No need to pour cold water on it despite loss

When they present their end-of-year accounts, the Worthing Town Centre Initiative's ice skating project in Steyne Gardens will, on the face of it, have made a loss, possibly due to awful weather we experienced in February.

However, what it won't take into account is what the thousands who did come and ice skate spent in the local economy, i.e., town centre shops, bars and restaurants.

Whilst the actual amenity didn't break even this year, like it did last, in these difficult times, how would those aforementioned shops, bars and restaurants have fared without it being there in what is a traditionally very barren time for them all?

It's a fact that you cannot dictate the weather, hopefully it will be back to what it should be at the same time in 2011, and the skating rink will once again turn a profit, because, despite this year's financial setback, it does bring something to the town.

When you read about assets being seized from criminals as a result of their misdeeds, have you ever wondered what eventually happens to the money?

Well, in this case, good really does come from bad because the money is eventually re-distributed by the police in form of grants to youth organisations.

Having asked a member of the local force for confirmation of this fact, I was informed a number of payments have already been made locally and there is still money available and all relevant groups and organisations have to do is apply.

It has never been my intention through this column to upset or offend good, honest, hard-working people.

So, given feedback I have received, I feel I must clarify my stance on the issue of young families.

There are a number of youngsters in this town who have started their families at a relatively young age, but they are in loving relationships, and both partners work hard paying into the system and right from the outset are good parents, regardless of their ages.

My actual bugbear is the type of situation recently highlighted by the reporting of 24-year-old man living off the benefit system, who has fathered eight children with eight different women.

Even if he wanted to work, which is frankly highly unlikely, he would probably have to work 36 hours a day, seven days a week, to get anywhere near supporting all his offspring.

But he won't, so the onus comes down on the rest of us, and we all end up picking up the tab for the 21st century "Don Juan", including the aforementioned young families who are trying to do everything by the book.

And that, in anyone's interpretation, is not fair, which was the crux of my original column, and if anyone feels I was having a go at young parents in general, I assure them I certainly wasn't.

Ian Hart's comment is published in the Herald series every Thursday

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