St George Wheel Park is more than a skate park. It is a free, inclusive and accessible community asset that supports physical activity, social connection, mental wellbeing and positive opportunities for children and young people across Bristol. If disruption or closure is required to facilitate essential infrastructure works, the Council must demonstrate that it has properly assessed the impact on local communities and put robust arrangements in place to protect the future of this important asset. We ask Bristol City Council to commit to the following five actions: 1. Publish a Full Impact Assessment Undertake and publish a comprehensive assessment of the impacts on children, young people, families, public health, equality and community wellbeing before any loss of provision occurs - this might not be the most appropriate site for Wessex Water to use, given its unique socail value. 2. Provide Suitable Meanwhile Provision Identify, fund and deliver temporary alternative facilities so that children and young people are not left without access to equivalent opportunities for wheeled sports, recreation and physical activity during any closure period. 3. Ringfence Funding for Replacement and Improvement Protect all funding allocated to the wheel park from inflation, delays or changing priorities, ensuring sufficient resources remain available to deliver a high-quality replacement or enhanced facility. 4. Secure Binding Delivery Commitments Put in place clear agreements, milestones and public accountability mechanisms to ensure reinstatement is delivered on time and to an agreed standard. 5. Protect the Long-Term Future of the Asset Work with the community to ensure that any future facility remains accessible, inclusive and designed to meet the needs of children, young people and families for generations to come. For adults, a delay of two or three years may feel temporary. For a nine-year-old child, it represents a significant part of their childhood. Bristol's children deserve better than the loss of a unique community asset without proper assessment, mitigation or accountability. Sign this petition to call for impact assessment, mitigation, accountability and protection of St George Wheel Park for current and future generations. "this is my favourite place in the whole world" DH - age 9 As parent of young children, the likely loss of St George Wheel/Skate Park feels shocking - it is a free to use, active, outdoor place where people meet.  People of all ages, all walks of life - it is a special place. It was intentionally designed with community building in mind. Wessex Water have chosen this particular site, and whilst improvements to water systems are no doubt important, its not clear why it can only be there, or why other sites have not been considered.   With an indicative timeline of up to three years - why isn't there a meanwhile provsion?  What a huge loss for children, three years is a fair chunk of childhood. We need to know that its future is secure, we can't accept loosing a unique community asset!

It was a typical evening at our home in Southampton when our lives were turned upside down. A towering tree came crashing down on several homes, including mine, causing severe damage and a wave of fear that still grips my family to this day. Miraculously, no one was injured, a stroke of luck for which I am immensely grateful. But the reality is, it could have been so much worse. The tree, which has left my home no longer watertight, is part of a larger problem—a problem that poses a grave danger to all residents in our community. Our trusted tree surgeon conducted a thorough investigation and found that the tree, which fell, had a severe fungal infection. This same infection has been detected in other trees on the properties of the Southampton Council and the University of Southampton. Despite these findings, these hazardous trees still stand tall, threatening our homes, our safety, and potentially, our lives. We are calling on the Southampton Council and the University of Southampton to take immediate action. To protect the residents of Southampton, all infected and dangerous trees must be removed. This is not merely a minor inconvenience—it is a pressing issue of public safety and security. Left unchecked, these trees pose a lethal risk that gains potency with each passing storm. The financial burden of the previous incident, not to mention the emotional toll it has taken on us and our neighbors, is unsustainable. Many of us are facing unexpected repair costs and, worse, an ongoing sense of insecurity in our own homes. No one should live in fear of the next storm, wondering if they or their loved ones will be the next victim of a preventable disaster. We seek to avert further tragedy and urge the Southampton Council and the University of Southampton to prioritize public safety by initiating the removal of all infected and hazardous trees on their properties. We need not wait for another close call or, heaven forbid, a fatal outcome to realize the magnitude of this risk. Please join us in demanding swift action from the authorities by signing this petition. Together, we can make Southampton safer for all its residents by ensuring these dangerous trees are dealt with before it's too late.

In the organisation I work for, we have made a record profit for several quarters in a row. And without fail there is a round of redundancies made. Often under the guise of "we need to reduce head count." This sickens me as it leave me wondering "where is the money?" If we've made a record profit, why are we cutting costs in staffing? Surely pay everyone at better, not C-Suite, and everyone can work that little bit less? Why this draconian need for a performative work environment? I come back around to my thought of where is the money. Either we were not in as much profit as we said or it isn't actually profit (e.g. payroll hasn't been deducted from those numbers). I know friends who have been at various banks, technology institutions who were let go after an immensely successful financial year under this cutting costs guise.  It's time this practice was made illegal - in a similar manner to fire and rehire - people should be able to feel that their job is safe when the company isn't in dire straights, not to be constantly looking over their shoulder every time the results come out. 

Cofnas is not simply a critic of diversity policy. He is a self-described “race realist” who argues that genes contribute to racial group differences in intelligence. Contemporary genetics has rejected the scientific racism and eugenics which Cofnas draws upon. He has claimed that in a meritocracy “the number of black professors would approach 0%.”  He also publicly questioned Professor Jason Arday’s appointment, asking whether Cambridge believed “the only way to have black professors is to abandon all standards.” An inquest into Professor Arday’s death is ongoing. Out of respect for that process and for his family, we say no more. Reform UK claims recent revelations of racism in its ranks concern a few “bad apples.” Yet its Oxford society is willing to promote racist ideas. Ideas platformed at Oxford do not stay in the lecture theatre. They travel through social media and political debate, carrying the University’s authority.  We value academic freedom. But free speech does not extinguish duties under the Equality Act 2010, including the Public Sector Equality Duty. Nor does it remove responsibility for the safety and welfare of Black students and staff. Oriel College says it “abhors racism and discrimination in all its forms.” To live by those words, it should cancel this event. Failing that it should at least postpone it pending a full written response to the following: 1. Publish the event risk assessment: Oriel College must explain how it has considered its equality duties, safeguarding responsibilities and the welfare of students and staff. Publish it by 6 November, redacted where necessary.  2. Safeguard Black students and staff: Take meaningful steps to protect Black students and staff, including clear arrangements for reporting racist incidents and engagement with Black student organisations to address concerns ahead of the event. 3. Commission an independent review: Review how the decision to host this event was made and what lessons should be learned, with Black student organisations involved in the process and the findings made public. We request an urgent public response. If the event goes ahead, we support a demonstration opposing the event on 17 November. This petition has been started by Oxford Students' Coalition Against Racism with the support of Black Lives Matter UK, Every Day Racism and Stand Up to Racism (sign up to SUTR mailing list here).

It is you the workers that make Essex Library Service what it is. A much loved public service that has been an outstanding success for 100 years. However, we recognise that recent times have been difficult, with both your roles, and the service you provide, so often undermined, and undervalued.  Regrettably the short term future at least does not seem likely to offer any relief in this regard. So not only do we express our appreciation for all that you do, and continue to do for us, the people of Essex, in ongoing difficult circumstances. We promise that we will continue to stand with you in the future.

Every year, fireworks cause fear and distress for animals and people across the country. Pets can be left trembling or hiding, wildlife can be frightened, and loud, unexpected bangs can be particularly distressing for people with anxiety and PTSD.   And when fireworks fall into the wrong hands, they can become a tool for antisocial behaviour, used to intimidate neighbours, frighten animals and put people at risk. This isn't about banning fireworks altogether. It's about making them less readily available for misuse and encouraging people to enjoy fireworks responsibly at organised displays, rather than setting them off in residential streets where others have no choice but to endure the noise. Sainsbury's, Co-op and Waitrose have already stopped selling fireworks, showing that supermarkets can put the wellbeing of animals and communities first. Yet we're still waiting for Tesco to follow their lead. As Britain's biggest retailer, Tesco has the opportunity to make a real difference. Removing fireworks from sale would be a practical step towards reducing their availability for antisocial use and protecting the people and animals who suffer every year.

Greenwich Council is no longer paying the fee to be a part of the London Youth Games. This means that NO children from Greenwich will be able to take part in ANY of the sports which are supported by the London Youth Games. As the LYG website notes:  London Youth Games is a charity that uses the power of sport and physical activity to provide life-changing opportunities to over 10,000 young Londoners per year. Young people from all 33 boroughs of London are included and participate within LYG programmes. This means that some of the best young athletes in the Borough no longer have the opportunity to take part in city-wide competitions, nor do any other children have the opportunity to take part in large, competitive events for the first time. Some of the best athletes in London are from Greenwich. Last year, for example, the top under 13 girl in the London Youth Games Cross Country was from Greenwich.  The physical and mental health and well-being of children and young people is a state priority of Greenwich Council (ref: Greenwich Annual Plan; Children and Young People's Plan); sport plays a key role in realising this. We call on the Council to immediately reinstate funding for the London Youth Games and ensure that hundreds of children from the Borough are able to take part. 

Wildlife is in freefall. England is one of the worst countries in the world for how much wildlife we have already lost, and the places that we love - from ancient woodlands to precious moorlands - are at risk. Yet half of England is owned by just 1% of the population, and these massive landowners don’t seem to be doing much about the crisis we are in.  The Government has brought together some of England’s biggest landowners to tackle this crisis at a massive scale in the National Estate for Nature (NEN). But instead of ambitious action, it's become a voluntary talking shop.  There are just 14 members in the National Estate for Nature Group, but together they own 10% of England!  Whilst some landowners push ahead, others continue to delay and risk jeopardising any hope we have of reaching the Government’s commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (30by30). With great power comes great responsibility. We are asking that all major landowners are held to account over how they are managing their land. We are calling on the Government to overhaul the NEN framework to increase transparency and action for nature by: • Providing a standardised and publicly accessible reporting framework that landowners must follow, including maps of total landholdings and existing contributions to 30by30; • Requiring each landowner to set an area-based target towards 30by30 on their own estate; • Including a ratchet mechanism to increase ambition towards 30by30, in which each target set is more ambitious than the last. 74% of the public think major landowners have a duty to protect nature on their land. That is why we are also calling for a new mandate for nature for all landowners with holdings of 1000 hectares or greater, not just for those in the NEN. With your help, Wild Card has already secured action from the England's biggest landowners, including Forestry England and the Royal Family. Now, we're demanding action from all of them. Will you join us?  

The BBC plans to close Radio 4 Extra in spring 2027 as part of its latest round of budget cuts. The station costs the equivalent of just 12 pence per licence fee annually, yet provides entertainment and companionship to 1.55 million listeners every week. We believe this decision is short-sighted, culturally damaging and fundamentally at odds with the BBC’s public service mission. Radio 4 Extra is unlike anything else on British radio. It is a treasure trove of comedy, drama, storytelling and entertainment, bringing together some of the finest programmes ever produced by the BBC alongside more recent productions. From The Goon Show, Hancock’s Half Hour and Round the Horne to contemporary comedy, groundbreaking drama and adaptations of great literature, Radio 4 Extra preserves and celebrates a broadcasting heritage that belongs to all of us. It introduces new generations to performers, writers and programmes they might otherwise never encounter, while providing familiar voices and much-loved entertainment to millions of listeners. And it does all this at a remarkably modest cost. According to the BBC’s own figures, Radio 4 Extra has an annual content budget of approximately £4 million. That’s just 0.067% of the corporation’s roughly £6 billion annual budget, equivalent to around 12 pence of a £180 television licence fee. At just 0.6 pence per listener-hour, it is the BBC’s most economical national radio station. Even more remarkably, the £4 million represents the station’s entire annual content budget, not the amount the BBC will necessarily save by closing it. The BBC has yet to disclose the actual savings it expects to achieve. Since much of Radio 4 Extra’s programming will remain available through BBC Sounds, some costs will inevitably continue. So how much money will the BBC actually save by depriving 1.55 million weekly listeners of a service that costs each licence fee payer the equivalent of just 12 pence a year? We believe licence fee payers deserve an answer. Radio 4 Extra also reminds us of something increasingly overlooked in the relentless pursuit of savings: public service broadcasting is about more than audience figures and balance sheets. The station offers companionship to people living alone, comfort to those who are housebound, entertainment to those who cannot afford subscription services, and an accessible cultural resource for anyone with a radio. The BBC argues that programmes will remain available through BBC Sounds. But a streaming library is not a substitute for a carefully curated radio station. Listeners should not have to search for programmes they already know exist. One of Radio 4 Extra’s greatest pleasures is discovering something unexpected simply by switching on the radio. And not everyone wants, or is able, to navigate an app or website to enjoy the BBC’s output. Radio 4 Extra’s programmes represent decades of investment, creativity and talent, much of it already paid for by licence fee payers. Closing a dedicated channel that makes this extraordinary archive accessible seems a particularly perverse way to save money. We recognise that the BBC faces serious financial pressures. Difficult decisions are inevitable. But there is a difference between making economies and dismantling the very services that make the BBC distinctive. Once lost, a dedicated home for Britain’s radio comedy and drama heritage may never return. We therefore call on the BBC Board and Director-General to: 1. Reverse the decision to close Radio 4 Extra and preserve it as a dedicated broadcast radio station. 2. Publish the actual projected savings from its closure, distinguishing between costs that will disappear and those that will continue. 3. Explore alternative economies that would preserve this exceptionally cost-effective public service. 4. Recognise the importance of accessible, curated broadcasting to listeners who cannot, or simply do not wish to, rely on streaming services. Radio 4 Extra is more than another channel on the dial. It is a living archive of British broadcasting, a source of daily pleasure and companionship, and an important part of our shared cultural inheritance. For the equivalent of just 12 pence a year, surely we can afford to keep it. Please sign this petition and help ensure that Radio 4 Extra remains on the air for generations to come. I’ve been listening to Radio 4 Extra since it first launched as BBC 7 in 2002. Over more than two decades, it has given me the opportunity not only to revisit much-loved classics from the BBC’s extraordinary archives, but also to discover countless programmes, writers and performers I might never otherwise have encountered. And that, to me, is what makes the station so special. It isn’t simply a repository of old programmes. It’s a carefully curated service that continually introduces listeners to something new, even when that something was first broadcast decades ago. There’s a particular pleasure in switching on the radio and discovering a programme you didn’t know existed, rather than having to search through an online catalogue for something you already know you want to hear. BBC Sounds may preserve access to the programmes, but it cannot fully replicate the experience of Radio 4 Extra. An archive preserves the past. A radio station brings it to life.

BBC Radio 4 Extra is one of the jewels in the crown of BBC Radio. Although it's an archive channel, the archive contains many magical programmes, often not repeated for many years. Some of my favourites are dramas from original material by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming (James Bond), George Orwell, Dylan Thomas, T.H. White, John le Carré and comedies by the likes of Morecambe & Wise, Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais, Ivor Cutler, Lenny Henry, The Goons with science fiction by Philip K Dick, Dr Who by various writers, Nigel Kneale, Charles Chilton and many 1950s sci-fi broadcasts. These are just a few of the fantastic programmes on Radio 4 Extra.

Radio 4 Extra is a fabulous showcase of the BBC's phenomenal archive of radio comedy and drama, fields in which the Corporation is an undoubted pioneer, with a reputation for quality rivals woud envy. At minimal cost to the licence-payer, Radio 4 Extra provides a marvellous showcase for the best of this nation's creative output.  While all the programmes will be available on BBC Sounds, the closure of the linear broadcast station would be to deny listeners the joy of discovering something they didn't know they were going to love – something that can be only provided by human curation, not an algorithm. Radio 4 Extra showcases public service broadcasting at its finest. We do not want it to go.  

There are over 50,000 deaf children across the UK, and over 90% of them were born to hearing parents with no knowledge of British Sign Language (BSL). Access to language in early years is essential for a child’s development and wellbeing. Yet support with learning sign language is limited, patchy and expensive. Many hearing parents aren’t pointed towards BSL tuition and, where classes are offered, they are often expensive, inappropriate or inaccessible.  This means, due to systemic barriers, many deaf children do not have full access to language during the critical window between age 0 to 5 years old. This is known as ‘language deprivation’, and it can mean they never develop fluent language skills. It’s a problem that’s been faced by generations of deaf people - and it needs to end.  With the right access to language, there's no limit to what a deaf child can achieve. Every deaf child deserves the language to share their hopes, dreams, fears and ideas. That’s why we want British Sign Language in the hands of families who need it most. Watch this petition in British Sign Language (BSL)