March 2020, we started to hear murmurs about a mysterious, uninvited, and unwelcome guest that was planning to visit from the far east. We weren’t sure of the details; we didn’t know how many were coming or how long it was planning to stay for. We absolutely didn’t know how much damage, death, and destruction it was going to cause. Not to mention the financial cost.
Fast forward 16 months, we hope and pray that we are reaching the end of uphill struggle that Covid has presented us. I think this might be a good time to take stock and reflect on some of the immense challenges we have faced as well as acknowledging some of the wins.
We started off with relatively small numbers of infections and though devastating for friends and families, in comparison to some other countries death rates were relatively low. The talk started with the previously seldom heard of city of Wuhan in faraway China. At this point it all seemed a little distant and less relevant to our existence. As soon as the numbers started to grow in neighboring Italy and death rates rose at an alarming rate, it started to get more real for us.
It was now encroaching on our doorstep. How long would it be before it reached our sores? Sure enough, it did and did with a bang. Our infection rates started to rise at an alarming rate, with death rates following suit. It wasn’t long before Britain became the epicenter for covid infections and deaths in the whole of Europe. We had also become one of the worst hit countries on the entire planet.
Many blamed the government for not moving quick enough. Should we have stopped international travel quicker? Should have closed schools sooner? Should the national lockdown have happened earlier and for longer?
Hopefully sometime in the near future there will be enquiries into these matters to establish accountability and more importantly to learn lessons for the future.
What I would like to shine a light on is some of the immense positivity we saw in our communities. We all witnessed the remarkable Captain Tom Moore who raised over £30 million for good causes. We also read about the wonderful Dabirul Islam Choudhury who, inspired by Captain Moore, walked 970 lengths of his garden, while fasting during Islamic holy month of Ramadan. My Choudury went on to raise nearly half a million pounds for charity.
We also stood on our doorsteps and applauded and cheered on our NHS heroes. The nation’s attention was focused on the wonderful individuals as well as the treasure that is our National Health Service. – something that we have sometime taken a little for granted.
Those who benefited thanked the government for the various financial support packages that were on offer. Be that furlough payments, self-employment payment or the various business grants and loans that were offered.
But let us not forget the hundreds if not thousands of grassroot charities, faith organizations and businesses that reached deep into their pockets and hearts to ensure the country continue to eat, sleep, and continue to live.
Many faith organizations turned their prayer halls into foodbanks. They asked the community for money and supplies.
The community responded with an abundance. Millions of pounds worth of food, groceries and toiletries were collected and distributed those in need. This might have been due to financial difficulties or because of a restriction of movement due to covid restrictions.
Charities and some small organizations such as Planet Mercy, Uceff, Greengate Trust, Spectre, MyColdhurst, Amana, Just Breath, san-i-tized and Al Adab to name a few. Not only did these organizations look after the most vulnerable in our town, but they also helped to bring together our sometimes-fractured community. People from different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds came together to serve as Oldhamers for the betterment of our entire town. Oldham felt united (event if it was in its grief).
The voluntary sector, charities, schools, the Council, Central Government, the business community and individuals all played their part in relieving hunger, anxiety and loneliness (as well as a lack of loo roll).
Restaurants donated thousands of meals to the needy as well as treating our NHS champions to meals to ease their busy burdens which dealing with this crisis. Even big businesses such as Tesco, Asda, Morrison’s and Aldi did their bit by donating generously.
Over the last few months, we have seen several popup centers in various community settings. Even these have been a collaboration of organizations such as the Oldham Council of Mosques, GP’s, the NHS, Action Together and local community centers and faith institutions (Greengate Jamia Mosque and The European Islamic Centre, Millenium Centre). These sessions have helped to address the disproportionate numbers of people being vaccinated from different communities. They also welcomed people from communities who would not ordinarily visit certain arts of our amazing town. The unintentional community cohesion aspect was a welcome added outcome – long may this continue.
Moving forward into the second half of the year, we will maneuver with caution and care. But if we take with us the positive learning and experiences of the past year, I am confident that we have a lot to look forward to.
