It will certainly take some getting used to seeing how quiet our roads are at the moment, but it has been encouraging to see how all of us in the local community are adjusting. I know that there has been a lot of concern about panic buying in our shops. I am glad to see that supermarkets now have a settled and orderly way of helping us do our shopping with the necessary social distancing measures.
I know that the actions we all need to take to tackle Coronavirus are hugely disruptive to our lives and routines, so I want to thank everyone who has been doing the right thing and following the Government’s latest medical advice.
I have heard so many amazing stories of neighbours looking out for elderly people and those who are vulnerable in our community. The amount of people who have selflessly come forward to volunteer reflects the strong sense of community spirit we have here in Swindon – this truly makes me a proud Member of Parliament. In particular, I would like to thank Councillor Tim Swinyard who set up and runs the Swindon Support Facebook Group, and everybody at Voluntary Action Swindon who are doing a fantastic job at coordinating our local volunteer effort.
There are lots of community groups who are making the most of this difficult situation and are continuing to meet online. It is important that we continue to feel connected despite being asked to stay at home and the internet and social media are great ways of doing this. This however can be quite a daunting prospect for some people, particularly the elderly. There are many tutorial videos available which can help people get connected and understand how to access a wide range of entertainment and communication safely such as Get Connected.
Schools across Swindon are also doing a wonderful job of supporting pupils and parents. Lainesmead Primary School are posting daily stories and lessons on their YouTube channel and Facebook Page. There are also plenty of free daily resources for children to support their learning and keep them busy whilst the schools are closed. This includes weekday PE lessons with Joe Wicks on his YouTube channel at 9am, science with Maddie Moate on her YouTube channel at 11am on weekdays, and maths with Carol Voderman who is providing free access to her maths website: www.themathsfactor.com.
My constituency office has been working flat out since this pandemic began, helping residents who are stuck abroad, signposting businesses and individuals to the relevant Government support scheme, answering questions on the latest medical advice and much more. We have understandably been receiving an unprecedented amount of correspondence, so if you have emailed in, please be patient as we work through them all.
I have also been spending a lot of time on the phone to local businesses to offer my help and to put those willing and able to support our national effort against Coronavirus in touch with the right people. In recent days I have brought together representatives from Honda and the GWH to discuss how they can help with manufacturing essential items, including the supply of personal protective equipment.
For the latest advice and guidance, please visit the Coronavirus section of my website: www.robertbuckland.co.uk/coronavirus.
