LOCALLY and nationally, we have heard a great deal about how children in authority care homes have been abused by men in Oxford and other communities.

Young people each need a positive focus in their lives that takes their minds and hearts out of the impersonal environment of institutional living, whether they are at school, university or authority care. I have found over many years, that each young person has a creative or practical hobby they would love to take up.

They just need one person who genuinely cares for them in an unconditional way, to inspire them towards that interest.

Just one hour a week sharing that interest with a trusted adult, outside any institution, has dramatic effects upon that young person.

We, as a community, locally or nationally, must not be cowed by individuals who are paedophiles. Many, many millions of us are not.

Kirsty was a young teenager misfit at home and school. I found out she longed to take up dancing.

I had some women friends locally who met once a week for dance and I asked them if Kirsty might join them. They were very pleased to welcome her into their adult group and after a few weeks Kirsty said: “At first nobody wanted me, now everybody does!” Although she was not in a one-to-one environment, she felt special as she was the only child, a stark contrast from home and school.

We each have personal contact with young people through their parents in communities and we can make a difference by just finding out what inspires that young person and just give a simple nudge in the direction of the chosen interest. Or we can just do nothing and allow damaged adults to take a young person’s life and destroy it.

Margie McGregor
Wootton
Woodstock