Val Shaw, one of our Community Board members shared a lovely letter with us recently. A “Dear Diary” type approach to a typical day in her life during lockdown…

As I know myself (too well) & others may have also realised – I hate not being busy or having anything to do. Then along came COVOID 19 and LOCKDOWN. My first question to myself was “What am I going to do all day?” All my voluntary work stopped overnight! 

I get up and start doing all my personal bits first. Then I do all those lovely jobs that we all have to do but don’t really enjoy. I have washed all my wooden blinds /radiators/doors/white plastic window frames/skirting boards/lampshades etc. You name it, it has been done. Even my poor cat Albert won’t stay still in case he ends up in a bath of soapy stuff!

I tried doing one job a day to make it last longer. Once finished I usually try to read a book or whatever. I don’t want to stare at the TV all day so I leave that to the evening. I also have the usual housework and gardening to fall back on.

I do have to go out for shopping and medication, so I walk both ways and keep my distances. I have volunteered for BD CAN (nine Hubs across the Borough, run by local community organisations, who connect volunteer support with people who need help), so have done two shopping trips and three medication trips so far.

I also applied for NHS Volunteer Responders. Once they checked me out they saw I was not able to do it as my DBS I supplied was over a year old. Oh well! I missed the second World War but if England can beat that, we will beat COVID-19.

It will be strange once we get our freedom back again. Hopefully soon this will all be memories. 

Anyway enough about me. I hope all the Care City staff and Board and the Community Board are all safe and well. If anyone wants anything done please just let me know. 

Take care everyone. Keep safe. Hopefully we’ll get back together again soon 

Love 

Val