w/c 21st December 2020
As I sat down to watch one of my favourite Christmas films last week, the muppets version of ‘A Christmas Carol’, I got to thinking about what my reaction would have been should I have received a visit from the ghost of Christmas Future last year.
It would have been impossible to fathom the upcoming consequences of this virus; the thousands of deaths and hospitalisations, the lockdowns, the isolation felt by many, the job losses, and the business closures. And there have also been other less serious side effects that would have been difficult to wrap my head around too; the toilet roll crisis, the unprecedented use of the word ‘unprecedented’, the banana bread takeover, the wonders of ‘Tiger King’, and the number of times one would mutter ‘you’re on mute’ throughout each week.
To put it extremely lightly, the first year of the new decade has not been the best but there are some positives to be derived from it.
At Southend BID we have been proud to work at the heart of actions to help our local community alongside other businesses and organisations in the town. These have included working with stakeholders regarding the relaxation of measures, leading on the creation of safety materials and marketing campaigns, providing support and information to our BID businesses through our emails, socials and Street Ranger team, putting on self-guided trails for some socially distanced fun, and much more.
Like other key workers throughout Southend, our Street Ranger team have also continued to be on the front line throughout the year. Every day they have patrolled the BID zone to offer businesses support and advice, to assist them with any crime incidents, offer guidance to residents and visitors to the town, and check up on temporarily closed premises.
With Tier Four restrictions in place, festivities will be very different to those of Christmas past but we have shown that we can work through tough times together as a community and we will continue to do so in the New Year.
Stay safe as you enjoy the time with your household and bubble this Christmas, and remember to click unmute on your video calls with the extended family. I wish you all a Happy New Year with good news to follow from the spirit of Christmas Future.
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