With that in mind we were delighted to be invited by the staff of St Joseph's RC primary school in Blackhall Colliery to go along and meet their school council members earlier this week to talk about our role as local representatives.
During our visit we discussed many different aspects of village life and we compared our own priorities with those of the children and school, only to find that they were almost identical! The members of the school council placed great emphasis on environmental issues in the village and beyond but also told us about how much they value and respect the older people in our community and how they put this at the very top of their list of priorities.
We were also very impressed with the childrens' knowledge and understanding of local issues and we heard how much they value local services like the library and other community facilities. It was encouraging to learn that the pupils at St Joseph's, just like those at the other schools in our area, continue to forge strong links with our local library on Hesleden Road.
On leaving the school after our visit we felt a sense of pride in the young people of St Joseph's and in particular we noted their politeness, courtesy and willingness to help visitors and each other. Staff, pupils and members of the school council present a very strong and positive school identity and collectively they do themselves and the village proud.
