Eastbourne Borough Council Leader: Remembering those we lost on fifth anniversary of pandemic outbreak
Last Sunday, I attended a service at St Mary’s Church in Hampden Park to commemorate and reflect on five years since the outbreak of COVID-19.
As a country, we are still reflecting on that time and its lasting impact. Almost overnight, our world changed. It’s strange to think that COVID was only five years ago. At times, it feels like a lifetime ago; at others, just last week.
The pandemic affected us all in different ways. Thousands of lives were lost, with many unable to say final goodbyes to loved ones during the most difficult of times. Others made significant personal sacrifices for the good of their communities.
Like many, I remember clapping for the NHS and working alongside residents and community groups. I witnessed both the town and the Council rise to the challenge. Working with the food bank and other local organisations, the Council provided food packages for the most vulnerable while ensuring essential services continued.
I recall joining an online residents' group, whose primary concern was their determination to support one another—checking in on neighbours who were self-isolating, running errands, and ensuring no one was left behind.
I know many families in Eastbourne are still mourning loved ones, and my thoughts are with you.
In her speech during the pandemic, our much-missed Queen said: "If we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it. I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge, and those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any, that the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet, good-humoured resolve, and of fellow feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.”
She ended her address by promising that we will meet again. During the service, I reflected on those we lost and the immense courage so many showed. I felt grateful that I can once again hug my family and enjoy an evening with friends.
To everyone who suffered during COVID, you remain in my thoughts.