SIR – Following the recent headlines concerning the shortfall in volunteers for our local charity Community Action, I wonder if anyone has viewed the new John Lewis advert showing an elderly gentleman living on the moon?
My own father-in-law is a stroke victim and sometimes in HIS world feels as if he lives on the moon. Thank goodness for Community Action who enable him to communicate with the world and help him to get out and about to the best of his ability and to reach his own maximum potential.
This advert demonstrates social isolation very poignantly and locally we must say thank you to Community Action who help to relieve this in many of our elderly residents.
They achieved an award of excellence earlier this year from the Minister for Public Health, Jane Ellison. How tragic it would be if we had to lose this wonderful charity because of a lack of volunteers.
Perhaps some of your readers could watch this advert and view it in real terms and give a few hours each month to keep our local service surviving and continuing to give such devotion to our community.
PETER FORBES
Hanley Castle


It’s time for a change to the voting system
SIR – Labour has always supported the first-past-the-post electoral system and opposed proportional representation. It has meant that Labour and the Tories would be guaranteed a turn at governing the country resulting from the ebb and flow of political popularity.
The Tories know that PR would spell the end of Tory Parliamentary majorities. That is why they oppose PR so robustly. In the present Parliament if it was under PR, the Tories would not have a majority. 
I spent many years campaigning for the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform and was its vice-chairman in the late 1980s. Part of my disillusionment with the Labour Party was the realisation that Labour would rather see Tories in power than have Labour-led coalition governments through PR.
I hated the pointlessness of Labour governments introducing reforms that would be cancelled by an incoming Tory administration. I believe that UKIP and the Greens receiving 3.9 million and 1.2 million votes respectively to elect one MP each in 2015 is an outrage even though I strongly oppose UKIP. That’s over 5 million voters effectively disenfranchised save for the two MPs.
I don’t know where Jeremy Corbyn stands on PR. I hope he will recognise that the true interest of the people lies in supporting PR and keeping Tory minority governments out.
I also hope that people will see the injustice of the present system now and vote for the Green Party in support of proportional representation.
PETER NIELSEN
Worcester

Comments on Norway are a reversal of truth
SIR – Putting it as kindly as I can, Francis Lankester’s detailed imaginings (Letters, Wednesday, November 4) about Norway’s relationship with the EU, comprised a farrago of self-delusion, wishful thinking and, indeed, truth-reversal.
So comprehensive was his make-believe and flight from reality that it is difficult to know where to start. However, and put simply, Norway most certainly does incorporate an overwhelming majority of EU legislation into its own, and practises the free movement of people, goods, services and capital. In fact, Norway has accommodated a higher per capita rate of immigration than has Britain.
Norway maintains all of the EU’s product standards, also financial and employment regulations, and makes substantial contributions (only marginally lower than if it were a full member) to the EU budget. It is, in fact, the tenth largest financial contributor – whilst having absolutely no say whatsoever in formulating EU rules.
All of this has been confirmed in a recent article written by a former Norwegian Defence Minister, in an interview given to Channel 4 News by a former Norwegian Foreign Secretary and in a report by the Norwegian Government, no less. Now, although it may be theoretically possible that Mr Lankester knows better than they do, perhaps I might be forgiven for expressing just a little doubt.
Strangely, I am heartened somewhat, albeit tentatively, by his economy with the verity. If gross and absurd invention is the best that the anti-EUs can come up with, there is no way that the electorate of these islands will be taken in by it.
DAVID BARLOW
Worcester

If that’s a sunrise I’ll definitely eat my hat
SIR – Regarding the photo published in your excellent newspaper, if that is sunrise I’ll eat my hat. Or did someone turn the bridge round?
J L REYNOLDS
Worcester