It is a comprehensive account of the abuse of human rights of children and young people in Britain today.

It includes widespread infringements of the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child that have denied hope and opportunity to many of Britain's 14 million children and adolescents.
he most damning defects include :-

• a punitive juvenile system;


• public attitudes that demonise teenagers;


• lack of protection against physical punishment in the home;


• one of the highest levels of child poverty in Europe.

This is the bigger picture about our children and is a condemnation of not just our attitudes but is reflected in what we actually do for our children in our communities at grass roots level.

The discussion begun by Nathan Allonby, Heather McDougall and Alan Rudd reflects the barrenness of local facilities provided by public funds in Cullercoats and Tynemouth. The wonderful adventure playground (unsupervised) and the projected skateboard park, both in Whitley Bay, do not address the needs of young people to socialise and participate in interesting out of school activities whatever they may be.

However, our council at present only employs two senior youth workers and two part-timers to cover North Shields, Howdon, Shiremoor, Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth. These, no matter how dedicated, cannot hope to even begin the work that is so desperately needed with young people in our communities.

Remember they are only responsible for the over 13-year-olds. That is why we see so many young people standing around unsupervised at Metro stations and elsewhere, with little or nothing to do.

Our council is probably doing its best within the confines of the community charge it collects, as elaborated by Gill Alexander, on their behalf. But hurrah for one staffed adventure playground in North Tyneside. Parents and carers need doorstep or ward facilities, not coach trips across the borough each evening.

Returning to the sad report of our four British Children's Commissioners, we have to ask why is this so, not just at the micro level of our own community but across the country. My view is that we are one of the richest per capita nations in the world but also one of the countries with the biggest divide between rich and poor; a division which has increased under New Labour, where the rich in Britain have grown immensely richer and the poor poorer.

We need to increase the money invested in our local communities' infrastructures so that the fiscal resources are there to provide workers and amenities.

In other words, a service that will reach young people and meet their needs. This means additional taxes but this should not be found from the current taxation system we have, one where if you are already rich you pay little or nothing.

Nor do we need our local services sold off and privatised so we lose democratic control and create more profits for large corporations which costs the community more.

What we need a central government that is committed and willing to invest in our region and enable the local council to provide the services so desperately needed by young people and their families. This requires radical action by central government in the area of taxation, so that the money needed can be made available.

It also requires a vision that sees young people as a central part of communities and does not demonise them, as at present. One that sees young people as who they actually are – the future mums and dads. But that is a long way from the policies of New Labour.

VICKI GILBERT
St George's Road, Cullercoats.
Cullercoats.