A year like no other!

One year of Melksham’s fantastic Covid-19 community support

MELKSHAM is reflecting on ‘a year like no other’, which saw the community leap into action to support its vulnerable residents and those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week marks one year since social restrictions were introduced by the Government, and next week, 23rd March, it will be one year since the start of the first national lockdown, when the country was told  to “stay at home” by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

As the country adjusted to a new way of life, Melksham’s community was quick to react, with local organisations working together to coordinate the community’s response.

Melksham Foodbank saw demand for its service almost double during the  pandemic. And a new dedicated support service, Melksham Community Support was launched, with hundreds of volunteers signing up to help with essential shopping, prescription deliveries, dog walking, and friendly phone calls to residents living alone.

Melksham’s GP surgeries quickly adapted its services to ensure that it could continue to support its patients; and has provided the community with hope for the future as it rolls out the Covid-19 vaccine to the community.

Melksham’s mayor and chair of Melksham Without Parish Council have praised everyone involved for their efforts to support vulnerable residents and those in need.

Heroic ongoing work

Mayor, cllr Pat Aves told Melksham News,  “A year of lockdown, who would have thought it would last this long, but it has, and with another few months to go before (hopefully) we can say goodbye to most of the restrictions, the new ‘normal’ is beginning to take shape in the form of the ways in which our community has changed.

“It is said that every cloud has a silver lining, so what are these for people in Melksham? 

“The heroic ongoing work of the Melksham Community Support has resulted for some, in the forming of real and lasting friendships that would otherwise have passed them by. 

“But for me there are other heroes too, neighbours who checked on somebody as they passed by on their daily walk with a cheery wave, or made a telephone call. 

“And the people who have worked with the public throughout and without doubt have put their lives on the line – doctors and nurses of course, and teachers, shop and supermarket workers, postal workers, refuse collectors, bus and train drivers, those who have kept our gas and electricity flowing, and all the delivery men and women – all deserve some recognition. Where would we have been without them? 

“I think we have all developed a new respect for the contributions each of us make to our community in one way or another.  We will emerge from this as a community that has re-evaluated and acknowledged the contributions that each and every one of us makes, binding us together as a community and making Melksham an even better place to live. Well done everybody!”

Debt of gratitude

Chair of Melksham Without Parish Council, cllr Richard Wood, said, “We have just passed the first anniversary of Melksham’s terrific response to the Covid crisis. This terrible virus has been the cause of so much loss and disruption for the country, but one year on, it does seem as if we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

“Melksham is rightly celebrated as a very community minded area, and nothing has underlined this more than the Melksham Community Support effort so energetically lead by Jon Hubbard, which quickly recruited a small army of volunteers to shop, collect prescrip- tions, bring food parcels and offer support and reassurance to many shielding and vulnerable people in town and the parishes. 

“I was so pleased to see that the effort went outside the immediate area, so that about one quarter of all support went to the outlying parishes, along with one quarter to Melksham Without and one half to Melksham Town. 

“Both Town and Parish councils, ably led by Teresa and Linda have put in a great deal of time and effort over the past year and the involvement of Age Friendly has ensured that there will be a very important support structure in place when Covid has passed to support all those vulnerable community members who may have otherwise slipped through the support safety net. We all owe out volunteers a great debt of gratitude.”

Mayor cllr Pat Aves, continued,  “And those silver linings? Too many to list here, but a few – not being able to see family has nudged many of the older population to learn to use digital devices, and children were able to continue their education, learning more than just facts and figures whilst negotiating online learning. 

“Working from home became a necessary daily reality, and not having to travel into the office every day – what an opportunity to improve so many aspects of not just one’s own life but also the environment.

“And like dominoes falling, one thing led to another in rapid succession – we can now have an appointment with a doctor online, local businesses now offer more than just groceries but almost anything and everything – you can even buy a car online or view a house for sale now.  

“Who would have thought it, so many seismic changes in such a short time?