Child-friendly consultation aims to secure area’s economic future
ROTHERHAM IS pledging to become ‘child-friendly’ in the hope it will encourage the next generation to remain in the area and secure the town’s economic future.
Leaders from Rotherham Council, alongside partners and other agencies, want to make the borough an appealing place to not only grow up but to also stay and raise a family.
The authority has launched a survey to fine-tune this commitment by asking children and young people to describe what being child-friendly actually means to them.
From this the council hopes to achieve a “wishlist” of aims, which it then promises to deliver, wherever possible.
Child Friendly Rotherham will take a leaf out of Leeds City Council’s similar pledge, which it launched five years ago.
Coun Alan Atkin, lead member for the initiative, said: “Without sounding like a cliché, it is the next generation which will ensure this town is a future success. That is why they need to feel like they have had a say in how it looks but also in what kind of future they see for themselves and their families. Only then will we have a prosperous and economic future here in Rotherham.
“Child Friendly Rotherham is not just about doing the right thing for children; it’s about economic regeneration for the whole borough.”
He added that Rotherham has an “impressive track record” in terms of education and skills achieved at its schools and colleges, but then young people leave to go to university or move away for jobs, which has an impact on the town.
Coun Atkin said: “We need future generations to want to come back here, to invest in this town and to see this as the place where they want to bring up their own families when they have them. That is why we need to listen now to what they are telling us and safeguard our town’s future.”
Young people are being asked their opinions in schools, at events and through the survey, which will remain open until late August.