FAMILY and our future generations...

I love this time of year; I look forward to looking at all the children starting in schools all over Somerset, standing proud in their new uniforms.

It was a lovely treat in last week’s Gazette and I will be looking even more closely this week - my great niece, Rosalie, has just started at her new school. I can’t wait to see her beaming smile with all her new friends around her, starting on her educational journey.

I remember my school days with mixed feelings. It got me thinking about local children and young adults of all ages across Somerset.

I feel sometimes that us adults make all the decisions about our towns and communities. We are all discussing town centres, Firepool, new housing estates etc.

I wonder how much we consider actually asking the people who will inherit and have to live with all our decisions?

When big decisions are being made, all sorts of things go into the mix: Cost, timings, health and safety, disability, to name just a few.

For towns to grow and thrive, I think we need to think about how we can future-proof some ideas. Be brave, dream big, strive to be innovative and ask for input from different groups of people, especially the young, who are going to have to live with these things long after the current decision makers have disappeared.

I guess I would be looking to schools and colleges to be having these discussions with their pupils. I am also aware that the team at The Creative Innovation Centre are constantly working with these groups of people, along with ArtsTaunton, who work tirelessly with young people all over the county on all things cultural.

So, lets involve them, ask them, listen to them. Let’s see if we can deliver what they will need for a happy future.

I hope you also enjoy the school photos in this week’s issue. Think of these little ones in the years to come, enjoying living in Somerset.

TRISH CALLER
Genius PR & Events