“Chairman Choudhury, Members of the Scottish Parliament, Elected Members, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, ELREC Board Members, Staff and Volunteers, Ladies and Gentlemen, as Lord Provost of the great City of Edinburgh, and as Patron of ELREC, I am delighted to be here with you all at your 2020 Annual General meeting, as you continue the important work of supporting our communities and those most vulnerable across one of the most difficult periods in our long history.
Against the backdrop of substantial losses of our fellow scots, many thousands of lives impacted, and our education, economy, and wellbeing under unprecedented pressure, in not just coping with the acute impacts of COVID-19, but also the continuing risks and mitigation efforts, I have been asked to explore with you; the challenges that Scotland’s Capital has faced, what our plans are as we move to adapt and renew our city, and how we support our communities and citizens to live in a changed city.
So, how has the coronavirus impacted Scotland’s Ancient Capital?
Prior to March this year, Edinburgh enjoyed many plaudits, for example; a top-20 European Destination, the most successful economy in Scotland, and second only to London in financial growth terms, had an employment rate of 94% including a high-level of skilled jobs, attracting over 4.2m visitors annually with an exceptionally high hotel occupancy rate, and (v) a world-center for celebrating culture, festivals, and our many traditions and heritage. Edinburgh, of course, holds many accolades based upon such a strong international, national and local profile.
Only five months ago, which seems a long-time now, in order to protect ourselves and our most vulnerable, and by necessity, alongside all of the UK, that hard work and shared success was significantly disrupted.
From mid-March, almost instantaneously, the City became characterised by deserted streets, with all-but-essential businesses and organisations closed, schools, colleges and universities closed to the vast majority, our most vulnerable shielded, and the majority of citizens following the best medical advice and staying at home in order to protect the NHS and themselves. We did, and we all continued to do, as we were asked by our national leaders.
It is no under-statement to say that the impacts of the virus, and the related lockdown, and the continuing mitigations for the continuing threat has changed our city.
Our most vulnerable across our communities, have been profoundly affected, with a combination of; loved ones sadly passing, the strains of those living in isolation, employment and incomes being at risk, limited ability for schooling, restrictions on our cultural heritage and traditions, and the negative affect of being separated from close family and friends and support networks.
The following provides a flavour of the key interventions of the City of Edinburgh Council and city partners to mitigate the life-changing impacts of COVID as it has developed:
- over 2,000 food parcels every fortnight to vulnerable children and families, and 1,600 for those shielding;
- over £80m of coronavirus business support assistance to over 5,000 local businesses and enterprises;
- 3,000 community care grants paid-out per month;
- over £470,000 issued to those requiring crisis grants;
- carrying-out over 180 essential home repairs per day;
- over 2,000 people per month supported through crisis centres; and
- secured over 200 additional bed spaces for those experiencing homelessness, meaning few homeless on our streets.
Additionally, prior to the shutdown, we had launched Thrive Edinburgh – a programme to coordinate all the agencies providing mental health support. This initiative has proved to be invaluable is assisting our mental health and wellbeing.
Throughout lockdown, we have also seen communities coming together, more people giving their time for others, and above all, the profile of our NHS, our carers, our volunteers, and our enterprises becoming higher than ever.
Our communities have however remained resilient, and united in support and gratitude for those who are caring for and assisting our fellow citizens.
In my role as Volunteer Champion, I have been further humbled over these past few months when the city has come together in our response to the pandemic.
Every single person giving their time, skills and commitment to help others is a vital part of Edinburgh’s response, and a symbol of how we’ll move forward. A key statistic is that over three-quarters of scots have volunteered during the pandemic, and Edinburgh’s residents have also similarly played their part.
It will not be forgotten, and in this spirit, work is under way to look at how we can honour those who have gone above and beyond in assisting others during lockdown. While the world may have been changed forever, but what has not, is that we will always help one another.
Now, as the best medical and science minds and our political leads continue to begin to cautiously progress aspects of our phased freeing-up of our lives, and respecting the uppermost need for social distancing and safety, we are all entering a so-called ‘new-normal’, however with the virus still circulating, together we face an uncertain few weeks and months, there is also an opportunity to consider what kind of city and society we want, when we finally exit the current crisis, or adapt to live with the virus continuing in the background, which, we all surely will.
Edinburgh is a complex and robust city, and with continuing partnership and cooperation, it will take us less time to recover from the associated effects of the illness and the many measures taken to combat and prevent spread.
Built around our strong city partnerships, the Council recently approved an Adaptation and Renewal Plan which sets-out a series of nine key principles underpinning our recovery, accompanied by key workstreams around; public health, service operations, economic recovery and life chances. It is clear that city partners, public bodies, business and enterprises, third sector and communities will get behind the plan to ensure focussed and coordinated recovery across all of our key sectors and communities.
This certainty is based on the principles of our City 2050 vision. These principles – Fair, Pioneering, Welcoming and Thriving – were developed following the largest citizen consultation in our history with over 20,000 responses.
The Council and organisations across all sectors of our society are signing up to the 2050 Vision.
As we cautiously and gradually move forward with our national exit pathway, and we see more things opening and our plans for schools returning, the temptation is to go back to the way that things were before lockdown, however, there may be merit is taking lessons of both the lockdown and releasing phases and applying these to improve public services or how we undertake our business.
What are Edinburgh’s opportunities moving forward?
I think that there is an opportunity to make a number of core changes to what we do and the value that we place upon aspects of our society.
One immediate change will be how we value specific jobs and careers, for example; doctors, nurses and other health and care workers will be at the pinnacle for societal appreciation. Shop workers and shelf stackers will be seen in a new, and hopefully, more appreciative light.
Public sector staff who have ensured that our city has continued to operate during the crisis are fully recognised for the jobs they do.
Our formal and informal volunteers are recognised for the positive impacts that they have had on the lives of our vulnerable communities, and that the role of volunteering is given the vital status that it is due – recognised as the back-bone of a thriving community.
Another is that, normally, as we look to improve our city, we have to fight against the “dead weight” of the status quo.
This is true of all our major strategic initiatives – from Low Emission Zones, City Centre Transformation, short term lets, tourism management, and the pressures from ever increasing commuting.
Usually, in an attempt to overcome the status quo, we focus on mid-to-long-term planning to implement incremental change. However difficult, the current Covid-19 crisis is, it may have a bit of a silver-lining, in that, it could be argued that the status quo has been blown apart. We have a unique opportunity to implement some of our mid-to-long term goals, today.
There is no need to automatically revert to how things were immediately before the current crisis, indeed there is a need not to do so. People’s lives, their routines, and their behaviours have been turned on their heads.
Businesses will be considering if working from home is the new normal with the potential to dramatically reduce commuting, thereby delivering a significant boost to productivity, tourism will not automatically rebound with the resulting reduced demand for short-term lets, retail will need to re-invent itself, and our Festivals and community events may need to reshape how they deliver their programmes with both the book and film festivals now delivering a digital offering for 2020.
Obviously, our immediate priority has to be the safety of our citizens and we must follow the best medical advice if we are to avoid a step-back. However, we should use this time, to be bold, and make the changes we know will improve the quality of life for all citizens for generations going forward. In many instances we may be starting with a blank canvas all be it shaped by our 2050 Vision. Let’s ensure that the picture we paint is a forward looking one.
So how can ELREC contribute to our moving ahead, and in assisting as we build a better, fairer city?
ELREC has, alongside much of Edinburgh’s substantial civil society, been a key contributor to assisting and protecting our most vulnerable groups, helping to; maximise inclusion, grow wellbeing, and improving skills and access to employment, whilst leading on a range of equalities and rights and justice initiatives.
These have been important services, not just in repairing the impact of lockdown, the release phases and in our living with COVID, but also as we look ahead to a new city in a new-normal, and I would therefore encourage ELREC to actively engage with ongoing discussions, as we, as a city, all look to regain the ground lost over the last few months, where, due social distancing requirements, we will all have to adjust our product or service or expectations of each other.
Before finishing, I want to record, on behalf of civic Edinburgh, my sincerest gratitude for the efforts of the ELREC Board, Staff and Volunteers and partners, in your collective efforts to minimise the impact of coronavirus upon our most vulnerable citizens. Your help and support in such dark times, especially to those most vulnerable or highly dependent and their families will have been most gratefully received, and I know, will have made a marked and positive improvement to those most affected across our BME and wider communities.
Even though you cannot all be together, I hope you nevertheless have a great AGM and that you each stay safe and look after each other.”
