Stephen Wales

AS THE newly elected Mayor of Leek I find myself in strange times indeed.

These are challenging times too for us all as we face this Covid-19 crisis which has affected us in such a profound way.

The crisis made a huge impact to everyone’s lives. The loss of life is tragic, and we all offer our sympathies to those who have lost loved ones and those who were not able to pay their respects in the traditional way.

Our personal liberty has had strict restrictions applied in every aspect of our daily lives in an unprecedented effort to protect us all. The simple pleasures of seeing family and friends are only now being slowly restored - we still have a long way to go to get back to normal, and it will be a new ‘normal.’

The brave response of the those working in the health service and in the care sector in this most incredibly tough period has been amazing . The daily updates showed us the acute stress and trauma for those at the front line of the relentless fight against the Covid virus. They have saved many lives, and this must never be forgotten.

Here in Leek and surrounding villages we have responded with a determination to get through the crisis together. Action groups have formed such as ‘Survive Together Leek -Covid 19’ and together with established charities and local community support groups these have eased the burden on many vulnerable and lonely people. Neighbours have now become reconnected and have helped each other with both practical and psychological support.

This health crisis has had varying impacts in the workplace as some worked on with new rules to protect them and others transferred to home working to suppress the contagion rate of the virus. Others are furloughed and now wait anxiously to get back to work.

We now see our service sector too in a different light - as truly essential workers - our postmen, the delivery drivers, the supermarket worker, the refuse collectors, support workers and all those in the food supply chain.

Everywhere we recognise those who have kept the country going by maintaining these vital supplies and services, they all deserve our profound thanks and continued respect.

We have come this far and have remained resolute so we must remember many thousands of new cases are still being reported every single day. The risk clearly remains around us,so we should still be mindful of others, and the need for maintaining social distancing to keep us all safe. The Covid risk factor is different for each of us - as indeed is our own attitude to that risk - many people are in high risk groups and some will be venturing out from lockdown still with trepidation

The few retailers that have been allowed to open have had to establish a safe experience for staff and the public alike.

This has seen restricted access and led to queues forming outside the shops. As more traders open, we will see people coming back into the town

Finally, as we all emerge from underneath the cloud of Covid and the stresses it has brought into our lives let us do so with a continued spirit of care and neighbourliness.

A friendly Leek ‘hello’ and smile costs you nothing after all!