Growing up

In the past fifty years, changes in society have brought unprecedented opportunities to our young people, but also significant new challenges.  The demands and expectations placed on children and young people have never been greater and it is estimated that 1 in 10 in the UK experience mental health problems.[1]  Going forward, globalization, technology, and climate change are set to transform the world today’s young people will inherit.

Herefordshire is home to around 35,900 young people aged under 18 - this is projected to increase to 37,000 by 2025.  Children in Herefordshire generally receive a good education, however this does not necessarily translate into social mobility.  Our children and young people are less likely to experience the well-publicised threats of knife crime and gang culture than their counterparts in Britain’s urban centres, but growing up in one of England’s most rural counties presents issues of its own. 

Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) has, for example, highlighted how ‘for many children and young people, the ‘rural idyll’ of living in the countryside is far from reality. There are no cinemas, clubs, or other facilities their counterparts in urban areas take for granted. This isolation from services is often made worse by a lack of transport options and hidden poverty’.[2] 

In addition, despite relatively abundant active leisure opportunities, children in Herefordshire are no less likely to be overweight or obese than their peers in England as a whole.  The oral health of children in Herefordshire is also consistently poor compared to the rest of England.

The challenge for Herefordshire Council and its partners in the independent and voluntary sectors is to maximise the potential of our children and young people and give them all the best start in life.

[1] Mental health, NHS England.

[2] Young people, Action with Communities in Rural