We are told that Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) will create jobs and lower your energy prices. While this is extremely debatable and has been discredited by many authorities, there are many other environmental and economic facts to be considered. The detrimental effects of Fracking are well documented. Some of the key facts are as follows: Fracking increases local air pollution An increase in risk of pollution to local drinking water supplies Possible Risks of seismic activity Threatens natural habitats Fracking generates massive amounts of greenhouse gases Investments in Fracking blocks the development of renewable energy Increased traffic on roads from site vehicles Potential to lower the value of your house if located near a site for the above reasons Scotland, France and Germany have already banned Fracking. Please help give your support by signing this petition to let the local government that Amber Valley's constituents wish it to remain a Frack free area. Please also see details of our first meeting here: https://www.facebook.com/events/568058916702507/ Or here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/events/fracking-in-amber-valley

Park Road Allotment site is the last remaining part of Old Isleworth that is undeveloped. It offers the local community a much needed tranquil location in an otherwise urban setting. There have been allotment gardens on the site since at least 1915. Public Health England recognises the therapeutic benefits of gardening for people’s mental and physical well-being. The benefits of the site are not confined just to individual plot holders. • It is a wildlife haven: The site supports bats, newts, frogs, dragonflies, butterflies and too many birds to name. These creatures, once commonplace are increasingly rare in urban areas. • It has a major role in the production and promotion of biodiversity; plants and fruit trees depend on insects to pollinate them in order for there to be good crops. The site offers an abundant source of nectar rich plants for bees and butterflies. • The reduction of waste to landfill through composting, recycling and reusing materials. • There are learning opportunities for people of all ages who want to develop new skills and adopt a healthy lifestyle, supported through an active community garden and small garden for the local nursery school. Parents and grandparents bring children to the site; they are the next generation of gardeners. • It’s a space where children can be children; they can build camps, play pretend, weed and water their patches and be so exhausted they are asleep by 7pm. • With the increasing propensity for apartments with no individual garden space, it offers much needed outdoor space where it is possible to do more than sit and picnic. • The site forms part of the historic setting for the 600 year old All Saint’s Church. Once this tiny remaining part of Old Isleworth has been concreted over, it will be lost for all future generations. It is worth saving for everyone, now and in the future.

Newchapel recreation area, known as Chinky Park is the only outdoor BMX track facility in the Kidsgrove ward. Kidsgrove teenagers, Tyler Cooper Moore and Dan worked hard to provide this outdoor facility so that the entire community could derive benefit from his outstanding achievement. Chinky Park is well-used by all members of the community on a daily basis and to sell off such a much-loved community area, would have dire consequences for all who live in Kidsgrove and surrounding area's. Margaret Astle is appalled that Cllr David Loades, Cllr Simon Tagg, Cllr Marion Reddish and Cllr Derek Huckfield voted to recommend that Chinky Park be sold-off to a developer to build 148 houses on a children's recreation ground. The four councillors do not even live in the Kidsgrove or Newchapel wards. How can four councillors vote for the disposal of a much-loved and well-used facility? Staffordshire county council have closed many of the youth clubs in our community and some of the same councillors wish to sell-off your valuable recreation ground. Outdoor recreation area's and parks reduce crime and anti-social behaviour . . . so, we should be investing more money to maintain these area's. Chinky Park is used by dog lovers who walk their dogs on a daily basis. Elderly residents use the park to take a brisk walk which improves their health. Most importantly of all, your children use this park on a daily basis. Margaret Astle note: this is an important campaign and I need your help to save Chinky Park . . .

Mears helps the elderly to remain in their own homes. Elderly neighbours and relatives have found this service vital when they did not know who else to turn to. The cost is reasonable and the workmen are very good and caring.

14 members of University Hospital of Wales Staff are being taken to court for parking at their own workplace. This comes more than 4 years since since the Assembly Government scrapped hospital car parking charges in Wales! 600 more staff will also be targeted to pay fines which start at £30 a ticket but then rise to hundreds of pounds per ticket. Staff are being asked to pay thousands of pounds of costs and charges to Indigo (Vinci) which has a contract with Cardiff and Vale Healthboard to manage parking at their University Hospital Site. However the available number of spaces for staff to park are wholly inadequate and management have been aware of this problem over a number of years. Despite some park and ride options many staff members such as new mums and parents of young children have no choice whether to drive to work or not. Other staff members come to work 90 minutes before they start work to queue for a precious parking space. This situation has been ignored by management for too long and now Indgio are aggressively pursuing staff members for thousands of pounds of historical fines. Some of these staff members are on low wages but make up the frontline staff at UHW.

Kent County Council has a statutory requirement to take into account the needs of ALL road users when setting local speed limits. In 2014, Kent recorded an 11% increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured on its roads. At 20mph EVERYBODY benefits, including the most vulnerable members of our community. Child pedestrian accidents decrease by up to 70%. Slower speeds are elderly, disability and dementia friendly, reducing casualties by up to 20%. Walking and cycling become safer and more attractive modes of transport. Toxic diesel fumes are reduced to the equivalent of taking half of all petrol cars off the road. Traffic flow improves and congestion is eased. Journey times are increased by only a few seconds. Area-wide, blanket speed limits cost less to implement and are more effective than separate zones. On August 24th 2015 Faversham Town Council pledged their support for a 20mph scheme throughout Faversham Town Over 15m people are now living in 20mph boroughs. We deserve the same! Thank you for your support www.faversham.20splentyforus.org.uk Twitter: @20sPlentyFav Facebook: 20sPlentyFaversham

We should celebrate our heroes especially one who has changed the face of music, art, fashion and attitude and has been such a positive influence to so many people across the planet. He has also been one of the UK's greatest exports

We are about to face one of the biggest decisions that we will come across in the next 18 months and we have no idea as to the reason why we should support or not the exit from the EU. As far as immigration is concerned we are told that we cannot limit welfare payments in the country for immigrants, but if we work abroad what are we entitled to in the other country. I am old enough to have been able to vote to join the EEC, but we have not had a say when it comes to the EU. If the commission was elected then I may have more faith on Europe, currently appointments, "jobs for the boys".

At the moment the justice system is skewed in favour of the wealthiest citizens. The poorest are effectively priced out of it. Legal aid is designed to aid those on low income but it is widely abused by the legal profession for its own ends. The ends of justice are not served by a system that leaves the granting of legal aid in the hands of the legal profession. The Scottish government trumpets justice but it needs to demonstrate that commitment by ensuring that everyone has equal access to the services of solicitors and the Courts of law. The present system is flawed, costly, and overdue for reform and reconstruction.

Recent high profile scientific evidence shows that eating a plant-based diet will help prevent worsening climate change. Animal agriculture overuses the world’s precious resources and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases; 40-50% of farmed grain is fed to animals for the meat and dairy industry. As advocates of an end to unnecessary cruelty to animals, vegans are leading the trend towards a compassionate, ethical and healthy diet and we ask that the BBC stop excluding us from food programming. A fresh new cooking show will inform and help address the problems of stereotyping and cultural reference that prevent so many people from changing to a plant based diet. Veganism is a legally protected belief under Article 9 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. Yet, it is underrepresented and often misunderstood; generally vegans eat a much wider variety of food than meat eaters. Where is the modern celebrity chef who could introduce innovative culinary television programming that represents vegans and a better nutritional future for everyone? Look to the popularity of people like Lee Watson, author of Peace and Parsnips and five-year vegan, and Áine Carlin, Peasoup blogger and author of The New Vegan. It is time for a distinct and vibrant ethical cooking show to take centre stage, push meat to the side and bring modern and compassionate attitudes in to the heart of the BBC. References 1. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/no-meat-no-dairy-no-problem-is-2014-the-year-vegans-become-mainstream-9032064.html [Accessed 26 December 2015] 2. https://www.vegsoc.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=753 3.8 million mainly vegetarians in UK and, “according to the European Vegetarian Union, Britain has the third highest rate of vegetarianism in the European Union” http://www.libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/home/root/news-libertygb/6123-uk-vegetarians [Accessed 26 December 2015] 3. BBC RADIO 4 - Henry Dimbleby in conversation with Professor Tim Lang (Professor of Food Policy, City University London) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s9d26#play [Accessed 26 December 2015] 4. https://www.vegansociety.com/about-us/key-facts Other useful information http://www.veganuary.com http://london.vegfest.co.uk/pr-russell-brand 5.Peasoup Blog http://www.peasoupeats.com 6.Deliciously Ella - http://www.deliciouslyella.com https://twitter.com/DeliciouslyElla One World, Many Lives https://www.vegansociety.com

No parent should have to hold their children and comfort them as they die, or be told that their child has been harmed by someone who is supposed to love them. But that’s exactly what I had to experience 10 years ago when my sons Jack and Paul were killed by their father after a family court judge granted him unsupervised contact with them, despite my warnings. For the past nine years, I’ve been campaigning with Women’s Aid to ensure children are at the heart of every decision made in the family courts and their voices, wishes and feelings are heard. I’ve been to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament to help get key changes through in the Domestic Abuse Act.  In 2017, we saw new guidance published for judges making decisions about child contact in cases of domestic abuse. And in 2020, the Government committed to make the family courts safer for adult and child survivors. But years later, we’re still waiting for true reform to keep children safe now and for generations to come.  That’s why I’m calling on the new Labour Government and family courts to ensure, once and for all, that decisions made about parental contact do not allow known abusers to have unsafe contact with children that puts their lives at risk.

Safeguard our NHS The Government needs to listen to the public and frontline healthcare professionals to safeguard our NHS for the future.