Cambridge, Leeds 'best places for children to grow up'

LONDON: Looking for a great place to bring up you child? Try Cambridge or Leeds in Britain, of course, if you are financially well-off.

Researchers in Britain have carried out a study and ranked Cambridge and Leeds as two of the best places for kids to grow up, 'The Observer' reported here on Sunday.

The researchers looked at factors such as school results, leisure centre facilities and the number of parks to rank areas for child-friendliness.

Cambridge scored highly as there are a number of parks and open spaces, and it's pedestrian and cycle friendly while Leeds has eight health centres which cater for those from the least and most affluent areas.

In fact, in Leeds, specialist services reach out to even the most disadvantaged families and provide affordable childcare, the researchers found.

However, Northampton has been ranked as one of the worst as there are few activities to enjoy during holidays and a lack of places for friends to gather, according to their research funded by the Charity 4Children.

"Regeneration in deprived areas has been occurring for decades, but the focus was on buildings and roads. That is important, but if we want places to flourish we need to start with families and children," Anne Longfield, the chief executive of the charity, was quoted as saying.
 
"The government want communities where families are valued, where there are lots of kids who are welcomed into restaurants and shops and have access to good playgrounds and parks. What they did not want are signs that say 'no kids' or 'this is not a playground'. These things indicate the culture of the community," Longfield said.