COVID 19 Recovery Group set up

A COVID-19 recovery group is being formed in Westbury to tackle the impact the pandemic has had on the community, with an increase in mental health issues for residents of all ages being a headline problem.

A report informed by residents’ responses, presented to area board members at their latest meeting, listed the key negative effects of the Coronavirus spread and restrictions on four groups: the young; the elderly; working age and families; and businesses.

The board’s community engagement officer, Graeme Morrison, said, “We’ve been told mental health issues have increased in young people, they have been out of school a lot.

“From my own experience during this current lockdown the schools are more used to it and there are a lot more live lessons going on.”

In some schools it was identified that some children deteriorated due to being in the house a lot, and not getting out seeing friends and doing activities, and that was particularly apparent for those without siblings.

Graeme continued that mental health issues had also increased among older people. “Isolation and loneliness a big problem,” he said. “It’s not necessarily a Covid problem, but it’s exasperated it. No activities have been happening while a lot usually goes on.”

Loss of confidence in doing things they used to before the pandemic, such as going to social groups and the shops, was also a problem.

Graeme said, “People of working age and families not surprisingly have anxieties over the financial situation and over housing – not just the risk of redundancy but self-employed people working less.

“Local businesses have seen reduced footfall, especially in the town centre. A lot of businesses are still surviving but there is anxiety over when the government support ends and is there worse still to come, for the hospitality industry particularly.”

Graeme explained everything in the report was negative because that was what respondents had been specifically  asked about so as to properly help formulate the next step of creating and carrying out a recovery plan.

“[The plan] will identify how we intend to combat those issues coming out of the pandemic and how we can take action to improve things,” Graeme said.

The whole community would be involved in the plan, he added, as it had been so far – with an online survey and  community newsletter encouraging people to contribute their views.

He explained he was looking to recruit members for the recovery group and they would meet just two or three times to formulate the action plan, so it would not be a heavy commitment.

The completed document – which will be a live, working one so that content can be added, changed or taken away as the situation changes – will then be presented to the next area board in a few months time and Graeme said he was also happy to attend parish and town council meetings to speak about it.