Sutton Scene - Leader of the Council Column 15/05/2020

It felt very moving to mark the two minutes' silence for VE Day last week and remember the sacrifice of so many during those terrible times. Hearing the stories of local people who remember that day prompted me to talk to my Mum about her memories as a young child during the war and what it was like to be evacuated from her home in Clapham. Although the war wasn't over on VE Day, it was the beginning of hope for a better and safer future.

Sadly, we are still in the throes of this terrible pandemic and while infection rates may be falling, we know that there is still a long way to go. The Sutton Hub is providing food parcels to an ever-growing number of vulnerable people who are isolated in their own homes, and the Council is working closely with our amazing voluntary organisations and groups to ensure that people are receiving the practical and emotional support that they need. We are also working closely with our local businesses to give them as much support as we can to help them through this difficult time.

The Government is starting to relax some of the lockdown restrictions and encourage people back to work if they can't work from home. We need to move with extreme caution to prevent a new surge in infection rates, so please be patient and understand why things need to move so slowly. More people in our streets and open spaces, more people using public transport and more children beginning to return to school all present new challenges. If we continue to demonstrate the common sense and community spirit that we have seen so far in Sutton, I am confident that we will get through this and come out of the crisis more united and more hopeful than before.

Best wishes,
Ruth

Councillor Ruth Dombey 
Leader of Sutton Council