZ Thank you for your support! Please follow BRUTIFUL’s campaign to save the best of Birmingham’s threatened C20 heritage on Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/Brutiful-Birmingham-139223999758814/?fref=ts https://twitter.com/brutifulbrum Photo credit: 'photo by D.J. Norton'. More great archive pictures at: http://www.photobydjnorton.com/NewBham/NewBham5.html

West Sussex County Council can help address climate change by divesting £100m of its pension funds out of fossil fuels (1). Fracking, shale gas, arctic sea oil exploration – all of these, plus the systematic drilling for coal, oil and gas on land and in the sea, are financed in part through pension funds. Dangerous climate change is the risk if we don’t all act. Divesting these funds now is morally and ethically correct. What’s more ethical and sustainable investment funds outperformed non-ethical investment funds in 2012/13 (2). Climate change is leading to extremes in our weather. Globally, the State of the Climate report shows a “toppling of several symbolic milestones” in temperature, sea levels and carbon dioxide (3). For Sussex, we are to expect increases in extreme heat – a real danger for young and old members of our community - and flooding. Professor Virginia Murray from Public Health England said, "Data has shown real risk of increased deaths when temperature goes above 26C"(4). Already in our local area, flooding events are increasing and the risk of damage to people and property growing (5). “Divestment represents a tangible action that individuals and organisations can take to combat climate change. I’m scared for my children’s future and take every opportunity I can to pressure action on climate change for them and all of us” - M, Worthing 1 Freedom of Information request dated 02/03/16 2 BlueGreenTomorrow.com: http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2013/08/15/financial-returns- from-ethical-investment-funds- better-than- mainstream-in- last-12- months/ 3 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/02/environment-climate-change-records-broken-international-report 4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/10187140/Heatwave-deaths-760-lives-claimed-by-hot-weather-as-high-temperatures-continue.html 5 Climate UK: http://climateuk.net/resource/climate-change- risks-south- east-england

The bus services in the Borders are vital life lines to may people young and old the removal of the town services in Hawick and Peebles will mean that many older residents in these towns will miss out on links with other parts of the town and the wider borders if these services are removed. The removal of the College bus service from Hawick to Galashiels will mean that young people from Hawick may miss out on training courses at Borders College which would help improve there education and life. The other services that are being cut will mean that those places loose there vital link and their elderly resident loose out too.

The UK has been long used to the system of Garages carrying out MoT testing who then profit from the work gained by fixing faults which only they have decided (subject to VOSA criteria). There is a clear case of a conflict of interest which would never be allowed within other professions. Independent test centres would avoid the "hostage" situation frequently faced by motorists and ensure that garages carried out only the work specified by the independent controller.

Every aspect of fire prevention is really important, but the fire retardant chemicals used in domestic furniture have become an even greater threat to the public, than the risk of fire. These chemicals have a dual danger, firstly in the everyday home environment, and also as highly toxic emissions when the chemical is burnt, which endangers the public and firemen alike. These chemicals are not measured in parts per thousand – they are measured in kilos in each piece of furniture! To prevent fires spreading there are other highly effective natural alternatives, smoke alarms and other efficient fire prevention methods which do not need any of these chemicals. In America and Europe the public, led by the Fire Brigade, have lobbied hard and have banned the use of fire retardant chemicals in domestic furniture. A huge body of international scientific evidence now links everyday exposure to fire retardant chemicals used in sofas, mattresses and other household items to thyroid problems, lower birth weight, reduced IQ, hyperactivity, poorer coordination, reduced fertility, birth defects, hormonal changes and cancer. Evidence proves the chemicals systematically migrate from furniture into the home environment through household dust. It particularly affects children and research has also shown the harmful impact on animal life and the environment. The UK is one of the few countries still using these chemicals in furniture. When individual fire retardants have been banned in the past, the furniture containing these chemicals has just been left in people's homes and the owners have not been informed. The government is keeping the public in the dark. So, how do we get rid of the furniture in our homes which is full of the chemical fire retardants? Under the Stockholm Agreement, the government plans to burn fire retardant furniture in incinerators which they are building up and down the country. Before this happens we need to be very sure the government is strictly controlling the emissions as the effluent is even more toxic. We have been using these fire retardant chemicals in our furniture for almost 30 years. The UK government needs to act to make legislative changes. Whilst the Department of Business has been working on amendments to the Fire Regulations for many years, nothing has been achieved. They need to talk to manufacturers about natural alternatives, inform the public and take action to protect us now.

Hinckley Hospital is a small and much used healthcare facility in the heart of the town of Hinckley. It provides day care surgery and other day procedures to the local community who cannot travel out of town. It provides extensive Consultant outpatient care and all professions allied to medicine. Hinckley Hospital was built in 1899 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It's a fine example of late Victorian architecture and solidly built. Since its inception it has been extended, always using local builders to continue to be the hub of Hinckley health care for its residents. Given its significance& history it is very surprising that Hinckley Hospital is not a listed building. Hinckley residents will inevitably be denied care if they are forced to travel for health care.

Its very important, carers need a break from the daily job and the person with the disability gets a break way from the carer without Kentish road the carers will be at there wits end. Kentish road is a god send for us carers and the young adults that go there as this is where they meet there friends they cant go to pubs or clubs to meet friends. But Southampton city council have not looked at any of this, they want it close it to save money and I as a parent just think its all so wrong. We have to fight this with a petition now to stop it from happing.

Our adoptive families are parenting some of Scotland’s most damaged children – a significant proportion of whom are suffering the long-term effects of developmental trauma caused by neglect and/or abuse. Our families are desperate for help. As a matter of urgency, they tell us that they need access to therapeutic services (including therapeutic parenting training and guidance), access to local support groups, and help for their children in schools. We know from the evidence and experience that adoption can be a hugely transformative experience for children and their families. Yet research shows that one in four adoptive families are at risk of breaking down because of the lack of support. The emotional and financial cost of a breakdown - and a child returning to care - is incalculable. Please help us to secure a fair deal for our families in Scotland - and give hope to some of the nation's most vulnerable children. PLEASE NOTE: to support this campaign, you don't need to live in Scotland, and you don't need to have any experience of adoption - you just need to acknowledge that this is a cause worth fighting for!

On 25 June, thousands of people will come together in London to celebrate their identity and their values. Celebrating and promoting institutions of war, that profit from the planning and execution of warfare globally, is an affront to the values that LGBTQI+ movements - and Pride itself - have been built on. Pride is being used within a wider public relations strategy that aims to capture the imagination of the public whilst concealing the brutal nature of warfare and the gruesome trade of the arms industry. The Red Arrows serve to promote British arms sales internationally, helping to sell weapons for BAE Systems to countries like Saudi Arabia. BAE Systems is a company that not only profits from war, but also incentivises it. There is No Pride in War. Let’s keep the Red Arrows and the arms industry out of London Pride 2016.

Plans have been submitted to Powys County Council for chicken sheds crammed with 26,000 chickens within five minutes of Hay. We don’t want to see this happen. Ammonia from these units threatens to contaminate the River Wye and harm wildlife in our local area. Everyone in Hay wants to support a thriving local farming industry. We will support anyone who wants to diversify their farming mix to ensure a more sustainable future – but not if the price is irreparable damage to our beautiful part of the world. In the past year an exclusion order was put in place after a bout of avian flu at a similar unit in Fife. Think about the impact such an outbreak could have on our economy in Hay – no festivals, no shops, no school, no jobs. Please say NO to factory chicken farms near Hay. #CluckOff! What next? You can print out a poster to show your opposition to the factory farm - download it here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzPR7ceTqhsBRFhwc2taemlpUlU Please also consider sending a formal objection to Powys Council. You can email [email protected] and the full planning details are on the Powys Planning portal (http://www.powys.gov.uk/en/planning-building-control/search-view-and-comment-on-planning-applications/) under P/2016/0397. If you would like to find out more about the plans, and other ways you can help, take a look at this document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4KIQKAg71wZTnZyZmlObTRXZ3c/view?usp=sharing

The internet access policy should be reviewed with a view to increasing access to sites that enable detainees to pursue and support their immigration claim. Detainees are often unable to download information documents sent in PDF format, for example from the websites of legal practitioners or other support groups such as Freedom From Torture. The Home Office’s blanket ban on the use of social media appears to be counter-productive and unjustified, particularly for those who will subsequently be returned to their home country and who want to make connections in order to prepare for return. Also immigration detainees tend to be particularly isolated from the outside world. Research has shown that approximately 80% of asylum seekers do not receive any personal contact from family and friends. Further isolating them by blocking Skype, Facebook & other social media is inhumane.