Happiest Town For Teenagers?

LETTER from Leigh Ward’s Green Party Councillor, Anita Forde.
Sir, Could Leigh become Britain’s happiest town for teenagers?
A gathering of local Mums came together recently to imagine just that.
I think it’s a Scandinavian saying that says that you’re allowed to complain about something three times. After that, you either do something about it, or stop complaining.
Which got me thinking that while most of us are pretty good at the first part, we don’t often make enough space for what comes next, imagining what we’d actually like instead.
As parents, much of our weekly conversations are dominated by the day-to-day. Up to much this weekend? Holiday childcare sorted yet? Seen the latest school Ping?! Watch out for the dog poo!
But beneath those (important) practical exchanges are the bigger worries and hopes that rarely get much airtime. The kind of questions that pop into your head at 3am, just before the school run takes over again at 7am.
Will our children grow up happy and healthy? Will they know nature and green spaces? Will they have clean air, clean water and safe places to belong? Will they have opportunities to be creative, learn new skills and develop the resilience they’ll need for an uncertain future?
Inspired by the work of writer Rob Hopkins, who encourages us to move from “what is” to “what if?”, a group of local mums gathered on a warm, slightly sweaty Friday evening at The Village Hub, along with our new councillor Anita Forde, to do just that.
The invitation was to show up for a conversation. To share what we love about Leigh (kind neighbours, Leigh Folk Festival, Two Tree Island), what could be better (the littered streets, congested roads, tired playgrounds where some of the equipment has been inexplicably replaced by traffic cones…) and, what kind of future we’d like to see.
One exercise invited us to imagine newspaper headlines from the future. We were encouraged to go big, even a little ridiculous: “Broadway Pedestrianised.” “The Trams are Back in Town!” “Leigh Named Happiest Town for Teenagers.” “Leigh Youth Centre Reopens.” “Estuary So Clean Otters Spotted.” “Leigh Becomes UK Leader in Clean Transport.”
The point wasn’t whether these ideas were realistic. It was to stretch our imaginations enough to discover what really matters. We wrote, doodled and drew the kinds of futures we’d love to see here, and behind the sillier headlines there was a surprising amount of consensus.
People spoke about greener spaces, independent businesses, cleaner air, safer streets, and a stronger community – along with a sense that Leigh should stay open to new, creative ideas, from lidos to tool libraries and other shared community spaces.
Perhaps what came through strongest was a shared sense that young people need spaces of their own: places to gather, create, play music, learn skills, volunteer, make friends and simply be – and in doing so, feel more connected to the place they live and more inclined to care for it.
Conversations about youth clubs, youth forums and projects for teenagers generated the greatest energy in the room. Of all the ideas discussed, this felt like the one people were most ready to turn into action.
Alongside that energy around practical ideas, one of my strongest takeaways was simply the value of making time for this kind of conversation at all. Time to step outside the day-to-day and imagine something different.
Several people commented on how encouraging it was to discover how much we share. Things that can feel overwhelming or impossible when carried alone suddenly feel more feasible when spoken aloud together. One person even said afterwards that she had “found her voice”.
It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of the big stuff – but change doesn’t only begin in Westminster or with the most recent trillionaire’s project up in space. It can begin much closer to home.
Mums are powerful not just because we somehow manage a hundred different clubs and diary dates with our eyes closed. When we make space to come together, we can make things happen.
The evening wasn’t about solving everything. But there was enough shared energy around supporting young people that we’re now exploring what might come next.
If you’d like to be part of future conversations – or help shape ideas and opportunities for young people in Leigh – follow or message us on instagram @mothers_can_leigh_on_sea.
[The gathering grew out of Mothers CAN (Mothers Climate Action Network), a local group of mums and carers exploring climate, nature and community life in Leigh].
Picture: Leigh Ward’s Green Party Councillor, Anita Forde.
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