Drumbeat Outreach is a highly-valued local service working with autistic young people, families and schools across Lewisham. Earlier this year, over 1,800 people raised their voices to object to an attempt to cut back the small Drumbeat Outreach team. The proposed cuts were paused as a result.    However, the plans have not gone away, and a devastating “restructure” is now underway. Staff are being forced through a consultation that will lead to a third of the team being lost. The reduction in this small team’s capacity will have a major impact on the service they can provide. The crucial changes have not been consulted with the expert Drumbeat Outreach team or the families, young people and schools who will be affected by them. Short-term cuts are being pursued at the expense of our children’s mental health and educational futures - this is neither ethically nor fiscally sound decision-making. If you ask any parent or carer of an autistic child or young person in Lewisham, or school staff or other frontline professionals working with them, which service helps to understand and support their needs you are likely to hear one service singled out: Drumbeat Outreach. Drumbeat Outreach work under Service Level Agreements with mainstream schools in Lewisham. In addition, they work to a Service Level Agreement with the Local Authority that ensures free-at-the-point-of-use groups and services are also delivered. Funding from Lewisham to Drumbeat Outreach has been maintained at the same level since 2012 despite massive increases in costs since this date. Current funding cannot sustain the same level of services. Despite assurances that a 5% increase is being put forward as part of the current consultation, this is entirely inadequate to address the increased costs that have accumulated over the years. Drumbeat Outreach sits under the management of Drumbeat School but have a distinct role and largely autonomous working model. Financial management of the Drumbeat Outreach budget has exposed the problems of this specialised team sitting within a school that has no involvement in its work. Yet instead of putting effort into developing a more appropriate structure and home for the Drumbeat Outreach service to flourish, preserving its expertise and reputation, current efforts are incomprehensibly focussed on cutting it back.  Behind the scenes in Drumbeat Outreach is a highly experienced team with decades of professional and personal experience supporting neurodivergent young people and working with schools. Those who work with them understand that their deep, transformative impact across schools, wider systems and services, is achieved by being constantly on hand for advice and expertise, tuned into professional forums and community networks. They are known for always being one step ahead, identifying new areas and issues where families, young people, schools and others need support and adapting to meet emerging needs. Cutting this service back to the bone will have a deep impact.  There are countless forums for strategising, information-sharing, consultation and co-production around SEND and autism in Lewisham, yet the plans to cut back Drumbeat Outreach’s capacity were never discussed at these before they were put to the team as a formal consultation for job losses. These forums include: the All-Age Autism Strategy and its Partnership Board, the Parent and Carer Forum, the Lewisham Local Area Partnership for Children and Young People’s SEND Strategy “Have Your Say” events. Similarly, despite 1800+ parents, carers and supporters raising their concerns earlier this year, no efforts were made subsequently to consult on, share information about, or even allay fears around the revised restructure. We believe this is because there can in fact be no evidence to justify this cost-saving process. We remind Councillors that while the government makes increasingly clear that the future direction is to ensure children with SEND (of whom around 70% in Lewisham are or come to be diagnosed as autistic) are educated in inclusive mainstream settings, Lewisham Council will be making devastating and irreparable cuts to the one team that know how to make this a reality. Rather than cutting Drumbeat Outreach, Lewisham Council should be proudly proposing it as a model service to be adopted nationally.

Hackney Council is planning huge fee hikes for community nurseries. Some families could face fee increases of over £10,000. Many parents are being forced to consider cutting their hours, leaving their jobs, or pulling their children out of nursery altogether. Some are even thinking about leaving Hackney. That means less income tax for the government — and less council tax for Hackney. It just doesn’t make sense. This comes just as the government and the Mayor promised more support for childcare but instead, parents here are being asked to pay more than ever before. We, the undersigned parents and carers, are asking Hackney Council to pause the hikes, speak to families, and look at the real impact these increases will have.

They save NHS a lot of money providing 24 hour care 7 days a week they should be paid for the care they do irrespective of age when they retire and continue to do care as an OAP.  Age Equality is very important.  The NHS and social services are struggling with low funding these people do excellent care save resources. She be paid a fair amount regardless of age. 

Why You Should Sign: The UK government plans to remove the automatic right to trial by jury for thousands of criminal cases, replacing it with a new “intermediate court” system, where a judge and two magistrates decide guilt without a jury. This would apply to offences like: - Theft - Assault - Criminal damage - Fraud - Protest-related charges These aren’t minor infractions, they’re serious cases with life-altering consequences. Jury trial is a cornerstone of justice. It protects us from: - Biased judges - Political interference - State overreach - Unjust prosecutions It ensures ordinary people, not just the state, have a say in justice. The government claims this is about “clearing the backlog.” But the real reason our courts are overwhelmed is a decade of cuts, closures, and underfunding. Not too many jury trials. And here's the real danger: Once jury trials are removed for one group of offences, nothing stops future governments from expanding that list. Fraud today. Protest tomorrow. Speech next. This reform sets a dangerous precedent. It opens the door to a justice system controlled from the top, with less accountability and no community oversight. This is how civil liberties die. Slowly, bureaucratically, and with no way back. Sign this petition to demand: - No abolition of jury trials - No closed-door “intermediate courts” - Real investment in public justice - Protection for one of our oldest democratic rights Justice must stay in public hands. Sign now. Share everywhere.

Rumours are swirling that Rachel Reeves might slash the tax-free cap on Cash ISAs from £20,000 to £4,000 - after meeting with a group of bank executives. [1] Cash ISAs (individual savings accounts) are the most popular kind of savings account in the UK. Tax-free and low-risk, they help 18 million of us to save billions for a rainy day. But the Chancellor is being lobbied by big city firms to cut the allowance so that savers are pushed into moving their money. Reducing the Cash ISA limit - while keeping the stocks and shares ISA allowance the same - would unfairly push people into making riskier investments. No one should be forced to gamble their savings to help rake in *even more* profit for City bankers. After U-turning on bankers bonuses, we can’t let Labour bend to the will of big banks again. The government should not restrict Cash ISAs. Tell Rachel Reeves to #ProtectCashISAs - add your name to the petition now. [1] The Guardian: Savings providers vow to fight any attempt to cut cash Isa limit to £4,000 

He's  a bully and dictator and shows no respect  to others

It no longer feels appropriate for primary aged children to have to wear a shirt and tie for school. There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that wearing comfier clothes has positive impacts on attendance, wellbeing and achievement.  It is old fashioned and not reflected in society so seems unsuitable for young children.

As I have said in my statement above. Do we love our countryside as it is now?  If we want to continue seeing our beautiful ancient trees, then please join our campaign!  This is for our Children and Grandchildren of the future.  Thank you 

New figures show that one in ten children aged eight to 14 have accessed harmful adult content online. Boys aged thirteen to fourteen are the most likely to be exposed. This has gone on for too long. Children are only a click away from content that can harm their mental health. It can affect how they view relationships and lead to harassment and abuse in schools. From 25 July, new rules mean websites must put proper age checks in place. But these rules will only work if Ofcom enforces them properly, from day one. Tech companies have had years to prepare. Now they need to act. If they fail, they must be fined or blocked in the UK.

The erosion of rights for trans and intersex people in the UK is not just a concern for those directly affected — it is a warning sign for everyone who values freedom, dignity, and equality under the law. When a government begins to target a minority group through legal rulings, policy rollbacks, and inflammatory rhetoric, it sets a precedent that endangers the rights of all citizens. History shows that the marginalisation of one group often paves the way for broader authoritarianism. Standing up for trans and intersex people is standing up for a society where everyone’s rights are protected, regardless of gender, identity, or background. Moreover, the UK has long prided itself on being a global leader in human rights and democratic values. The current trajectory — condemned by international human rights bodies and legal experts — threatens that reputation and undermines our commitments on the world stage. If we allow the dehumanisation and legal erasure of trans and intersex people to continue unchecked, we risk becoming a society defined by fear, division, and injustice. This is a moment for the public to act — not just out of solidarity, but out of a shared interest in preserving the kind of inclusive, fair, and compassionate country we all want to live in.

Puy du Fou wants to build a theme park in the tiny village of Bucknell near Bicester, Oxfordshire. The proposed park would occupy an area of productive farmland bigger than Hyde Park, destroying green space, natural wildlife habitats and ancient rights of way. Puy du Fou UK aims to attract 1.47mln visitors per year. Because of where the park would be situated, we know the British public will drive en masse instead of using public transport. The park would be served by a single B-road, the B4100, an accident-prone road that is notoriously congested every day. This congestion causes backlogs for miles around including on the M40, A43 and A34. Such an increase in traffic will spell daily misery for anyone travelling in the wider area, not just the locals. Shortages in the electricity grid currently cause serious local problems including outages and even school closures, while Thames Water does not have sufficient capacity to serve much-needed new homes at present.  Tell Cherwell District Council to say No Puy du Fou UK, sign the petition! https://www.no2pdfouuk.com/

People need appointments near where they live not several miles away!