I wonder what the opinion of Mercury readers is to this.

There may be many reasons why this is happening and no doubt our district council will tell us that it all comes down to money.

The skatepark is high maintenance and must be maintained to the highest standards to keep it safe to use. It is heavily used probably because it is so popular with our young people.

It looks great fun and it is very sad to reflect that in an apparently affluent town like Stamford we are unable to resource such a popular amenity. Of more concern is the message that this is sending to our young people.

At a time when their well-being should be a high priority the dismantling of the skatepark is not good news and sends all the wrong messages.

It is surely a mark of a civil society that we value our young people and provide them with appropriate resources that meet their needs. It seems to me that this means resourcing their leisure as well.

Our young people do not have a collective voice of their own. They have neither economic nor political power and have to rely on older generations to make good decisions on their behalf.

Are these older generations, who hold the power, and more pertinently, the elected representatives in our community, listening to and understanding their needs and prepared to resource them?

So, through the good offices of the Mercury, I would be interested to hear the views of the wider population, younger and older, on this matter.

THE REV BOB MACKRILL
Priest in Charge,
Christ Church,
Green Lane, Stamford