Five Years Since Covid

March 9^th was Covid Reflection Day. This talk was given at an Iftar Dinner at the Brighton Centre last night. It was much shorter than I would have liked, but it certainly made us all think.

The pandemic revealed that Her Majesty’s Government at the time of Covid 19 failed to tackle so many issues… including the impact of isolation on mental health and the funding of the NHS. By contrast Brighton and Hove’s Council in 2020, under the leadership of Nancy Platts tackled the unknown dangers of the Pandemic with real purpose and commitment, and to this effect our city was truly blessed.

My name is Anthea Ballam and I am an Interfaith Minister and the Chair of the Interfaith Contact Group of Brighton and Hove. The Interfaith Contact Group (IFCG) brings people of faith and none together in friendship and harmony working closely with faith groups. 

But before we go any further, I would just like to ask if we can set aside a brief moment of silence to honour the 550 people who died of Covid in Brighton and Hove, the 850 health and social care workers that died in the UK, the 115,000 health workers who died worldwide and the 7,010, 681 people who died worldwide. Just a moment of silence….

I would like to focus on the consequences of isolation, and what the people of faith in our city did to alleviate the problems faced by lonely neighbours, friends and even strangers. The mental health damage from the pandemic was terrible. To understand this let’s think about prison. The worst punishment levelled at anyone who transgresses in prison is solitary confinement, and this is given to a prisoner for a week or two at most. Good people of all ages that lived alone during the pandemic suffered solitary confinement for months and months. The mental health consequences were dreadful. This hardly bears thinking about… nor do the activities of our Government at the time. Isolation and long Covid were two of the worst legacies of Covid 19.

The faith groups, and I speak particularly of The Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities in our City, came forward in strength. So many good souls sought out neighbours, friends and total strangers who needed all sorts of things – food, medicines, medical prescriptions, shopping even companionship. Empty and difficult lives were improved beyond measure by contacts by phone, Zoom and Facetime. Kitchens in churches, mosques, synagogues and ethnic restaurants were used to prepare food parcels for people the length and breadth of our City, and for some people those that brought these food parcels to others were the only contact some people had for days. The old, infirm, poor and young all benefited from the generosity of those who offered their services for nothing.

For the first time in 800 years, places of worship were closed because of Covid. For some this was a terrible loss. It is a known fact that those that visit places of worship regularly are physically and mentally stronger than those that don’t. Closing Mosques, Churches, Synagogues and Temples was a devastating move that made the isolation of many people a dreadful prospect.

In support of those who couldn’t attend their places of worship The Interfaith Contact Group launched a weekly on-line publication called Words of Connection. These readings were themed, around seasons, ideas and the pandemic itself, and the prayers and poems were truly interfaith, so that people across the City, including ambulance drivers and health workers with or without faith, could find some kind of spiritual nourishment on a regular basis. After a while these readings became part of the lives of people across the UK, as well.

Many of us couldn’t attend funerals or services of worship for loved ones, and this was another cruelty; here again our City rose to the occasion. On the 17^th of October 2021 we held a Day of Compassion. At the behest of the Mayor, Councillor Alan Robins, a memorial service for the 550 people that died of Covid in our City took place in the Brighton Dome. Others supported this initiative. The Jubilee Library provided space for a photographic exhibition of pictures taken during the pandemic. Heart-rending images of little children playing alone appeared alongside haunting views of empty streets. The Fabrica Art Gallery ran a creative workshop for children bereaved by the loss of a relative or friend during the pandemic. Several children who had lost grandparents and friends benefited greatly from this.

And if you are interested you can discover more about the heroism of the people of Brighton and Hove at that sad time; just check out the IFCG’s film Light in the Lockdown. A shortened film of the Day of Compassion Service is also available.

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