As people's budgets are getting more and more squeezed, more and more people are going without their vital medication. According to the Prescription Charges Coalition, 1 in 3 people with a long-term condition has been unable to pick up their medication, adding more costs to the NHS. As England is the only part of the UK which has prescription charges, it's time to do away with them once and for all!

Creating an area for children that enjoy scooting and skateboarding, will encourge children in our local area to enjoy a hobby that involves exercise. Children really need a space for their hobby within Birkenshaw. Children in our area are having to travel to other areas to find skateparks to enjoy their hobby. I would like my own and other children playing out to remain in Birkenshaw for their own safety.

As it is a school road and has lots of traffic coming in and out in excess of the 20mph limit at times on the road , there is an important need for slower traffic due to children and pedestrians walking and driving to and from the school using this road. This is a tight stretch of road and has a huge amounts of parked cars at the side thus making it more of a single track road, the chances of an accident occurring her are relatively high! We need to think of the public and their safety!

Corby Borough Council puts the health and fitness of it's residents on the top of their agenda, and is committed to supporting public and private health and fitness facilities. Corby has the international swimming pool, The Tennis Centre, The Table Tennis Centre, Adrenalin Alley and many more clubs and private companies that offer ways for the many (not just the few) to keep fit. Corby Borough Council also has a wildlife corridor approach to developments which supports and protects the largest area of woodland within an urban area in the UK. What Corby Borough Council does not have is the proper financial support from the Conservatives on the Northamptonshire County Council and in the government. These should be the priorities not "white elephant projects" costing millions that will only help a tiny minority.

When people are suffering from mental health issues, many times they have tried to help themselves first and as a final resort try to get professional help. To be told you have to wait between 6-18 weeks can be catastrophic for some people, who simply can’t function properly in their day to day lives. It must be nothing short of torture living with a mental health issue, in addition to the potential financial worries and toll it can take on the individuals immediate family. Untreated mental health issues can lead to other mental and physical issues, alcohol and drug abuse and death. It’s never too early to get help but it can be too late. #dontmakemewait

Many people in the UK suffer from dental issues. A large percentage of these people are able to get free orthodontic treatment from the NHS. However, there are many people who aren't able to receive free treatment because their teeth are 'not bad enough'. I suffer from a 5.5mm overbite and to qualify for braces on the NHS, it has to be 6.5mm. This may seem irrational and silly, but it's a problem that many people face. When I look in the mirror, or when people look at me, a defining feature is my teeth. Not because they are good, but because of the wonkiness. Every person I have spoken to about my teeth has told me that they aren't good and I need a brace. However, because my teeth aren't 'bad enough' for a brace, I need to pay for a brace. For my 'severity', it costs £3800. My family, along with many others, struggle to pay this amount, especially since there is more money according to the 'severity' of your teeth. There are people who definitely can't pay this sort of money. This means some people have to live with terrible teeth. Malcolm Gladwell highlights the inequality of people with good teeth and bad teeth. He says "Those with bad teeth are also given a lower chance of success - because they are denied certain entry-level jobs." (source http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2625094/How-good-TEETH-new-sign-social-status-ticket-better-job.html ) There have also been studies on how good teeth and bad teeth affect people's confidence and how that affects their success in life. A study carried out by Bupa revealed that almost half of the surveyed population found people with healthy looking teeth to be more authoritative. Further studies also noted that people with better teeth seemed to be ideal employees because they appear meticulous and diligent. An outstanding 42% of employees also felt that working with bad teeth was distracting. (source https://www.dawoodandtanner.co.uk/teeth-say-teeth-hindering-chance-better-career/ ) If I am denied free braces as a teenager and this affects my future career or success in life, what does this say about the UK? There are always talks about working hard to achieve success which is all fair, but if my bad teeth affect how successful I am or halt me from getting my dream job then I can only blame the NHS and the ludicrously high prices to pay for braces that should be free. If someone can get breast implants or sex reassignment surgery on the NHS, to feel more confident or comfortable in the body they're born in, why can I not get free braces? I would feel more confident in my body if I had straight teeth, but yet I don't receive that free?

The majority of the children from Carharrack have to cross this road to walk to school and the speeds that cars travel makes this a lethal route, we encourage children to walk to school, get out more etc but if we can't make the routes safe then how can we expect parents to feel confident in doing this? The junction at the bottom of the hill has had numerous accidents mainly caused through speeding and until the speed is brought under control these accidents will unfortunately continue to happen, do we have to wait until there is another fatality? No let's get together and act now to make our village safer for us all

The petition of residents of United Kingdom, Declares that there is compelling evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that interacting with pets can be beneficial to the physical, social, and emotional well-being of humans and that the human-animal emotional bond does not differ from the one that we sustain in relation to close family members; further that the twenty-first century is the beginning of the revolution in ethics related to scientific evidence regarding consciousness in animals – now confirmed that it is astonishingly close to humans; further that mental health services in the UK are overstretched, have long waiting times and a lack specialist services in some regions; further that the Mental Health Foundation also recognises the value of “pet therapy” in suicide prevention and treating depression leading to it; further that there is no scientific research to support the thesis that tenants who have pets are worse, more difficult or cause more damage to properties than those who do not; and further that almost all tenancy agreements, by default, contain a no pet clause, which is nothing more than a prejudiced practice, as a result, people who have pets are especially victimised in their attempt to simply put a roof over their heads in this difficult housing crisis context. Therefore, the petitioners request that the House of Commons urges the Government to introduce legislation that recognises the importance of the emotional relationship of man and their non-human family members; further to put the interest of the most vulnerable and the public interest above the right of the property owners if the property is a subject of commercial gain; and further that the legislation should allow the emotional support animal access in housing facilities, even when the complex has a no pet policy or breed/weight discriminatory policies.

Our successful charity shop is the only visible support in the Swanley area for the elderly and sells really useful clothes and goods at low prices to help those in need in our community. We also have a 5-day a week walk in advice and information service and we help in tackling isolation and loneliness for the elderly in our community. It has also helped older volunteers gain the confidence to get back into other employment. The shop is profitable so us volunteers are at a complete loss as to why the trustees are closing it and want them to reverse their decision to fulfil their remit as trustees and in the best interests of the elderly in our area.

Because we feel that even though the stigma of male nurses and midwifes is falling, it's still not enough for the public to know. We conducted an interview and all of the people said we should try to reduce the stigma of male nurses so we feel it's right to start a petition.

More than 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year. Packaging is the largest end use market segment accounting for just over 40% of total plastic usage. There has been a plastic bag charge introduced for consumers to encourage us to use less plastic bags. But who is encouraging the supermarkets/companies/retailers to use less plastic? “Not only are plastics pervasive in our society in terms of daily use, but they are pervasive in the environment,” said Sherri Mason, a professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, who led the latest research into plastic contamination in salt. Plastics are “ubiquitous, in the air, water, the seafood we eat, the beer we drink, the salt we use – plastics are just everywhere”. We need to discourage the use of plastic wherever possible.

People are having to fly hundreds of miles for an mri scan. Many people have suffered injuries and should not have to travel so far, especially as there are 2 mri machines in Raigmore hospital. Some people are not allowed to fly because of insurance purposes and a 9 hour journey by ferry then car/public transport is long. From my own experience I was told I wouldn’t be allowed on the plane as I could not bend my knee so my only other option was the ferry. I was really struggling with pain and there was no way I could spend that amount of time in a car, especially as I was struggling with really bad pain after being in the car for 20 minutes. It is unfair to ask patients to travel so far for a diagnosis. Some of the poorest countries in the world have far more advanced technology than the uk which doesn’t seem right. The cost of nhswi paying for flights for patients is ridiculous too, I know people go away for other things but surely having their own mri scanner would save them money in the long term.