Why 100 matters

When a government petition goes live, it doesn’t arrive with momentum. It starts quietly.

No headlines.

No algorithms working in its favour.

No automatic visibility.

Just a page, a cause, and the question: will anyone care enough to act?

That’s why the first 100 signatures matter more than most people realise.

In practical terms, 100 signatures is a modest number. But in the early life of a petition, it carries disproportionate weight.

The first 100 signatures show that the issue resonates beyond the person who created it. They demonstrate that others recognise the problem, share the concern, and believe it deserves government attention.

This early support tells a story:

• That this isn’t a single family’s grievance

• That the issue is understood by others

• That there is a foundation to build upon

For Elizabeth’s Wish, those first 100 signatures represent trust, people trusting that this campaign is serious, respectful, and worth their voice.

Petitions do not grow in a straight line.

Early on, every signature is manual:

• A conversation

• A message

• A personal ask

• A share from someone who cares enough to put their name to it

This stage can feel slow, frustrating, and vulnerable. But it is also where the campaign is strongest because every supporter at this point has chosen the cause intentionally, not casually.

Momentum doesn’t come from numbers alone. It comes from belief.

Once a petition reaches several hundred signatures, something shifts.

People are more likely to engage when they see others already have. It signals legitimacy. It reduces hesitation. It reassures people that they are not alone in caring about this issue.

This phase is about awareness:

• More sharing

• More conversations

• More people learning that hospital dementia care is not always safe or consistent

For Elizabeth’s Wish, this stage is about explaining why the policy exists and why now matters.

Reaching 10,000 signatures is not symbolic, it is structural.

At 10,000 signatures, the government is required to issue a formal response. That response places the issue on record and creates accountability. It demands acknowledgment.

It does not guarantee immediate change, but it guarantees that the issue cannot be ignored.

For families affected by poor dementia care, that matters. For carers and clinicians who see these gaps daily, that matters. For policymakers, it creates a prompt that cannot be dismissed as anecdotal or isolated.

This journey is not about chasing numbers for their own sake.

Each signature represents:

• A person imagining their loved one in a hospital bed

• A carer remembering a difficult admission

• A clinician recognising a system under strain

• A member of the public choosing prevention over regret

Elizabeth’s Wish exists because silence has consequences. The road to 10,000 is about turning shared concern into collective action, one signature at a time.

The first 100 open the door.

The next 9,900 push it wide enough for change to walk through.

If you have signed, shared, or spoken about this petition, thank you.

If you’re considering it, know this: your signature is not small.

It matters more than you think.