Successful Campaigns

02/05/18 A message from Grahame: Thanks so much for signing Pauline's petition. I am really pleased to let you know that Pauline has just been granted 30 months leave to stay! So people power really can work! We still have some mountains to cross but we can at last relax a bit now and admire the view! Over 100,000 signatures in less than 10 weeks is amazing. Knowing there are so many good people out there has given us great strength. Apparently the Home Secretary received some 16,000 tweets from petition signers over just the past 2 days (LOL!). Thanks also to 38 Degrees who have been brilliant! Without this support I'm sure Pauline would have been just another case to brush under the carpet! Whilst the decision does not mitigate for the injustices Pauline has suffered (as clearly described by our barrister) it will at least allow the long recovery process to begin. We can now start planning the rest of our lives - including a long-awaited honeymoon! I really hope that lessons can be learned so others don't have to go through the same nightmare. I for one will one work tirelessly to this end. Keep well and thanks again. Grahame (& Pauline) x

10/12/21 FINALLY, A WIN FOR WILD ANIMALS After decades of campaigning and years of waiting, Born Free welcomes UK Government plans to end the legal import of trophies from hundreds of wild animals, shot for ‘fun’. Read more here: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/uk-trophy-import-ban

On the 3rd December 2020 the Environment Secretary announced plans to ban live exports following Britain’s departure from the EU. This ban is dependent upon the result of an eight-week consultation, beginning today, which seeks views on ending the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening where the journeys begin or transit through England or Wales. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55167473 Due to this awful trade, animals must endure excessively long journeys, and frequently experience pain, exhaustion, stress and overcrowding. Having campaigned to put an end to this suffering for over 50 years, we are delighted to hear that the Government plans to ban live exports at long last. Echoing our sentiments exactly, George Eustice, Defra Secretary of State, called the trade a “cruel and unnecessary practice”, in a press release on the announcement.

09/08/18 We Won! We won! Women's Refuges have been saved from disasterous funding changes. The government has listened to the hundreds of thousands of people who joined Women’s Aid, in calling to stop planned changes to how refuges are funded. We told Ministers that these disastrous planned funding reforms would have put women and children’s lives at risk. Refuge managers warned these plans would have “been the end”. We are delighted that the Government has acted; rent in refuges will continue to be funded through housing benefit, which is the very last secure form of income for our national network of services. Up and down the country survivors and refuge services are breathing a sigh of relief. Refuge doors will stay open for the women and children escaping domestic abuse who so desperately need their help. Domestic abuse refuges save lives. With on average two women every week being killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales, refuges provide lifeline. Our campaign is not over; our next battle is to ensure that the funding for the support refuges provide to a survivor and her children - from therapy to help with housing and finances - is secure. We hope you will continue with us on our campaign to win a sustainable funding future for these life-saving services. Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/09/plans-to-remove-womens-refuges-from-uk-welfare-system-dropped

Update 16/11/17 We won! Homebase says it intends to end the sale of plants grown that have been treated with neonicotinoid-based pesticides by the end of 2018. They said: "We have been working closely with our suppliers and seeking advice from other stakeholders about the use of neonicotinoids and we have committed to stop using these insecticides on garden plants, as well as removing neonicotinoid-based garden care products from sale by the end of 2018." Read more here: https://www.hortweek.com/homebase-bunnings-stop-selling-neonicotinoid-treated-plants/retail/article/1450434

We Won! 28/03/18 The government today announced that they are going to introduce a bottle deposit return scheme! Congratulations to the hundreds of thousands of people that have campaigned to help make this a reality! 38 Degrees blog post https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/03/28/bottle-deposits-we-won/ BBC news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43563164

18/12/16 - We Won Due to this campaign Aldi, Asda, Boots, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Superdrug, Tesco and Wilkinsons have all promised to switch to paper sticks! What a way to end the year. I'm so grateful to all the 38 Degrees members who got behind City to Sea's campaign and put pressure on our retailers to Switch the Stick. Your signatures, shares and social media action made every bit of difference ... the seas, rivers and coastlines will be a lot cleaner in the coming years thanks to you! Natalie Fee City to Sea - www.citytosea.org.uk

The government’s official guidelines to protect people returning to work have been published. Thanks to pressure from unions, MPs, and more than 73,000 thousand of us the rules are stronger so more of us will be kept safe. When the government’s draft guidelines were leaked last week, tens of thousands of us leapt into action to push for improvements, and the government listened. There is lots more to do, but this is a step in the right direction.