I thought I would look back at events during the previous 12 months. It has been a bit of a roller coaster year with the biggest impact being the pandemic which started in March. The Covid-19 virus hit the country hard and has severely impacted every aspect of all our lives. From financial stress, businesses collapsing, job losses and severe health issues including untimely deaths this virus has hit in a way never experienced before since the war.

 But when such horrendous things happen it brings out the best in people and our residents have been exemplary in this. For example, I manage a group of 200 volunteers who act as a single point of contact for every road in Woodley, all 314 of them.

The Facebook group “Woodley Volunteer for COVID-19” has a membership of over 1,400 every one either living in Woodley or has a connection with Woodley. One of the admins for this group has, since March, collected over 45,000 items of food and toiletries for the Woodley Food Bank.

These are just a few examples of our great caring community and you all probably know of many others.

At the same time as all these volunteers stepping forward there has been a huge number of key workers carrying out their normal work only this time under very difficult circumstances. We have the teachers who have been working throughout, initially just for key workers children but now with schools fully open.

Then there are the care workers with an incredibly difficult job looking after the most vulnerable in our community.

We then have the NHS workers who have definitely been in the front line right from the beginning and have experienced a tremendous amount of heartache as they have nursed their patients through their illnesses.

We also need to remember those “hidden” key workers – the refuse workers, the delivery drivers, the shop workers in food shops – all playing their part in providing essential services.

Every single day there are amazing examples of individuals going that extra mile. They do not look for any recognition. They do not look for any praise. They simply care so very much about others. They are shining beacons of hope for the New Year especially after the traumatic year we have just had.

If you are looking for a New Year’s resolution how about – I am going to be more like them.

Happy New Year

Cllr Keith Baker MBE is the leader of Woodley Town Council

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