Many people in the UK are dying unnecessarily because of a shortage of organ donations available under the current system that requires individuals to register as organ donors. A year ago Wales introduced an 'opt-out' system that assumed a willingness to donate unless one specifically registered an objection in advance. The system still allows for the family to be consulted prior to donation. Since the introduction of the new law in 2015, 160 organ transplants have been undertaken, 39 of which were from 'deemed consent' donors; that's 39 people who's lives have been saved or majorly improved in Wales alone. The Welsh Government hopes to achieve a figure of 25% over time. (International Medical Press, 05 December 2016.) The British Medical Association (BMA) have advocated such a system since 1999 as the best option regarding obtaining consent and passed a resolution on the 22nd of June 2016 to urge doctors to lobby their respective governments to adopt a system similar to that in Wales. (International Medical Press, 23 June 2016.) It's clear from the results in Wales in just one year , that such a system nationwide would save hundreds of lives by making life-saving organs more readily available.

The Quay public house in Kingsbridge, Devon is the latest in a line of local casualties in the ongoing degeneration of our town centre. A once vibrant and characterful town centre and high street is gradually being asset-stripped, defaced and desertified, like so many others up and down the country. The proposed development of The Quay is an example of this: the loss of a traditional public house at the entrance to the town and the prospect of the installation of a Spar and a Subway. Is this really progress? And is it community focused? This area is already well served by grocery stores and local, independent eateries and cafés which may now be affected. We say NO to these two major brands that will over-dominate the area surrounding the Quay which constitutes the heart of our small community We say NO because we already have many grocery stores and independent cafes / eateries very close by that provide the planned services We say NO to the design of these brands that will dramatically affect the surrounding area which consists of many historic buildings, including a serious impact to the character and appearance of the Quay itself which is a Grade 2 listed building (No. 1249247 Historic England) We say NO to the damage and loss of trade to our independent shops and catering establishments We say NO to the smell disturbance, obtrusive lighting and litter hazard that Spar and Subway will bring to the immediate area and centre of town We say NO to the highway safety implications that a high turnover fast food and grocery store will bring to a one-way thoroughfare and restricted parking area around the Quay We say YES to recognising the Quay as a community asset and a review and investigation of the planning decisions of the Quay (including the change of use A5/A4 to an A1 classification) by South Hams District Council Please don’t stand idly by and allow this to happen – take action now to call for the protection of the town’s key community assets through clear-sighted forward planning and an intelligent regeneration strategy for Kingsbridge which builds and protects the town’s character and facilities and supports sustainable economic growth. This can be done, but we need to take action. And it starts by making our voices heard regarding the Quay. Thank you.

I believe that 'Totally Sound' is the ONLY inclusive music making project delivered by City of Edinburgh Council to participants who want to come along to make music. Many of the participants are UNABLE to access the other music making opportunities in their own High Schools , either because the Schools do not provide music tuition, or because the young people have not attained the requisite standard of playing to be included. Participation in 'Totally Sound' is NOT free. Participants pay £2 per session. The project provides instrumental and vocal tuition in short lessons and mentors emerging bands to get their sets together for recording and for public performances across the city.

Canal and River Trust's 'calamitous' decision to remove the Planet Lightship from Liverpool and tow it to Gloucester has placed at risk a key piece of Britain's maritime heritage. Despite it being in good condition, C&RT are selling the ship on 16th December, potentially for scrap. http://www.merseysidecivicsociety.org/media/78748/savetheplanet.jpg?width=499&height=383 Please sign and share to urge C&RT Chairman Allan Leighton and Louise Ellman MP to stop the sale, and return 'Planet' to its Liverpool home. http://www.edwalkermarine.com/images/cart-images/planet-lightship.jpg The beautiful 'Planet' was Britain's last manned lightship and was world famous among mariners for marking the entrance to the Port of Liverpool channels at the 'Mersey Bar' sandbanks, 12 miles out to sea in Liverpool Bay. https://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/news-and-comment/bar-lightship-the-lonely-planet-sails-away During the final years of the great Trans-Atlantic liners, sea captains used to race from New York's similar 'Ambrose' Lightship to Liverpool's 'Planet', to see if they could set new times. Glimpsing the Planet Lightship meant seafarers were safely home after long voyages. http://2irfbl23rse12dglqd39cw6v.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/seaport-museum4-copy.jpg QE2 Captain Robin Woodall, of Hoylake, memorably described 'Planet' as the "Lantern on Liverpool's front door" for millions of sailors and passengers. After many years happy retirement on public display at Canning Dock in Liverpool's UNESCO World Heritage Site, Planet was suddenly seized in September 2016 and towed over 200 miles round Wales to Gloucester by the Canal and River Trust (C&RT), in a dispute over mooring fees, involving a sum reported to be £10k. http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/mann-island-apartments-with-liver-building-and-lightship-and-viewed-picture-id629600573?k=6&m=629600573&s=594x594&w=0&h=8inqKW59HjnfvOxXiGUCSJlS9NAP-PFmpGpVXs6oev0= The C&RT accept these fees have now been paid, but say they must recover the (much greater) costs of towing the ship and storing it in Gloucester by putting the ship on sale for a guide price of £100k. The deadline for bids is December 16th. http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/Work-Boat-for-sale/unknown-light-ship/156305 The ship is likely to be sold to the highest bidder - who could include scrap merchants - and there is no stipulation the ship must be returned to its home port of Liverpool. The C&RT, formerly public body British Waterways, with assets of over £700m, and income last year of £190m, including £50m direct from government, say they are unable to take it on themselves, or place any condition on its destination. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/original/29271.jpg Liverpool's former Chief River Pilot Captain Stuart Wood called the loss of Planet 'a total and absolute disaster, with several capital Ds'. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/loss-mersey-bar-lightship-planet-11925466 Peter Elson, maritime historian and author says the "calamitous" situation threatens "the most important Liverpool ship afloat." http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-mersey-bar-lightship-advertised-12275717 C&RT is a new organisation, set up with public money and former public property assets, which has been entrusted with the honour and responsibility of ownership of water-spaces within Liverpool's historic dock system. It would suffer real reputational damage on Merseyside and beyond if its first major decision results in Liverpool losing its much-loved lightship. http://c8.alamy.com/comp/EF12JJ/the-planet-mersey-bar-lightship-liverpool-docks-merseyside-england-EF12JJ.jpg Please sign to urge Riverside MP Louise Ellman, and national Canal and River Trust Chair Allan Leighton, to step in to bring the Planet back to its Liverpool home!

This is important as there are no venues available at reasonable cost to encourage the continuance of an alternative social life within the town centre other than that provided by drinking and gambling establishments or mass market coffee houses. Without there being a reason to frequent the Town centre it will soon be no more. The building is in itself a rather splendid example of a public assembly building of the early twentieth century and would be missed from the streetscape

We as locals of the windmill feel very strongly about keeping our pub. The Windmill has been on this site since the 1800s, the windmill caters for all age groups, There are 8 dart teams which plays Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night there is bingo which is supported well. On Wednesday and Saturday nights there is entertainment on Friday and Sunday there is Karaoke which is has a big following. Good food is served throughout the week at a reasonable price, and a great carvery on Sunday which you normally have to book to get in. Not forgetting the Real ale which are served at reasonable prices. The locals have also over the years raised £1000's of pound for charity most recently over two night we have raised £1600 for a defibrillator. Please lets not lose another local pub which is doing well.

Pelsall Library is less than five years old - it is in a state of the art multi purpose building £5.2m. Closing the facility now would be retrograde and a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money. Pelsall Library is enjoyed by all young and old - a lifeline to many and a hub of the Pelsall community

Many people over 65 are members of the 'baby boomer' generation retired with good occupational pensions as well as the state pension, often living in warm comfortable houses which they bought on mortgages much cheaper than they are now. They don't need the £100 to keep warm but there are others less fortunate and often much younger who can't even afford to rent a property never mind own one and some of them are sleeping on the streets in the winter cold. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/07/one-in-six-pensioners-is-a-millionaire-official-figures-show/ Many retired people, like me, send the money to charity but others never get round to doing it. Many others will just feed it into their frivolous lifestyle without a thought about how it could do more good elsewhere. Perhaps if they were given the option by the DWP to send it to a good cause instead much more of this money could be sent where it could really make a difference. Nudge Theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory) now being used by various government departments could possibly feed millions in this direction. Even better, since if you give to charity yourself with Gift Aid the government adds another 20%, perhaps they should send £120 for each person who selects the option. Obviously it will take some time for the government to set this up if we do persuade them; certainly not before the middle of next year. So if you are reading this and you are a pensioner like me who can easily do without the payment, and you haven't already sent it to a good cause, maybe you could send it to a deserving charity too?

There are no independent live music venues in Rugby

An open letter from an 87-year-old lady who uses the centre: Dear people of Bicester, I've lived in Bicester for 50 years. My husband passed away 15 yrs ago. I have no family left and my mobility is not what it used to be. I attend the Bicester Health and wellbeing centre located near the garth park two days a week. This place is my only lifeline. I get to see friends and I get looked after so well that I really don't know where I would be without the place. Oxfordshire County Council are proposing to close this centre and others throughout Oxfordshire! What will I do? I will be stuck looking at four walls every day with no human contact. Who will prepare me a cooked meal, help me with my medications and just check my general health. I'm so upset that this is happening. I won't see my friends again. I will be all alone all day every day. Me and my husband have worked hard all our lives, paid our taxes and this is how vulnerable people are being treated. You are all younger and we need you to fight for us as no one will otherwise. Please think of your elderly relatives and think what would they do if they didn't have you? I don't like being alone and it scares me to think this is now my future, being alone and vulnerable. Please help us in this fight to save the Bicester Wellbeing Health and Wellbeing centre. You or your relatives might need them one day!

Public Space Protection Orders allow for broad powers to criminalise behaviour that is not normally criminal. This means in theory homeless people could be fined £100 for accepting food from kind-hearted strangers. This could demonise people who are often unwell, maybe have mental health issues or have just fallen on hard times. This is no way to treat the most vulnerable in our town. PSPOs are geographically defined, making predefined activities within a mapped area prosecutable. People can literally be fined for being in the wrong place. Under PSPOs homeless people could be targeted if they enter an exclusion zone, which covers a large part of the town. I am saddened and disappointed that the great town of South Shields has recently started enforcing Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO). This campaign is based on this information from the council's website: https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/35174/Public-Spaces-Protection-Orders If you have anything that suggests that the council are no longer able to fine people for begging then we'd love to hear more from you, drop us an email at [email protected] https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/35174/Public-Spaces-Protection-Orders

There have been debates about the proposed pipeline to transport oil across America for over 2 years. The route chosen appears to be in breach of several treaties between the Government of America and first nation tribes concerning the preservation of sacred land and burial sites; investigation by the the Army Corps of Engineers, charged with ensuring the safety and sustainability of any use of public lands, has been cursory and incomplete. A small group of First Nation people, with support from across the world, are trying to stop the pipeline, not only because of the threat to sacred land but also because of the threat to drinking water. There is significant evidence that their human rights have been breached and that actions by local law officers have been illegal and disproportionate. Full and fair reporting by the BBC would facilitate a wider debate on the important balance between the demands of corporate monopolies and social and environmental protection.