# ‘Why would I leave?’: Middlesbrough pushes back against ‘hardest place to grow up’ label

- Source: Guardian World
- Published: 2026-10-25T09:00:58+00:00
- Category: World
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/25/middlesbrough-rejects-hardest-place-to-grow-up-label
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/why-would-i-leave-middlesbrough-pushes-back-against-hardest-place-to-g-60550a/

Teesside town has come out worst in children’s commissioner’s report, but residents say such rankings are demoralising and counterproductive “It’s disappointing, it’s just another kicking,” said a youth worker after the town in which they work was labelled as the hardest place in which to be a child in England. “It suggests our children are living unhappy lives,” said a teacher, who described her

_Ground Level News shows a short summary only; the full article and all rights belong to Guardian World._