It is believed to be true that some young adults don’t have hobbies, not just in Sutton, but all over the country. Hobbies include many different types of activities such as: sports, scouts, guides and dance -anything that keeps your child occupied in their free time. These activities often help young people gain confidence and make new friends, whilst also gaining skills that they may find useful in later life. It could also help keep youngsters off the streets, therefore reducing street crime and preventing gangs forming in your local area, as keeping children safe is a top priority for parents.

To research into why some youths feel that after school activities aren’t an option for them, or a pleasing experience, I asked some high school students what their views on the topic were. When asked how many children were involved in outside of school activities, 47 out of 116 pupils said they were. That’s less than half of the children surveyed. The most popular hobbies mentioned were dance, football and music lessons. But why such a low percentage? I wanted to find out what was putting these young adults off.

A 14 year old Glenthorne High School student said ‘I feel like I have too much work at school and that is important to me. I want to get good grades.’ This is understandable, as Glenthorne students, like many other school students, want to work hard and achieve the best of their ability, but where do these students learn skills that you don’t get taught in school?

Hannah Love, a thirteen year old dancer said ‘I dance three times a week, six hours in total, and although I get very tired, I still love it as it is what I have been doing since I was a baby. It keeps me fit and flexible.’ So how can you get your young ones involved? Ask them what they enjoy doing, and maybe what they would like to try. Around the Sutton area, there are many friendly and welcoming places, where your child or teenager can get active, get learning and get confident. For example, there’s Dynamic Dance in Sutton, Cannons Health Club, Epsom Swimming Club, and to try something very new, Kung Fu Martial Arts in Croydon! Let’s get the young people of Sutton all trying something new together, so that they have more opportunities when they’re older, can be healthier and enjoy life to the limit!

Catherine Wilkinson Y9 Student Glenthorne High School