The AOER is a wonderful purpose-built resource that has taught many youngsters real values, and given thousands of memorable experiences that have lasted their whole lives. Being on the island the resource has introduced young people to the island, giving them a love of where we call home, resulting in them drawing parents and friends on return visits and boosting our visitor numbers and tourism. It would be devasting to us if it were allowed to be shut and as a community we must fight to keep this valuable asset, which the shutting thereof would save very little money, but in fact, in the long run cost us very dearly.

The cost of living crisis is punishing hard working people. It does not have to be this way! The Conservative government is choosing to shield and protect the wealthy, at the cost of hard working people!

We are living through the greatest cost of living crisis in a generation, and too many families with young children are being pulled into poverty. Free school meals for every child will put money back in parents’ pockets. That’s money they can use to pay for other essentials for their children, from heating and food at home to hobbies and after-school clubs. Teachers and support staff see the difference a healthy school dinner makes. When children are hungry, they can’t learn. It’s hard for them to concentrate and harder for them to reach their potential. Free School Meals for all would mean every child can learn and succeed. For the first three years of school, every child in England gets a hot dinner – and no child under seven wants for food while they're at school. But from Year 3 on, millions of children as young as 7 miss out on a healthy meal at school. In 2020, Scotland pledged to extend Free School Meals for every child in primary education. This year, Wales said they’ll do the same. It is time for England to catch up. Providing a Free School Meal for every child in primary school will ensure all children can flourish and no child is left behind.

There have been numerous serious accidents on Howard Road in the last 5 years, one of them fatal. We urgently need speed control measures on Howard Road in order to reduce the risk of further damage, casualties or loss of life. With the recent development of the all through school at St Marks there is expected to be many more school children using Howard Road to get to school and we need to keep them safe.

How does it make sense for Old Heath and the Hythe to be put in with Harwich & North Essex, which are almost entirely made up of rural areas? The only urban part is Harwich, 20 miles away. Local residents in Old Heath and the Hythe have very different needs and little in common with Harwich & North Essex constituency. They have strong connections and shared facilities with New Town and the rest of Colchester. A rural MP representing a small section of central Colchester in the far corner of their constituency would not understand it fully or give it the attention it needs. Old Heath is barely a mile away from the Town Hall, it is one of the most important historic areas in the history of Colchester and central to its identity. The city owes its existence to the port at the Hythe that enabled it to flourish from Roman times up to just a few years ago. Our historic industries like Paxmans were in Old Heath, and the Hythe is currently central to Colchester's regeneration plans. It's an area that affects every resident of Colchester in some way and should be represented by the same MP as the rest of the urban centre of the city.

Everyone deserves to be able to use a regular reliable bus service to connect them to the places and people that matter to them. Recent changes by Arriva Yorkshire to the 118 service so that it terminates at the White Rose Centre and changes to the frequency of the 110 service, as well as First's decision to scrap evening services on the 47 and 48 mean that workers, students and shoppers can not get around easily. We're calling on the bus companies to review their decisions, put people above profit and provide better services for residents. Please sign and share our petition.

We policy holders, many who are elderly, are unable to find £3500 to £4500 pounds for a replacement funeral plan or cremation.  Both dignity & the co-op have stepped up to assist safe hands policy holders & dignity covered all funerals & cremations up to the end of 31st oct , policy holders were under the impression that dignity where carry out funerals & cremations out of the goodness of their heart but policy holders have since discovered that dignity are seeking to be paid out of any money recovered by by the administrators out of over £70 odd million pound administrators only estimate that they will recover less than £10 million pound , this divided by roughly 46000 people they stand to recover between 7.5p in the pound & 15p in the pound , meaning policy holders will not receive anywhere near what they paid for their cremation or funeral.  The government should be doing more to bring those that have committed fraud to justice it won’t get our money back but to see them handed a lengthy prison sentence would go some way to seeing justice prevail.

Curzon is keen to reach an agreement with the Landlord for a new long-term lease including a substantial increase in rent. This would then allow Curzon to invest in the venue for the benefit of the local community, which they have been unable to do so with the threat of eviction hanging over the venue. The Curzon brand was first established with the building of the cinema site on Curzon Street in 1934, and has a long and storied history there, hosting countless glitzy premieres and events for the local community. But with the lease up for renewal, and despite having security of tenure, Curzon are expecting the landlord to attempt to terminate its lease by either applying for redevelopment or becoming an owner operator – the sole two grounds on which to break the current lease. The recent decision by Westminster City Council, which I helped secure, to grant Asset of Community Value (ACV) status will provide the Curzon with extra protection should the freeholder decide to dispose of the property, but the future of the Curzon’s lease hangs in the balance owing to the potential shenanigans with the lease. The Council found that the Curzon cinema provides a distinct cultural use that furthers the social interests of Mayfair and concluded that Curzon is an important community asset for the area. So please back my campaign to keep the world famous and unique Curzon Mayfair entertaining generations to come at Curzon Street for many more years! Thank you. We have helped save this iconic cinema before, we can do it again! Councillor Patrick Lilley

Please sign this very important petition – it takes less than a minute – to improve men’s health and wellbeing in Scotland. With an alarming rise in suicide amongst Scottish men - 75% of the people who died by suicide in Scotland last year were male – and with already-stretched resources and reduced funding as demand for our services increases, the SMSA is lobbying for a directional change to ensure the charity is around to support future generations of Shedders and keep the spotlight on men’s health. The SMSA pledges to continue making a real difference by empowering thousands of men (our sons, brothers, fathers, uncles and grandfathers) and their communities - over the coming years - to play their part in a system change towards a wellbeing economy. By trailblazing this male health movement as we have from the beginning, we strive for social change to ultimately secure its future growth and the national statutory investment it rightly deserves. Kinross and District Men’s Shed’s Chairman David Conner said: “The SMSA has been a wonderful support and a great centre of information and advice. Without the SMSA, it is safe to say, we and some other local Sheds would not exist without their help steering us in the right direction—through the obstacles and bureaucracy that is thrown at you especially when starting something new— and enabling us to become self-sufficient.” Member Mike Kelly said: "Having a central driving force has been a huge asset to both new and established sheds. This is part of why men's sheds have been so successful in Scotland." #menssheds #menswellbeing #menshealth #menmatter #shedicine #nevermoreneeded

Johnstone High Parish Church, is a beautiful building situated on top of a hill in the very heart of the town, it is much loved by people of different faiths and by residents of the town who hold no religious beliefs. I used the word beautiful deliberately, as there is much more to a building than just what its basic function is. Buildings form an aesthetic and historical point of view, and are incredibly important to any town or city, this is the reason people from across the globe travel to Europe to see the architectural splendour and the historical beauty of buildings that a relatively young county like America for example does not possess. The tower clock and spire are visible from various parts of the town and outwith the town's boundaries. This has been an intrinsic part of our town for over two Centuries and must be saved for future generations. This is a town with great economic problems at the moment, and with very little in the way of beautiful architecture to lift the centre of town, not to mention the outstanding work the members under take for struggling and under privileged families, with food banks and outreach programmes that go unnoticed by most in the town. But for those who rely on them, they are a buoyancy aid as the rising tide of costs of living crisis and inflation squeezes them when its needed the most. This is major part of the history in Johnstone town. In the hearts and memories of many generations past and present, but in a real sense is very much part of the present, with families struggling to pay for shopping bills that are getting more expensive every week. The members of the high parish and due to the churches location in the heart of the town, the food bank has been able to top up what would have been half full shopping bags, for local families struggling to make ends meet. Closure of the high parish wouldn't just ensure the loss of a beautiful building in such a prominent part of the town, it is to cut off the people who in this time of economic crisis rely on the selfless and amazing voluntary work carried out within its walls.

I'm a queer woman who, over the last year, has become a pretty big football fan. It means this World Cup I actually feel invested in the outcome for once, and would enjoy watching some of the matches! Except it's being held in a country where people like me can be locked up just for loving someone of the same gender. So I was glad to hear European Captains planned to wear the OneLove armband as a stance against discrimination. And then saddened when, ahead of the first England match, they had to back down or risk being booked. German Minister Nancy Faeser wore the band during her country's match against Japan. It's a symbol of solidarity that could mean a lot to LGBTQ+ people in Qatar and around the world, so I've set up a petition asking any UK politicians who go to Qatar - in either an official or unofficial capacity - to commit to wearing the armband too. It might be too late to change things for this World Cup, but we can at least ask those in power who go along to send a message to FIFA: You claim to stand against discrimination based on sexual orientation, but you’re acting like you’ve forgotten that. The rest of us haven't, and we're not going to let you forget it.

The Chartered Institute of Housing is seeking to host a lavish £250 plus VAT Presidents dinner at the very time NO ONE has been held to account for the tragic loss of Baby Telan Stone 11 months and Awark Ishak , this is in truly poor taste at a time in which families have had NO justice, thousands live in homes not fit for purpose whilst its leaders seek to hold a lavish jolly whilst claiming zero funds for repairs whilst Food Banks like We Care is facing closure because Energy and Food hikes mean it needs to raise £25,000 to open and serve its 3000 people and pets in crisis in 2023. This Event should be cancelled and cash saved investing in local food projects and improving tenant's homes. Across the UK in 2022 young children and babies have died in Social Housing the very sort of housing those most in need depend on and expect decent housing, holding a lavish dinner at a time Social Housing is under such huge and justifiable scrutiny is totally and morale wrong and should NOT go ahead