Retailers are our economic lifeblood

All of us are looking to get a little bit more of that normal into our lives. And the opportunities are growing. We can meet more people, more often – providing we keep within our well-practised health and social distance guidelines. The shielded in our communities can venture outside again. Some pupils are back at school. Sport is back, albeit behind-closed-doors.

Our local business community is slowly coming back on stream. First came garden centres, then estate agents. Next up was large motor dealers and outdoor markets. Fast food outlets are opening again for drive-through meals. But the biggest wave comes on Monday when thousands of retailers across England will be opening their doors for the first time since March.

This is a massive step forward. They were classified as ‘non-essential’ retailers by the government to differentiate them from the shops we could not live without under lockdown. But all of them are essential to those who run them. They are essential to the lives of those who work for them and rely on them for their income. And they are essential to our communities for which they provide the economic lifeblood.

And today we are calling on you to give them your support.

This newspaper has stood up to applaud our #healthheroes. We have shone a spotlight on the amazing spirit of our communities by reporting on the many #actsofkindness being carried out. And last week we launched the Big Thank You to salute all those who have gone the extra mile through these difficult days to make our lives more bearable.

Now is the Time to #supportlocal. Many businesses adapted and evolved to keep serving customers during the pandemic. Many more - who have been opening their doors to us with a friendly smile for years – had to stay closed. But we can all repay their long-standing service and make a difference to the way our communities bounce back by doing two things: getting behind local businesses to help them survive while still following social distancing rules to keep the virus at bay.

We know the adjustment to a less-lockdowned life is not easy. The pandemic has brought economic uncertainty and personal financial worries for many. And as much as we all want to return to how things were before Covid-19 struck we fear a second pandemic wave.

But all retail outlets will have carried out health and safety assessments. We will need to be considerate and supportive – as we have found with our weekly food shop.. Numbers will be limited inside premises, one-way systems in place, hand sanitiser there to be used. The queues may be longer and you will need to keep your distance from other customers and staff.

It’s right to be cautious. But we need to continue what we have been doing since March - sticking together and helping each other across our communities. And that next step is finding the Time to #supportlocal.