Childhood in spotlight as Health plan ahead
Monday 28th June 2010, 2:57PM BST.
Health Minister Anne Pryke
ISLANDERS are going to get their say on whether Jersey is still a good place to bring up children, and what could be done to improve things.
A major consultation exercise to develop the Island’s first Children and Young People Plan is being launched.
The plan will cover States services like education and health, and everything that affects the start that young Islanders have in life.
A public meeting is being held at Trinity Parish Hall at 7 pm on Wednesday, followed by another on Thursday 15 July, also at 7 pm.
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A major consultation exercise is fine, but if there is no money to execute the existing health services, what is the point?
Anne Pryke you have made a good start, so please keep to the job in hand and do not allow your underperforming civil servants divert you down the route nugatory studies. We want our moneys spent on HEALTH.
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Not a good place to bring adults up in let alone children..Lets start with accomadation:
Sorry no children allowed
Sorry no pets allowed
Sorry no smokers allowed
Bedsit for rent suit single person with no children no pets no smoking only £1,000 per month with £4,000 deposit in advance,full cooking facilities( a microwave and a toaster)and more reasons:
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As good as this sounds in principle, I agree with Mark @1. We do not need another expensive consultation paper on another new initiative until we have the funding to sort out the services which are currently being cut back.
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This is a good project I will agree with that but lets not forget that Jersey is already a pretty good place to bring up a child. You are given aid by the states if it is needed, the streets are safer than, lets face it, most other places in the world, and education is better too.
What the kids need is SOMETHING TO DO! Something free, something consistant, something interesting.
More activities that are run later especially at the weekend.
If a group of young lads can play 5 a-side until midnight on Friday night. They wont be at Peoples park getting trashed and vandalising my car!
Ask the kids what they want, kids in year 10, year 11 and at college.
OR – You can have a public meeting where no kids will actually be and a bunch of adluts will say what they think is best which is sometimes best but times are different. Kids are different, the environment they grow in is different, preasures, needs and wants are different.
They arent scary, lets ask them what they want…
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Kage you say @ #4
“What the kids need is SOMETHING TO DO! Something free, something consistent, something interesting”.
Kage ime in my 60s and I want some of that, especially the free bit.
When you grow up you will come to realise that (unless Mommy and Daddy have loads of money) if you want something you have to work for it.
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#5 Totally agree.
Kage, children have more to do nowadays than we had (and I’m not old), so why is it so difficult for them to find things to do? Is it because computer games and television have completely sapped their creativity and ability to think for themselves? Is it because they cannot drink and smoke while doing these activities? Or is it because their parents don’t want to contribute financially towards their children’s social pursuits?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if kids want a club or somewhere else to hang out, why don’t they come up with a plan themselves, get some adults on board and start raising money for it. Stop expecting the taxpayer to provide everything for you, that’s a job for you or your parents.
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I’d like to know how any of you were actually children on this island and grew up here?
i’m in my late 20′s and I was born and grew up here all my life.
I am agreeing with Kage #4
Lead – kids have more to do nowadays ? How do you figure that one what ? Unless your parents have a lot of money to spare, which lets face it aren’t many esp with pay freezes now etc There is nothing for them to do!
Everywhere that i used to hang out as a child/teen, has all disappeared!
Fort Regent – Whether you had money or not, there was always something to keep you entertained up there.
Whether it was the shows or the playground outside (all free) or the roller disco on a friday night (which was only £2 or something).
I spent many days of my teen life with my mates hanging out there – majority of the time, without money!
Funland – yes ok, it wasn’t the best place but it was still somewhere to be with your friends.
Now you tell me, where can kids hang out now and keep themselves entertained without being told to move on or that they’re being too loud etc ??
Unless it’s a beautiful sunny day where they can go to beach or play footie somewhere etc – then I don’t think there is really anything for kids. Even youth clubs close during half term holidays, the time when the kids need them the most – go figure?
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#7 Caz, everything that I did back home is available to children here, whether it is joining various groups (gymnastics, music etc) or just hanging out with my mates. I wrote music and had a band, we managed to convince a local community centre to let us use one of their rooms to practice. On top of that kids can now connect online with people all around the world and compete with them in computer games. My friend’s boy clubbed together with his mates to buy a cheap video recorder and they make their own films and have a community on YouTube, others are into art and some write and record their own music. Very little of this has to cost much at all anymore, if anything.
But on a really basic level my friends were a good enough laugh that we could enjoy just hanging out at each other’s houses. And that would constantly change because one night would be a group of 5 of us, another night a different group of 3, not the exact same group of 20 every night hanging out in the same place. On nice nights we would just go for long walks, funnily enough if you’re not drunk and not being excessively noisy you tend not to get moved along.
And before anyone starts on “our parents don’t let us take bring our friends home” well your parents shouldn’t have had you if they weren’t going to make you and your friends welcome in their house. That kind of parental selfishness is a whole other issue needing addressed! My parents and my friends’ parents always made us welcome, but we did return the respect. Clearly there are children in Jersey finding things to do or there would be far more out on the streets of an evening.
How do children managed to find the money for alcohol but not anything constructive?
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Back home we didn’t have funland, Fort Regent, a cinema, or anything along those lines! I don’t recall ever being bored (except at school).
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#7 Caz – Good post!
I am also in my late 20′s and it was between the ages of maybe 14 and 20 when we started losing our favourite haunts such as the Roller Disco, that I went to all the time. Funland and Fort regent.
Actually we used to go up to fort regent and just hang out in the aquarium checking out the fish. That would kill an hour on its own – All gone. Parks are now closing or being built on. Some of them are even being locked down from 7pm onwards. we didnt have these problems when I was younger.
#8-9 Leah – I like your post but unfortunately these things cost money. Where are these kids going to get the cash for instruments? money to join clubs? A community center that lets you practise in one of there rooms? Sounds workshop charge a far amount to use their rooms. I know because im in a band. To be honest it sounds like you had a good childhood and maybe its hard for you to see that not everyone has parents as understanding or friends as welcoming as you do?
It would be good to run a project where maybe 20-30 kids are involved in acquiring a property in town, running a survey amongst kids to see what they want to have on the property and then with backing from the states, make it happen. This place could house jam-rooms, pool tables, table tennis, blah blah blah. you get the point.
A project run by the kids – for the kids!
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PJG – I think you missed the point of what I said. Im not saying they shouldnt have to work for what they want but at the same time I want to see less kids on the streets bored and causing trouble. That kind of behaviour, unfortunately, can be the begining of a life long habit. Not for all, but for some.
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Kage, because we could be trusted we managed to convince the community centre to let us use the room for free. I know other people who have managed to convince their local church to let them use rooms that lie empty. Thing is, if you don’t ask you don’t get. I’ll reiterate the parent thing, if they don’t want the children in their home then they need to be sorted out quick smart!
I had lots of instruments because I was musical and my parents encouraged it, none of them were expensive as they were bought second-hand. My friends all just had one instrument, again all bought second-hand and inexpensive. Kids get plenty of pocket money and if they actually save it then things like basic video cameras are easy to get.
I would ask you how much is being spent on alcohol, cigarettes and junk food. It’s about how you prioritise your money, even for children!
None of the clubs I joined charged either, I’m sure plenty of clubs here don’t charge, they need members to be able to operate after all. But then children won’t know that unless they ask.
You would be amazed what these kids could find out if they got off their fat backsides and actually went looking for constructive things to do. My bet is that they don’t even look, they want us to provide it on a plate!
They will not benefit from us providing it on a plate, nor will they go for whatever we provide (because they won’t be allowed to drink). They need to use their imaginations for once (if they haven’t been completely destroyed already) and think for themselves.
It’s not that I’m against these kids, I honestly don’t think us providing everything for them is good for their overall development, we are failing them if we do that. They need to go out there and find out what is available, or set up something constructive themselves.
If they are willing to behave and be respectful they will easily be able to get adults alongside to help them! They could even start raising money to get a youth club going. Has this crossed their minds? Somehow I doubt it, too much effort.
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