We must look after our young and old

LAST week, I wrote about your hopes and dreams for Dundee in 2017.

There were so many responses, I thought it only fair to continue today.

A common theme is your concern that Dundee doesn’t have the facilities it should — not least a decent venue where artists can perform — to support its huge ambitions over the coming years.

You have smaller requests too — though who’s to say they are not just as meaningful and life-changing for those they affect?

Cristian Uribe wondered why Dundee buses don’t yet have Wi-Fi when other cities have provided a free internet service for years.

It would make his daily commute from Charleston to Douglas more enjoyable and be of huge benefit to Dundee.

Helen McMahon’s point may seem small but she is standing up for a group of people in this city who should be respected and helped — our OAPs.

She lives in St Mary’s and would like a bus service with a stop close to the railway station.

A previous route took passengers to Union Street but now the nearest stop-off is the Howff which almost doubles the walking time to the station — something that’s not helpful given that Helen’s husband is disabled.

It’s all very well having a glitzy (we hope) new railway station, but it must be accessible not only to those who are physically able but also to people like Helen’s husband and thousands like him.

On that note, Jazmine G said she would like to see our elders shown more respect in 2017.

She said: “I take my grandad shopping for food once a week and it angers me that hardly any people my age open a door or even smile at him.

“Some teenagers barge past us to get to the queue. Where are our priorities?”

What is heart-warming is that there are people like Jazmine out there standing up for their grandads — young people who care enough to voice their concerns.

For the older people of Dundee without family to fight their corner, a fastmoving Dundee must at times seem a lonely place.

What if they need a carer to help them shower or make their tea but no one realises how great their need is?

What if they struggle on their pension to manage bills and buy food but are too proud to tell family living miles away?

At the other end of the age spectrum, there are children who are not loved as much as they should be, who are either too young to speak up for themselves or too scared to do so.

They may be suffering neglect or abuse and there are tell-tale signs should we look closely enough.

It’s heartbreaking to think of any child living in fear of those supposed to be nurturing them, or that any youngster is too cold or hungry to sleep at night.

One of my hopes for Dundee this year is that those of us with a heart and a conscience act as safety nets to those who need someone — anyone — to care enough to notice.