This Wednesday (16th June) is Sussex Day, when we celebrate the wonderful, rich heritage, history and culture of our beautiful county. I hope everyone can take the chance to get out and enjoy some of the simple pleasures Sussex has to offer. I myself enjoyed going to Whitemans Green on Sunday with the dog and taking in the stunning views of the Downs, after having a great Saturday evening in the sunshine listening to Pete Bradbury’s fantastic new band at the Farmers in Scaynes Hill. It’s glimpses of normality like this which can keep us all positive for the next few weeks.
We all were disappointed to hear the PM confirm on Monday we are pausing step four of the Roadmap out of lockdown by 4 weeks, in order to give the NHS the broadest chance to get as many people fully vaccinated as possible, and to prevent the new ‘Delta’ variant spreading out of control. I recognise we are all desperate to return to full normality and regain all the freedoms we treasure – but the data does show this is the right short-term decision. This also means it’s never been more important to get your jabs done - that’s still the key to beating this virus and ending these restrictions! I’m looking forward to receiving my 2nd Moderna jab shortly.
Over the weekend, you will have seen the UK hosted the vital G7 Summit, which focused on preventing a global pandemic happening again, addressing climate change, and supporting education around the world. It was a crucial summit in the context of the challenges we face, and I’m proud to see the UK is at the heart of the global fight to recover greener and better from this pandemic. This summit gave world leaders the opportunity to come together and set out promises to work closer together to tackle global challenges.
This week is Loneliness Awareness Week, when people and organisations join together to raise awareness of loneliness. It’s never been more important for each of us to take action if you or someone you know is feeling lonely. There are so many wonderful organisations who can help put you in touch with people who can offer you advice and support. More information can be found here: https://letstalkloneliness.co.uk/get-involved-in-loneliness-awareness-week-2021/
Finally, I attended a brilliant event hosted by Burgess Hill Cricket Club on Sunday, to see how inclusive the club are and the fantastic experience they give for everyone who plays. It was great to hear about the work they do with local schools, how fantastic their local businesses sponsors are, how Mid Sussex District Council are helping them to do more, as well as to hear about future plans.