The numbers game
As we receive our leaflets for the local elections in May, remember:
Conservatives in Whitehall set the housing numbers
Conservatives in the Borough loudly complain our numbers are too high
Our Conservative-led Borough routinely builds more houses than mandated
Our area desperately needs houses, but we also need honest debate.
Name and address withheld
Ride up for this challenge
The UK Wide Cycle Ride challenge runs throughout April – and it is the perfect opportunity for people to take their fitness up a gear, while raising money for Diabetes UK along the way.
Challengers can pick from one of four virtual ‘coast-to-coast’ distances, ranging from 150 miles through to 950 miles for more experienced cyclists, or they can select their own target. You will have the entire month of April to reach your chosen target.
Cycling is a fantastic way to help you get fit and healthy, to have fun and set yourself a goal. And with spring on the way, bringing lighter evenings and warmer weather, this challenge comes at the perfect time for anyone looking to saddle up and give it a try.
You can cycle the miles however you wish over the 30 days of April, by embracing the outdoors or staying at home and using an exercise bike. Or you can do a bit of both.
There is no registration fee and no minimum sponsorship.
So please sign up to the UK Wide Cycle Ride at cycle.diabetes.org.uk and get pedalling to make every mile count. Your support can change lives.
Thank you,
Jill Steaton Diabetes UK
Join in Autism Acceptance Week
We want as many of your readers, local schools and businesses to get involved in World Autism Acceptance Week (28 March - 3 April).
There’s been a huge increase in awareness of autism over the past 20 years. But not enough people understand the different perspectives, passions and skills autistic people can have and also what it’s like to be autistic, including how hard life can be if you don’t have the right support.
This is why World Autism Acceptance Week is so important. It’s a chance to get society talking about autism and finding out from autistic people what it’s like to be autistic.
Anyone can get involved by visiting autism.org.uk/waaw where we’ve got information and free resources like assembly plans for schools, quizzes and posters for the workplace. Better understanding of autism across society and appropriate Government funding for support and services would transform hundreds of thousands of lives.
Amanda Makoka Principal of the National Autistic Society Academies Trust’s Thames Valley School Tilehurst, Reading
There’s a star in every child
In 2019, Action for Children launched a landmark report which explored childhood across three generations. Now, two years on from the first national lockdown, we have revisited this research to understand the worries children face growing up in the shadow of the pandemic amid a growing cost of living crisis.
As children grapple with how they fit into our increasingly complex world – navigating big issues including financial worries, climate change and the pandemic – our research shows that most South East parents (54%) and grandparents (71%) fear childhood is getting worse and almost a third (32%) of children agree.
Many children, particularly those from low-income families, worry about their family’s finances. As the UK is set to face the biggest income squeeze in nearly fifty years1, these worries look set to get worse.
Meanwhile, mental health is now a much bigger worry for the region’s children with over a third (36%) of children seeing their own mental health as an issue in 2019, compared to 45% in 2022.
We believe there’s a star in every child. When a child is safe and happy, their star shines brightly. However, poverty, abuse and neglect, and poor mental health are robbing too many children of the bright futures they deserve.
We’re asking your readers to help us break down the barriers that stop children shining – before it’s too late. Visit actionforchildren.org.uk/star to find out how you can help.
Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns, Action
for Children