What message are we sending to our young people?

THE axing of Youth Week isn't just disappointing for our kids - it's bad for our community's future.

Warwick teenagers Jack Kearns and Jakob Miklejohn speak about the benefits they got from the Young Leaders program, mental health, social media and what young people need. Two teenage boys pictured at Warwick skate park holding mobile phones, youth engagement. Picture: Marian Faa

IT'S disappointing to see Youth Week events scrapped from the calendar this year.

The decision has caused a lot of upset among young people and those invested in their future and development.

Others have been less fazed by the decision and questioned why young people needed events.

"Why can't they get a job?” or "why do they need free events?” they ask.

The truth is, many of these kids do have jobs. Or they are in school.

And of course, they don't need fun things to do. None of us do - but that doesn't mean we should never support or indulge in any fun activity in our community.

Our youth will survive if we take away anything and everything remotely fun for them in their own community.

But then what?

They disengage from their community and see it as a place that has nothing to offer them. Or their future children. And they leave with no intention of coming back. And when that happens, we all lose.

We have heard our council tell us youth are a priority and we want skilled, professional young people to choose the Southern Downs as their home.

But if we want these people to do that, we need to support them through their childhoods and into young adulthood.

These are our future business owners, doctors, mayors. Our future assets. We want them to build a connection with their community that is lifelong and brings future benefit to the entire region.

Kerri Moore, editor