We are losing our natural inheritance, though we hold the means in our hands to sustain it! We are biological and need to love our natural companions - whether plant or animal or insect. Parklands were planted to keep people sane and contented. Hedges and trees are a continuum that provide masses of habitat for all sorts of life. With life comes natural defences in biology against pests and fungi, our greatest enemies. We need to return nutrients and natural 'roughage' to the soil. Without constant additions to our 'good brown earth' we will have no topsoil to grow food in. Hedges provide leaves every year, to become soil, and their roots prevent washout of soil during rain. Trees and shrubs act as a natural water storage device and also maintain temperature. They may also have a good effect on climate as they suck up water and transpire it back out into the atmosphere. Monoculture, where one crop is grown, is bad for the kind of diversity that allows different plants and insects and animals to thrive. Pulling up hedge removes a natural protection to the crops and animals in the fields. Hedges keep growing and changing, and well laid hedges are effective animal barriers (for cows and sheep and horses). Hedgerows contain resources for arts and crafts, provide good air to breathe (make oxygen), act as a noise screen, and may contain any plants at all. Hawthorns were early used when hedges were first planted (enclosure). We need to revive the art of producing hedge seedlings cheaply and at home. Cuttings from all sorts of trees - nursery prices can be prohibitive. We are all personally affected by this issue as the huge rainstorms we have wash literally 10s of tons of topsoil off of our fields. We must protect our food production. Hedgerows will protect us - as well as wild life. If you look under a tree on a frosty day you will see there is some warmth there, and less white. If you look on a hot day you will see there is more green under the tree. They do maintain temperature. Each hedge will provide shade, and a windbreak. The Woodland trust has done some research to show that putting 10% of your land to use by trees increases the yield by more than that. I have a personal story about a hedge: A mysterious bird filled lane There used to be behind my house A magical shady lane Attracting bird of yellow hue Oh I would go there again All overhung with boughs of green And trees which overhung a stream The birds would flit from twig to branch And sing to me and flee We crossed the stream which babbled over the path And walked along the central ridge Where beasts had made a path depressed Into the central grass Huge hares and lovely deer would walk At dawn or dusk I'd see them Browsing in the verges when They had not yet seen me And round the corner up the hill The roses thrived and hawthorns too And yet more birds and pheasants bunched Against the hedgerow, rabbits hunched I knew where they all hid But one day came the farmers up With great machines and messed it up All gone are hedges birds and song By dismantling the lane. How many birds have been displaced Where now to propagate their race? I never see the yellow birds now Their food supply and shelter gone The great birds came and ate them up Why does this world do them such wrong? O woe to man who does not see That with them lies his destiny If we eradicate their feasts The land won't make us tasty treats How dull the mind that won't accept There's room for all, they must be kept They only ever took our waste And ate the insects that we hate They gave us pleasure like a taste Of all the glories of our God Who gave us these all for our good.

Students experiencing mental health difficulties need to be supported by their University as fully as possible. Being given access to the university mental health services is not always substantial. Students should be empowered to help themselves. Moderate exercise has been proven to help improve mood and general well being. Therefore, there should be no barrier preventing individuals from being able to attend regular gym classes. Classes can be expensive, and for those who find it difficult to motivate themselves in the first place, the cost of the class can be a further disincentive. Furthermore, financial hardship at university can be inflated by the experience of a mental health problem. Giving those with a diagnosed condition free access to the exercise program encourages them to take positive action to help themself. Better mental health can result in improved academic performance, and being part of an exercise class can improve someones mood and self esteem by enhancing their feelings of belonging within a community. Please sign this petition to encourage the University of Strathclyde to create a system which gives those with a diagnosed mental health problem free exercise class access/ passes.

Handing over a Public Park to private development and the Ross Bandstand Trust

Frida Kahlo was a cultural icon who celebrated her beauty with internationally acclaimed flare. She taught young girls everywhere that despite their disability or background - beauty is for all. Her iconic dark brows and lipstick adorn the walls of the public and elite alike, in her stunning original works or dog-eared printouts, torn from borrowed magazines. Frida made a stand for women everywhere, challenging perceptions of beauty and idealised standards for women, she stood for strength, for justice and for equality. We can't all afford an original piece to honour her memory but what better way to do it than by keeping those ideals alive through the medium of make-up.

There has been numerous accidents over the years which happen right outside the school which are so serious the vehicles are right offs & the crash barriers need replacing each time. There has even been times when they've actually hit the school railings what are to keep children safe in the playground. Debrey also ends up in the playground with broken glass. This is not good. If a child were to fall onto a piece what may have been missed when sweeping up, that child is going to be cut & may be hurt considerably more than if they were to fall & just graze themselves. It is only by chance (thank God) that a child or person hasn't been killed. Is it going to be where a child is to be seriously or fatally injured before calming measures will be put in place? It is a nightmare for parents to cross the road with their children at the best of times so we are urging you (Durham County Council) to listen & act on our concerns. This isn't just parents but a whole community. It was only last night (4th July 2018) another car was written off into the crash barriers. This time there were no other vehicles or people involved apart from the driver of the car. Luckily he was ok & not seriously injured. If this had been at school leaving time it would have been a totally different story. We know & understand it is a 'B' road what passes through but, this is obviously more of a serious matter what needs to be looked at urgently. It screams 'DANGER'. It's not like we are asking for the full length of the 'B' road to have calming methods, it's just a few hundred feet of road at the most in the most built up area. The road markings (& temporary speed clock) entering the Grange doesn't deter hardly any of the vehicles. It's like a race track the majority of the time (especially rush hours & later on an evening). People have offered to be a lollipop person FREE of charge which you have declined each time. What is the problem? They've offered a free service because they're that concerned for the welfare of the children. I think if it were in your own neighbourhood & involved being where your children went to school it would have been put in place a long time ago. PLEASE, HELP BY PUTTING THIS INTO MOTION & MAKING IT A SAFER PLACE TO BE. THANK YOU.

Time is the most precious commodity we have. It is unacceptable for all of us to be late for work and equally disappointing and disruptive for us to get home late to our families every evening. Most of us have very tight busy schedules that make it imperative that we reach our destinations on time. For years now the British public have put up with the incompetent service provided by an array of rail companies. I propose that an instant refund should be applied immediately to your Oyster card when exiting a station for a severely delayed or cancelled service will firstly compensate the commuter for their disrupted journey, but also encourage rail companies to rectify the problem quickly for future journeys before they see their profits plummet via refunds. There must be a consequence for the rail companies when they are not delivering an efficient service. Commuters are the only ones that are suffering at the moment and I believe it is time to give something back to the commuter until the problem can be solved. I am aware that there are 3rd party companies that can search and claim refunds on your behalf but why is this not just standard from TFL why do I need to share my data with an outside unknown source in order to get compensation. Its should be immediate and provided by the TFL themselves. Lets make it happen.

We believe these long term spends would improve access for safe play for residents and people from all over the borough who visit the site. The site is directly next to the local public swimming pool and as such attracts a lot of visitors. Long term solutions are proven to be the right option. We all feel that sending someone to litter pick on the rare occasion a resident makes a complaint simply cannot be accepted as a solution. It is a weak, short term solution for a big problem, and the council need to stop avoiding the issue and do the right thing by its residents.

A biscuit is a British delicacy, enjoyed by millions of people across the country- whether it is dunking it in their tea or just in its natural form. However as kosher consumers, the availability of biscuits is severely limited, especially when one is not close to a kosher store. The Orthodox Union have given a Hechsher to UK produced McVitie’s, however these are only available to purchase outside the UK. The "Free the McVitie Campaign" wants to improve the lives’ of UK Kosher Consumers, by increasing their access to the general UK biscuit market.

Approximately 19% of the total population or 1 in every 7 persons suffer currently from hearing loss. Around one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 will suffer from hearing loss. Friendship and communication is such a beautiful thing. Lets make the future more connected. Lets make sign language an essential lesson in schools. One simple step but a leap for the future.

Air pollution can permanently damage children's developing lungs and has been linked to a lower IQ later in life. Air pollution has been implicated in 40,000 premature deaths in the UK already, and it's only going to get worse. 2,091 schools, nurseries, further education centres and after-school clubs in the UK are within 150 metres of a road with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide. Is it too much to ask that schools should offer our kids a safe haven from air pollution, not worsen their health and damage their future prospects?

Many people in the UK work hard to pay their taxes to ensure that education, health and policing are funded. We have already suffered many years of austerity and the money is needed by the British people. And anyway paying for foreign presidents to play golf on their private courses - in the hope that we get a good trade deal - is what we call corruption in other countries . So let’s not let that happen here. Please add your name in support

Allowing same sex couples to legally marry was a defining moment in the history of gay rights and a huge step in the right direction for equality. At the same time, however, it has created a situation that the Supreme Court has identified as entirely incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Unfortunately it is still up to local government to decide whether to allow heterosexual couples to have a civil partnership. Incredulously, it has been suggested that there is now no requirement for civil partnership to exist. There are many reasons why couples of any sexual orientation may choose a civil partnership over marriage (this list is not exhaustive): -The institution of marriage is rather patriarchical. The bride is handed over to her groom by her father, and her father's job is required on the marriage certificate. -Some consider the terms husband and wife (or even man and wife as traditional vows tend to use) to imply ownership whereas partners comes across as more equal -Spoken vows are essential in marriage in front of two witnesses but not in civil partnerships. Declaring your love for each other in front of an audience can be daunting and also take away from the two most important people - the couple. -Civil partnerships are harder to dissolve than a marriage and therefore can be seen as more of a commitment. Adultery is historically not a good enough reason in its own to dissolve a civil partnership. Scotland has a history of being forerunners for equality in the UK and should follow the example set by the Isle of Man as soon as possible by allowing the same rights for all.