|

Herald and Post – August 2007

The long days of school summer holidays are coming to an end for another year and a new school term is nearly upon us. ‘Thank God,’ I can hear a lot of parents say.

The task of finding something to occupy and engage young minds and bodies over a six week period is not an easy one. This year it has been made even more difficult because of the terrible weather we’ve had to put up with.

Because of the need to make special provision for the summer holiday period North Tyneside Council has developed an excellent programme of summer playschemes and other activities aimed at providing a range of options which can involve children with a wide range of interests.

Over the last few weeks literally thousands of young people in our area will have had the benefit of such schemes.

For me this raises an important question. While we know that the long summer holiday period can lead to children being bored and that this can all too easily lead to anti-social behaviour, why can’t we do more for young people at other times of the year ?

I am clear that there is no excuse for yobbish conduct. I am certainly not in the business of ‘hugging a hoddie’! Wherever there is unacceptable conduct the police must take it seriously and come down hard.

In reality the majority of young people want to be good citizens. They deserve our support and we should be doing more to provide activities and facilities that are available all year round and not just during the summer period.

That is why I was particularly pleased that the government recently announced that more money would be made available for services to young people.

Now it won’t be a return to table tennis and learning how to bake cakes but it will be a new wave of youth provision which young people themselves will be involved in developing. That’s just what we need in North Tyneside.

Stephen Byers, MP
16 August 2007