Seizing their day

Jul 7 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WE hear so much of feral young people roaming the streets and causing trouble wherever they go.

Too often it is the sad duty of newspapers to report knife attacks, muggings and car crime which ends in tragedy.

We’re right to despair at the way our society is going when we see these aimless groups.

And it is absolutely correct that resources should be channelled into trying to steer them away from the kind of life they are leading.

It’s too easy to tar all people of a certain age with the same brush. But we should never forget – despite all the publicity – that the yobs are a minority.

A massive gathering of youngsters at the Galpharm Stadium yesterday showed the true picture. They were there for the Kirklees Youth Games, an event started in 2006 and now proving extremely successful.

Olympic athlete Dame Kelly Holmes so rightly said on a visit to Huddersfield last week that so very many youngsters are doing good things nowadays.

Yesterday’s Youth Games was a positive demonstration of that desire to be positive and to make something of life.

It was no accident that the specially-composed anthem they sang is called Seize the Day. It is a motto they are striving to live up to.