IT was refreshing to read a letter from a young Skipton resident (Matthew McEwan, Craven Herald letters, March 4).

Cynics would argue that people are not puppets and do not have to react to their environment, but that is flying in the face of human experience.

So, I fully endorse his call for increased spending on youth/children’s provision and, at the very least, a restoration of the cuts to school funding of the last decade.

Local Government could do a great deal more for young people, if given the funding, and could support voluntary groups in doing the same.

Thank you, Matthew, for that wake up call.

Cllr Alan Hickman

(Admittedly old person)

Skipton