Editor's Blog: Young people should be seen and heard by the council
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Like many other local authorities, Maidstone
council purports to listen to the concerns of young people. They
set up youth councils and attempt to engage with children through
sporting initiatives and other youth acitivities. They are
conscious of a perceived disconnection with the younger members of
the community and keen to dispel this.
It was therefore surprising, and somewhat
disturbing, to discover that the privilege of directly addressing
councillors at a meeting is only afforded to adults.
So when Anthony Hill, 15, a pupil at Simon
Stock went along, smartly dressed, to present his 800-signature
petition to save a tree at the Town Hall, he was told he could not
speak - his address had to be made through an older friend. He was
congratulated for his campaign to save a tree in the High Street
from the axe as part of the £4m regeneration scheme and the council
has agreed to look into his archaic rules. Not before time.
Maidstone’s Pegasus gymnastics club has
achieved a coup in signing a training agreement with the Slovenian
national squad for the 2012 Olympics. This is a vibrant club with
close to 500 members and several competing at national and even
international level. Their feisty and formidable director Fef
Griffin bangs the drum loudly for the club, which feels it doesn’t
always get the exposure it deserves. We’re attempting to address
this in Friday’s paper. I know gymnastics isn’t a combat sport but
Fef has beaten us into submission and we’re happy to celebrate the
club’s achievements!
While messrs Rooney and Lampard are looking
forward to returning to their clubs and their £100k salaries away
from the torturous England fiasco, pubs and clubs will no doubt be
rueing the departure of England from the World Cup. Thanks to our
capitulation on Sunday, Maidstone’s licenced premises have been
deprived of one, two, possibly even three more spectacular pay-days
(dream on…). While one would expect pubs to be packed out for an
England game on a Friday or Saturday night, it was interesting that
a similar scene was played out when we played Slovenia last week.
It was as if 10pm on an average Friday night had been transported
into a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Security guards on the doors,
heaving bars, stressed-looking staff and binge-drinking
punters. While generally well-behaved there was a certain
boorishness that has been thankfully extinguished by England’s
exit. A minor blessing amid the disappointment.
Wednesday, June 30 2010
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