00:02Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus, luckily with
00:09relatively mild symptoms, I now find myself on the other side of the illness, but still
00:16in no less a state of social distance and general isolation. As we're all learning,
00:23this is a strange, frustrating and often distressing experience when the presence of family and
00:30friends is no longer possible and the normal structures of life are suddenly removed.
00:37At such an unprecedented and anxious time in all our lives, my wife and I are thinking particularly
00:44of all those who have lost their loved ones in such very difficult and abnormal circumstances
00:51and of those having to endure sickness, isolation and loneliness. As Patron of Age UK and my wife,
01:01the Patron of Silverline, our hearts go out to all those older people throughout this country who are
01:07now experiencing great difficulty. However, we also know that in every community up and down this land,
01:17where people of all ages are being affected by this virus, there are truly wonderful neighbours,
01:25individuals and groups of volunteers who are providing ceaseless care and attention to those
01:32most at risk and that all this network of selfless assistance is in itself helping to provide vital
01:41support and reassurance to the hard-pressed professional services. And at a time when doctors, nurses and
01:50all the vital ancillary staff that form the backbone of our remarkable NHS are increasingly under such enormous
01:58strain and risk as they battle heroically to save lives in intensive care centres and to contain as much
02:08as possible the spread of this virus. Our thoughts and prayers are very much with those marvellous people
02:16whose extraordinary skills and utter selfless devotion to duty and the care of their patients make us so
02:24very proud. Indeed, it has been so wonderful to see just how many across the United Kingdom have signed
02:32up in their hundreds of thousands to be NHS volunteers offering their help to do whatever they can to provide
02:40support to those on the front line. It is clearly essential therefore that such key people are treated
02:48with special consideration when coming off their exhausting duties and trying to do their shopping,
02:55for instance, while having to contend with constant anxiety about their own families and friends.
03:03In this regard, we also think of all those many shop workers who are toiling as hard as they can
03:09throughout each and every night to keep supermarket shelves stocked, a further emergency service on which
03:17we are all relying. As a nation, we are faced by a profoundly challenging situation, which we are only too
03:26aware
03:27threatens the livelihoods, businesses and welfare of millions of our fellow citizens. None of us can say
03:35when this will end, but end it will. Until it does, let us try and live with hope and with
03:45faith in ourselves
03:46and each other, look forward to better times to come.
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