Young people's antidote to debt, destruction and despair... a hobby?

There's a lot to be miffed about if you're young.

Unemployment, the wokerati's obstruction of free speech and that new stupid fucking feature on Instagram that's kind of like BeReal, but more shit because none of your friends are using it.

Ditch it. Ditch it all. Ignore unemployment, turn to scrapbooking. Crucially, turn to a community of scrapbookers, who, of an evening, can cover topics spanning from their flagpole-shimmying Dad to the best washi tape to use as a border around a picture of the dog.

There's a reason why crafts and bird-watching are the fastest growing hobbies among Generation Z. They create the opportunity to join a community or give license to necessary solitude. Either way, they foster connection, ironically a lost art in an era of increased social media usage.

Connection is a good distraction from debt, destruction and despair. But there comes the moment, after you've rolled the last dice of your 4-hour long DnD game, or you're walking back from spotting hobbys or harriers, when the game turns to politics, and whether you're uninterested in board games or nature, politics still plays you.

The number of young people (16 to 24 year olds) not in work, education or training (NEET) recently exceeded 1 million. After all, you can't buy your glittery stickers if you haven't got any money! Even our former Prime Minister, Keir Starmer is technically NEET - so don't feel too bad.

Against the backdrop of the grim symptoms of society failing young people, including increased mental health issues and homelessness, some are turning to hobbies to sedate their reality.

In Ipswich, the RSPB are hosting a Midweek Walk in Stoke Park on Tuesday 25 August, to catch the last of the migratory birds. Free of charge.

Every other Thursday, Chantry library welcomes adult crafters to share their creative knowledge and provide a friendly space, free of charge.

Alternatively, The Hold is exhibiting The Moon: Meet Our Nearest Neighbour; a family-friendly event to discover the science and mythology behind the moon. Also, free of charge.

I'm sure as Andy Burnham gets to grips with governing Britain, he'll reach for his scrapbook peppered with sketches of his favourite Manchester bus stops, neatly decorated with love hearts and a fuck ton of glitter (Keir Starmer was definitely more of a paint-by-numbers kind of crafter, and Nigel Farage just wants to paint himself into a grafter).

Whilst scrapbooking won't financially sustain you, it might provide a bit of joy amidst a tricky reality for Ipswich's young people.