Yesterday was perhaps one of the most uplifting days in a long time when a group of pupils from Hesleden Primary School visited county hall in Durham to meet with me, Stacey and Gemma to talk about some of the issues affecting them in their village and the wider community.
We began the afternoon with a tour around county hall, including the council chamber where the children loved talking into the microphones to amplify their voices - with most of them talking a great deal more sense than some of the regulars in county hall!
After that we met in one of the committee rooms to get down to the nitty-gritty of the day where the children spoke about some of the things they would like to see improved in their community. These issues were related mainly to community safety, public health and the environment, with many of them reflecting the priorities of the people we speak to regularly at PACT meetings, residents’ association meetings and our monthly ward surgeries.
Issues ranged from concerns about quads and off-road bikes having access to our public footpaths and open spaces and causing damage to the flora, posing a risk of injury to pedestrians and endangering wildlife, to general environmental concerns about the impact of dog fouling and littering in the streets. However, rather than just talking about the things that concerned them, the children also offered solutions - something that suggests a positivity from the children that they can make our communities better places by identifying issues and working together to put things right.
After the discussion the children voted on which of those issues were a particular priority for them, and notably what they would like to see happen next to address their concerns.
Apart from listening to the children talking to us about their issues and priorities, for me the most uplifting aspect of yesterday’s visit was the way the children wanted to engage in solving problems, along with the confidence they had to get their points across.
I’m sure the parents, carers and staff at Hesleden Primary School know this already but their children are fantastic ambassadors for their school and a real benefit to their communities. They'd clearly taken the time to look around their villages to see what was good - and what needed improvement - and most importantly they made the effort to come and tell us about what they saw as their priorities to make their neighbourhoods safer and stronger.
Finally, I’ve got to mention the impeccable behaviour of all the children. They were polite, considerate and eloquent in putting their views across - something we can all be proud of as we look to the next generation as custodians of their villages and communities.
I hope the children enjoyed their day as much as I did.