May 25th, 2018
Recent wins
By Zoë Durnford
Want to know more about some of the incredible victories 38 Degrees-ers have been a part of over the past few months? Use these links below to find out more:
Victory 1: We’re defending the NHS – nationally and locally
Together we made sure private health company Push Doctor were banned from running misleading adverts.
38 Degrees: Push Doctor Win!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/04/17/push-doctor-win/
The Independent: Online consultancy Push Doctor has adverts banned for implying links to the NHS:
38 Degrees members are standing up for patients locally too:
ITV News: Darlington and Stockton hospital plans abandoned:
http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2018-05-18/darlington-and-stockton-hospital-services-to-stay/
38 Degrees: Protect 535 NHS beds in Derbyshire:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no-to-cuts-to-our-derbyshire-nhs
Victory 2: We’re standing up for the environment by tackling plastic waste
In March, after months of campaigning from 38 Degrees members and other campaign groups, Environment Minister Michael Gove announced a plan to bring back bottle deposits in England.
38 Degrees: Bottle Deposits: We won!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/03/28/bottle-deposits-we-won/
BBC: Drinks bottles and can deposit return scheme proposed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43563164 .
When Mike, a gardener from Wrexham in Wales discovered his morning cuppa was harming the planet he started a 38 Degrees petition asking Britain’s biggest tea company, PG Tips, to remove plastic from their tea bags. …. And it worked! They announced they would aim to make their tea bags plastic free by the end of this year.
38 Degrees: PG Tips – we won!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/02/28/pg-tips-won/
The Telegraph: PG tips switches to plastic-free tea bags after 200,000 sign gardener’s petition:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/28/pg-tips-switches-plastic-free-tea-bags-200000-sign-gardeners/
Victory 3: We were part of a huge victory to stop gambling companies ruining lives with addictive betting machines
After months of campaigning from 38 Degree-ers the government slashed the maximum bet to just £2 from £100.
38 Degrees: Addictive gambling machines: Victory!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/05/17/addictive-gambling-machines-victory/
The BCC: Betting machine stakes cut to £2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44148285
The Guardian: Fixed-odds betting terminals: ‘It’s a silent addiction but at its worst it takes lives’:
Victory 4: People up and down the country are winning local campaigns for their communities
Campaigns By You is part of the 38 Degrees website where people can set up and run their own campaigns on the issues they care about. And in the last few months a lot of us have been busy running – and winning – some incredible campaigns in our communities.
Open Brighton’s Homeless Shelters 365 days a year:
Hands off Druridge Bay:
Save the Coasthopper Bus Service:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-coasthopper-bus-service
Save our historic setts:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-historic-setts-1
Retain Vital health and Social Care services in Argyll and Bute:
Save Barnet Breastfeeding Support Service!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-barnet-breastfeeding-support-service
There’s is so much to be proud of. When our voices join together with thousands more, we can all make huge positive differences to people’s lives – families lives that are torn apart my gambling addiction – to the millions of us that use the NHS every year.
Let’s keep working together to make the UK a better place.
