For decades the willow tree in the school playground has provided shelter and a play area for children, creating happy memories and establishing itself as an iconic feature of the school environment. When the news broke about its impending destruction, children in the playground ran to the tree, hugging it and begging for it to be saved. It is crucial to note that there has been no public consultation at any stage of the planning process, and that the council's response to concerns raised has been dismissive at best. When the original planning application was submitted in December 2013, several trees were highlighted as needing to be removed. Namely, 2 Field Maples and a Lawson Cypress at the site frontage (north); a Sycamore within the central school area and a Sycamore towards the rear (south) boundary. The planning application makes no mention of felling the willow tree, and a subsequent survey found it to be in perfect health and posing no danger whatsover. It is unacceptable to destroy a healthy and much-loved tree in order to expand car parking facilities, and this cannot go unchallenged.

If the closures go ahead the well being, health and lives of people in the local area will be put at great risk.

There is no scientific basis that the culling of badgers will help combat the spread of Bovine TB. If anything, it will make the problem worse and the trial culls have been proved both ineffective and inhumane. It is a political tool with which the government perseveres, to appease the farming industry despite overwhelming expert, scientific advice. It seeks to remove an iconic, protected and much loved wild mammal from our landscapes and encourages illegal baiting and cruelty towards this and other wild animals.

The clause which bars other food retailers leaves a toxic legacy by limiting the options: IKEA has now been granted permission for a full-size store and loading bay. IKEA aims to demolish the building and the eco-park which Sainsbury’s gave to the local community. The site is on the main commuter bus route to North Greenwich station. Locals will have to join the traffic mayhem or jostle for space on public transport through IKEA traffic to shop for food. If there is an emergency how will services reach the site on a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides with IKEA at its neck? Instead of 'village living in the city' this is an urban nightmare. Sainsbury's says it is committed to helping communities and sustainability: Lifting the clause will mean that a more suitable retailer than IKEA can move into the neighbourhood creating diverse shopping opportunities for locals without overburdening transport networks and ruining the environment.

I hope that those of you reading this never have to look after someone you love who is terminally ill. But, if you do, that you can ensure they can choose the death they want, are out of pain and able as most of us wish to stay at home. Lord Falconer’s Bill on assisted dying will have its second reading on Friday July 18th. It proposes that anyone who has a terminal illness who is judged by two Doctor’s to have less than 6 months to live and who is mentally competent to decide the timing of their own death to be given life ending medication. Objectors worry about the impact on the elderly and disabled but they are not included. This clarification means that if you are faced with the devastating news of an inoperable, incurable illness you can choose a dignified death at the time of your choosing without fearing that your loved ones could be prosecuted if they were to help you end your life: which may include following your instructions not to send you to hospital or call an ambulance because they know that you want to stay at home rather than face death in a ward full of strangers or unfamiliar place. As Sir Chris Woodhead explains in his brilliant article in the Sunday Times “To know there is a way out is a great comfort. For the GP to assist me is rational. I don’t want to die in hospital”see - www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/newsreview/features/article1433324.ece One can’t help feel the pain of Desmond Tutu’s final recollection of the way his great friend Mandela was treated as he echoes Woodhead’s words and makes a powerful case for “A mind shift on the right to die” see www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/12/desmond-tutu-in-favour-of-assisted-dying. As someone who finds it agonising to recall the pain of caring for a partner faced with a devastating cancer perhaps the only consolation is knowing I was able to enable him to be at home so that he could hear the birds and see the garden while being surrounded by peace, love and light. But it was a fight and one that could have been avoided if only Lord Falconer's bill had been passed. Please sign this petition to encourage the Lords to support assisted dying.

We fear that privatisation could critically endanger the quality of Dorset County Hospital's pathology service and put patients at risk. We have been fighting an intense campaign against this privatisation in many different modes. Town centre petitioning events have provided 8000 signatures on paper. We need your help to lift this number as the campaign enters is last stage, so as to show the hospital the the Dorset public say NO to their important pathology laboratory being sold off. Where pathology labs were privatised elsewhere there were quality problems seen in the ensuing services and eventually financial problems had to be corrected. Where finance becomes tight then there is a temptation to cut corners. Over 100 people work at the Dorset County Hospital Pathology Laboratory, carrying out tests whose results guide the treatment of patients throughout a good part of Dorset and its surroundings. Private companies have been invited to bid to deliver this service in place of the existing NHS Pathology Laboratory. Should the service be moved away from Dorchester, there would no longer be the possibility of carrying out rapid on-site testing for patients in danger at the Dorchester hospital; moreover consultants would lose the valuable ability for close cooperation with the expert testers in cases of difficult diagnosis. The users of Dorchester Hospital Pathology Lab have no complaints about the service. It was being developed as a centre of excellence for cancer testing. The Dorset Health Campaign group was formed in late 2012 as a result of the 38 Degrees NHS privatisation campaign.

Once again our government is silent and supporting the destruction of Gaza which has been under Israeli siege since 2007. Our prime ministers continue to publically side with Israel, and Israel continues with the destruction of Gaza and as a result innocent women and children are being killed. Since June 1989, Israel has formally restricted the movement of Palestinians, and every two years its starts bombing the Palestinians destroying their infrastructure, which is difficult to rebuild when nothing is allowed in and out of Gaza. To rebuild they have to smuggle in underground tunnels which are also destroyed in the bombardment. Whatever the politics in this world, we have to stop this injustice and children in this part of the world deserve to live in a free, safe environment and not be treated in this inhumane way. Please support this by lobbing your local MP and boycotting any Israeli products that are sold in our high streets, it worked in South Africa and with your support it will work in Palestine

Harrow Council has proposed two very similar choices for changes to the use of Pinner Park Farm in a recent informal public consultation; luxury housing with a country park that includes a large 'events field'. Whilst the link below offers a chance to share ideas, the two proposals were championed as the only options. http://www.harrow.gov.uk/info/200143/public_notices/1255/pinner_park_farm Converting the farmhouse and building new properties would change the character of the site forever. It is therefore important to consider a wide range of options before a final decision is taken regarding this historically important green belt land with listed buildings, that is also the last working farm in the borough. In summary, Pinner Park Farm is a much loved, important local space. We ask the council to extend the consultation period and publish criteria for alternative proposals so that the best option can be developed and supported. If we collect 2000 signatures by 22 July, the matter has to be considerd by full council. In order for your signature to be valid, please ensure that you work, study, or live in the Borough of Harrow. The address given must be a home, work or study address in the Borough.

Fracking is quite possibly one of the most dangerous forms of creating energy ever invented. Whilst drilling chemicals are released into the ground with the water that get released into the environment. The chemicals are supposed to stay in the concrete pipes but they rarely do... The pipes crack and the chemicals leak into the environment and into our drinking water. Also the chemicals are released into the atmosphere leaving people and animals to breath this toxic mixture of chemicals into their body. The result is illness, disability, cancers, unable to drink tap water, our animals dying and our plants dying. The result is a whole toxic mess... And then there's the earth tremors and earthquakes. "Fracking for Gas threatens us all. A fracking drill goes down vertically up to 2 miles, then horizontally up to 2 miles...possible under your house and then it is FRACKED." Source: RAFF - Residents Action Group on Fylde Fracking (2014) "Fracking is a controversial and potentially dangerous method of extracting oil and natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting a mixture of sand, water and chemical into the ground at high pressure causing rock to fracture and release trapped oil or gas." Source: The Green Party (2014) Fracking is being held as a solution to our energy needs. It is claimed that it will bring down the cost of oil and gas. However, the sheer size of the world markets mean that the relatively small amounts to be recovered in the UK are unlikely to have a noticeable impact on the price we pay. Leaving at least two-thirds of fossil fuels in the ground avoids a two degree rise in global temperatures. We therefore need to invest in renewable energy in order to combat climate change, not extract yet more fossil fuels by fracking. Don't let the Government win this one!!

Carers save the country an estimated £119 Billion pounds a year, and yet achieve no recognition for their work. Like myself a full time carer for my wife most carers are unable to escape the stresses of placed on us by the continuous need to be on duty 24/7 and the assistance provided by GPs Social Services and Charities, is severely limited by the cuts inflicted by this government. In general most governments and public service unions prefer to ignore us, and are content to allow us to take the brunt of spending cuts full on. These stresses are increasing day by day, causing both physical and mental problems thus increasing the workload on an already over stretched NHS. This must stop right now. Home Carers should be supported by the government and not be pitched from one charity to another like orphans looking for a new home. The government must stop abdicating it's responsibilities and do something positive.

The City of London’s proposed dam works on Hampstead Heath will: • Permanently disfigure the Heath • Not eliminate the risk of downstream flooding or loss of life which the City of London claims these proposals will address We call on Camden Council to reject the City of London’s Planning Application. The proposed works specify massive dams, spillways, concrete walls and embankments. They include: • Construction of a huge 40m wide by 5.6m high embankment in the Catchpit Valley; • Construction of a massive 2.5 m dam at end of the Model Boating Pond; • Felling at least 160 trees; • Taking 2 years to complete; • Estimated costs of at least £17 million; • Inevitable and irreversible damage to the Heath and its wildlife. The City’s rationale for these works involves a dubious interpretation of the law. It refers to a computer model of a 1 in 400,000 year “probable maximum flood” and works that would “virtually eliminate” the risk of dam collapse in the event of this flood. The works would contravene the Hampstead Heath Act of 1871 which requires that Hampstead Heath be preserved in its “natural aspect and state”. The City became custodian of the Heath in 1989. It is now making a planning application to Camden Council to carry out the proposed works. You can also help in other ways: • Details of the planning application and your opportunity to object directly to Camden Council can be found on the council's website. • Donations can be made towards legal costs by the Heath & Hampstead Society (a charity) to apply for a judicial review via their website.. • Details of the DamNonsense campaign and alternative proposals to the works can be found at http://www.damnonsense.org.uk/. Please sign this petition and forward the details to your friends, family, colleagues, colleges, trade unions, faith groups and anyone else you can think of! Supported by: DamNonsense Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club Highgate Men’s Pond Association Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association Mixed Pond Association Protect Our Ponds The Hampstead Heath Anglers’ Society The Heath & Hampstead Society United Swimmers’ Association of Hampstead Heath

We are told that 'Smart' Meters will replace our existing water, gas and electricity metering systems and that the UK as a whole could benefit from saving up to 2% of our energy IF we change our behaviour. What are we NOT being told.. 1. There are major health concerns 'Smart' Meters emit a continuous stream of pulsed microwave radiation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. These fields are intensely bio-active and affect the people and natural ecology in and around each home as well nearby. Mechanism for harm to Human Health include activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and cellular communication interference which leads to the production of free-radicals and DNA damage (Prof. Martin Pall, 2014) EMF waves are especially dangerous to the cells, DNA and organs of young children, babies and foetuses. 2. There are cheaper, less intrusive, ways of monitoring energy Germany has rejected 'Smart' Meters, citing a "lack of savings" for customers. In the UK, 'Smart' Meters are being publicised promoted as "putting consumers in control of energy". If that were true, UK consumers would be given an inexpensive energy monitor - available for just £15 - to assess their own energy/appliance use. Instead, 'Smart' Meters are designed to transmit private data to energy companies and allow them to remotely disconnect supplies and perform "Active Demand Management" - where appliances can be controlled by the energy company (Ofgem 2014). These facts are not being explained to the public. 3. They do NOT reduce energy/utility consumption Only consumers can save energy - when they chose to change their behaviour. If saving measures are not taken, Smart Meters will actually lead to higher bills to pay for the total programme cost of £12bn - representing a cost to each home and small business of at least £400. Energy bills shot up in December 2013 - as energy companies looked to maximise profits. 4. Security vulnerabilities The proposed 'Smart' Meter infrastructure is inherently insecure and will leave UK homes, in the words of GCHQ, "open to terrorist [cyber] attack". A plan to place our entire domestic and small business energy and water supply online is at best reckless and at worst openly inviting trouble - whether that threat lies abroad or closer to home. 'Smart' Meters also increase the impacts of grid security threats from electromagnetic pulse attacks (Jamieson 2012) 5. Privacy intrusions and profiling Smart Meters harvest vast amounts of private data about occupant's lives and behaviours at home - allowing corporations and agencies to analyse our habits, profile our behaviours and monetise our private lives. We are aware that access to our medical data and tax data is already being passed on to third parties - we have no doubt that the valuable data gathered by 'Smart' Meters will follow. 6. They are a poor investment of OUR money Smart Meters will COST THE PUBLIC AT LEAST £12 BILLION with no guarantee of any savings being returned by Big Energy. And because of the significant project risks and problems, the bills is likely to be far, far higher. 7. They are neither 'green' nor “clean” – and could become the basis for unaffordable remediation costs Many countries (e.g. Belgium, France, Austria, Russia) have taken great steps to limit or remove sources of RF/MW pollution - especially for children - due to the now 5,000+ studies now showing harm from artificial sources of EMFs. The UK, however, seems oblivious to now established mechanisms for harm and is therefore not taking a precautionary approach in its continued implementation of a wireless "Smart" Grid. While UK standards were overwhelmingly voted "out of date and obsolete" in an EU parliamentary motion in 2008, they remain in place despite PHE's inability to categorically confirm that non-thermal EMF exposure is "safe". Simultaneously, the WHO now categorises RF EMFs as a 2B possible cancer causing agent. 8. They are likely to disappoint and further disenfranchise hard-working consumers A one year study by Toronto Hydro showed that 84% of people's bills went UP after 'Smart; Meters had been installed - often by more 50%+. There is no guarantee of any savings from 'Smart' Meters. Instead, Ofgem's recent 'Smartgrid Routemap' promotes the introduction of lucrative "Time of Use" tariffs which will require people to take significant steps to avoid being penalised for using appliances at busy times. Many pilot studies show that Smart Meters do NOT lead to sustained energy savings - ComEd's pilot in the US showing "zero statistical difference" in usage. Who will benefit when users make no energy savings, but Big Energy and the Government has the means to exploit private data and take control of our appliances? Whoever it may be, it will not be the UK public. We therefore want this £12bn programme STOPPED.