Successful Campaigns

Update 08/04/16 - We Won! The government have backed down on their plans to change animal welfare codes. The government said it had reconsidered the move "in light of views raised". It said the current statutory system would stay in place, but that it would "continue to work with industry" to improve the animal welfare code system. Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35992493

26/12/20 Dear Supporters, Shankea has sent you all this message: "It is with great delight that I can inform you all that I have been granted my legal right to remain in the UK. After 18 years of applications, rejections and tears, I can now breathe and live. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who signed and shared the petition. It goes without saying, I have been through a lot and am currently processing the news. As I embark on my new journey, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers." It is truly great news that Shankea can now, at the age of 31, return to her education or get a job; something she could only previously dream of. She no longer has to fear that knock on the door. But it should never have happened. The system that should have taken care of her, and thousands of others, is broken. Today, we rejoice for Shankea. Tomorrow, we will remember the others who are still fighting for their freedom to live in the country they call home.

UPDATE - 06/04/17 I’ve just received some fantastic news: the Curzon Mayfair is no longer under threat of closure. The developers and cinema have come to an agreement, and so the venue will continue to operate as normal. I therefore want to say a huge thank you for getting behind the campaign to save the cinema. Without your support and the 27,000 others who signed the petition, we almost certainly wouldn’t be making this announcement today. It shows that by pulling together, we can help protect the West End’s cultural heritage.

16/05/18 - We won! Amazing news! Today Chris Grayling announced that he's bringing the East Coast railway line into public ownership! Together with you, we've been campaigning on this for months. We've warned against a Branson Bailout, told Stagecoach to stay away, supported Bring Back British Rail's legal case and kept the pressure up on politicians and the Department for Transport - and WE'VE WON! More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44142258

The public pressure became too much and Mooboo will now pay all staff for every hour they work, whether trail shift or training.

10/04/19 We did it! Newcastle Council has declared a Climate Emergency, promising to make our city carbon neutral by 2030!! Thanks to your support for this campaign, climate change is back on our Council's agenda. But of course, the devil’s in the detail… Here’s the full story: We presented the almost 3,000-signature petition to Newcastle City Council’s meeting on Wednesday Evening. I asked Taymar Pitman from Newcastle Green Party to speak in support of the petition inside the Council’s chamber, since she’s been instrumental in helping me to understand Council procedures and has regularly joined me out on the street in freezing weather to gather signatures - along with many other Greens and supporters of the climate pressure group Extinction Rebellion, among fabulous others. Taymar explained to the council why each of the petition’s four points was critical to tackling the climate emergency. A crowd rallied outside the Civic Centre to push our Council to take climate action. We were also joined by supporters of Save Newcastle Wildlife’s campaign opposing a new open cast coal mine at Dewley Hill near Throckley, on the edge of Newcastle. Despite the Council delaying the debate about the climate emergency into ‘extra time’, we got a pledge from them to make Newcastle carbon neutral by 2030! However, the Council ignored the petition’s call to set specific targets for sectors such as housing and transport, and refused to commit to the annual progress reporting we’d asked for. Their ‘carbon neutral’ pledge (not ‘climate neutral’ as we’d asked) also ignores other climate-warming emissions such as methane and nitrous oxides. I’m glad the Council expressed a desire to divest their pension fund from fossil fuels, although again with no firm commitment. I very much hope that myself and other supporters of this petition will be invited to take part in the Council’s proposed new ‘Climate Change Convention’, bringing together businesses, residents, academics and the public sector to create a city-wide plan for action! The lack of commitment to a timeline worries me though, given that the Council have previously failed to meet the ambitions set out in their past climate change plans. Nonetheless, Newcastle Council’s recognition of the climate emergency opens up a window of opportunity to keep pressing them to take rapid, ambitious action to tackle the looming threat of climate breakdown… To continue to build momentum, I’ll be again joining the #YouthStrike4Climate’s #FridaysForFuture rally this Friday outside Newcastle Civic Centre (12 April 11am-2pm), as well as working alongside Newcastle Green Party, and Extinction Rebellion [I’ll be talking about their campaign at Jesmond Library on 25 April 6pm during their North East action week], to keep the pressure on our Council to urgently agree it’s plan for climate action! Newcastle Green Party also ask me to invite supporters of this petition to contribute their ideas for continuing the push for urgent action at their meeting tomorrow (Thurs 11 April 7pm at Commercial Union House, 39 Pilgrim Street NE1 6QE) or for a celebratory drink afterwards at the Tyneside Cinema Bar opposite (8.30pm). Friends, I thank all of you for signing, sharing and supporting this successful call on Newcastle Council to declare a Climate Emergency – together we have put climate change firmly back on our leaders’ agenda in Newcastle. I hope you will join me in continuing to push for urgent climate action, and thank you again for your support, Clare Petition link: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/declare-a-climate-emergency

We Won! The Royal Clarence Hotel and the Well House Tavern pub will be completely restored! https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/plans-major-royal-clarence-restoration-422486

UPDATE: 8/9/15 - We were delighted to hear that Wadih has been granted a 3 year visa to remain in the UK. Thank you for all your hard work on his behalf. Hopefully, the visa will be extended to a permanent status, so that the family do not have to suffer the stress of worrying about Wadih's future. Read more here: http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/13713175.Man_with_Down_s_syndrome_from_Beirut_given_30_month_extension_to_visa/ Read about the petition hand in here: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2014/12/15/petition-hand-in-dont-deport-wadih/

UPDATE: 15/07/15 - Theresa May announced today that she was rejecting the application to use water cannon! Read about our petition hand in here: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2014/06/24/water-cannon-petition-hand-in/ Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33538171

15/05/18 - We won... mostly. The University is retaining the pension scheme for existing staff, but new staff from the start of next year will not be eligible to join. The petition was an important part of the campaign and certainly made a difference.