Column: Monmouthshire Council leader Cllr Richard John

SCHOOL is out for the summer holidays and it comes following a challenging period for our young people.

A pause in routine and some well-deserved time off gives us all time to reflect on how brilliantly our young people have adapted to the changes and challenges brought on during the last two years.

I was able to witness this resilience first hand, working closely with schools in my previous role as cabinet member for education.

Our children and young people have adapted and worked through changes to the delivery of their education as well as coping extraordinarily well when not getting the chance to see their peers.

Reflection is important but so is looking ahead and that is why this summer is more important than ever, it’s the opportunity for our young people to experience a sense of normality again, meet up with friends and make some memories.

We’ve been working hard to ensure we deliver six weeks of memory-making activities with plenty on offer for all ages. Our colleagues in MonLife have worked tirelessly with the return of the Mon Games – five weeks of endless activities being hosted across all four leisure sites in the county. The programme has been delivered with safety at the fore while still allowing children to have that vital social interaction.

We are delighted to also see the return of our School Holiday Enrichment Programme which gives children access to a range of activities from arts and crafts, to dance and football and combines it with healthy meals.

We understand many parents have had to think differently about the summer holidays this year with international travel still being limited.

We also understand the importance of making activities for young people as cost effective as possible. For that reason, a host of free family fun days are being held at venues right across Monmouthshire, with climbing walls, archery and clay making on offer.

Colleagues at our museums and the Borough Theatre have also been working exceptionally hard to continue providing theatre and entertainment.

In the last week, families have been treated to two excellent performances of Horrible Histories, poignantly poised in the grounds of Abergavenny Castle. It’s been overwhelming to hear the wonderful response we’ve had from those who attended. Abergavenny Castle will also be hosting the David Walliams spectacular ‘Mr Stink’ on August 22 so book your tickets now if you don’t want to miss out.

With a summer of fun waiting to be explored over the next few weeks, I would like to take this opportunity to wish our young people in Monmouthshire a wonderful, well-deserved break and look forward to welcoming you all back to school in September.