Victory in Hamsptead

38 Degrees members in Hampstead are proving that people-power can triumph over big business. Last week 38 Degrees member, Jessica, won her campaign to stop a Sainsbury’s being built on South End Green!

Sainsbury’s wanted to open what Jessica called “an identikit chain store.” But she had other ideas. Jessica wanted to protect small independent shops, that make up “the heart of a thriving community”. After creating a petition on Campaigns by You she gained over 2000 signatures in just a few weeks – and delivered the petition to Sainsbury’s CEO at their AGM.

Photo credit: London Evening Standard/Nigel Howard

Jessica said about the victory:

“This is a seismic victory for the community who have acted with one voice to inform the senior management teams of the landlords, Dorringtons and Sainsburys of their concerns. …Well done to you all. The world seems a better place to live today and by working together and continuing to nurture the connections that we have all made through this campaign, we can all secure a better tomorrow.”

Jessica’s campaign began when she spent a few minutes creating a petition on Campaigns by You. But launching a petition is only the start. And signatures are more than a list of names and email addresses. They’re people who care about the same things, who want to come together to make real change.

For Jessica, this meant local people in Hampstead volunteering to tell their friends, make placards and even buy shares in Sainsbury’s so they could cause a stir at the AGM. And word is spreading fast, already a new petition has sprung up to save Hampstead Heath ponds.

So, if you want to start your own people-powered petition on an issue close to your heart, it’s really easy to do, just click here.