East Staffordshire Borough Council and the Mayor hosted local residents at the inaugural national COVID-19 Day of Reflection on Sunday, 9th March. The event marked the fifth anniversary of the first national lockdown.

By Tom Drysdale

A special ceremony, led by Cllr Shelagh McKiernan, Mayor of East Staffordshire, took place at Burton Marketplace at 2pm. During the ceremony, attendees wrote the names of loved ones lost during the COVID-19 pandemic on pieces of paper and hung them from a commemorative tree. They were also invited to share their reflections on those affected by the global pandemic.

Chaplain Philip Pusey, invited by the Mayor, addressed the ceremony. "Unbelievably, it is now five years on from the first lockdown, a period that can feel very surreal. Maybe you were working from home or put on furlough," he said. He continued, "Let us take time to remind ourselves of the lessons we learned during that time and the things we want to maintain as life returns to something more normal." He concluded, "Let us pay tribute to the work of health and social care staff, the frontline and key workers that went above and beyond during that time." He then led the crowd in prayer.

The Mayor then invited attendees to share their own reflections. John McKeirnan, a retired nurse, spoke first. "I was one of thousands of retired nurses that went back. We did vaccinations and swabbing. It was a real privilege actually, and I hope I helped a few people along the way."

**Commemoration:** Mayor Shellagh McKiernan leads the ceremony joined by Jacob Collier MP (Left)

Karen, a local woman from Burton, said, "Reflecting upon things, it was a tough time, and we have all come through it, and a lot of us are better people for it." She emotionally concluded, "It was hard, but we have all survived. So let's celebrate surviving."

Julie Tickle, a local artist and musician, shared her reflections, having been both a key worker in pharmaceuticals and witnessed her industry shut down as she runs local events and open mics. "It was a devastating time for entertainment because there was no place for us to go; everything was shut down. As actors, there were no movies being made; as musicians, there was no music being played," she stated. She finished by highlighting how the industry adapted, "We had a great opportunity to channel our way through social media; we created the platform 'Midlands Open Mic,' and we were able to bring entertainment to everybody in their homes."

Throughout the event, live music was provided by local artists. Julie Tickle opened the ceremony with a performance. Later, Burton Radio's Harry Parker and Honor Douglas, both singer-songwriters, performed at The Olde Royal Oak.

Cllr Kim Smith gave a heartfelt tribute to those who lost their lives in Winshill. She also shared her experience of the pandemic. "Myself and many others worked during that time, delivering food parcels. At the centre in Winshill, we delivered over 2,500 food parcels during that time," she said. "We did lose a couple of our residents, that we were keeping a check on through COVID, and I would like to remember those people we lost in Winshill."

Jacob Collier, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, also shared his thoughts with Burton Radio. "I think it's been a really great event, and the ability to be able to reflect is very important," he said. He added that he lost a friend during the pandemic. She sadly was battling cancer during that time, and because they were unable to attend her funeral due to restrictions, he believes events like these are important. "It's places like this, five years on, where we can take back and reflect on what happened."

The day exemplified the resilience and compassion within the community. It proved to be a quaint but lovely ceremony, providing a space for reflection on the events of five years ago.

Listen to the day of commemoration day below.

Have a positive community story to share? Email Tom Drysdale at teamburtonecho@gmail.com, and we’ll do our best to bring it to life!

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East Staffordshire Marks National COVID-19 Day of Reflection.

East Staffordshire Borough Council and the Mayor hosted local residents at the inaugural national COVID-19 Day of Reflection on Sunday, 9th March. The event marked the fifth anniversary of the first national lockdown.

Please help Burton Radio and Burton Echo support the community through radio, online news and social media. Both initiatives are via a not-for-profit organisation. We support local artists, community organisations and businesses.

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