Eastbourne looks back over the last year since lockdown started

It has been an extraordinary 12 months which have changed our lives in terms of health, financial well-being and simple social contact with family and friends.

On March 23 last year it was announced England would go into a national lockdown. People were told to only leave the house for essential shopping, limited exercise, medical needs and travelling to work only when absolutely necessary.

Non-essential shops and services shut and home schooling started with children in Eastbourne swapping the classroom for the kitchen table.

Community spirit shone through with a number of organisations helping vulnerable people unable to get out to shop for essentials. A local charity called Matthew 25 Mission continued to feed people in need through government guidelines, Morrisons offered food boxes to vulnerable people struggling to get delivery slots and the local foodbank pleaded shoppers to donate much-needed tinned food.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the coronavirus furlough scheme to help firms struggling with the impact of the virus.

Just two months later businesses in Eastbourne had already put around 11,500 employees on furlough.

At the same time, people in the area had made roughly 4,100 claims for financial support under the separate Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

April saw Captain Tom Moore complete his 100th lap for the NHS, rainbows popped up in windows all over streets in Eastbourne and residents continue to clap for carers from their doorsteps every Thursday evening.

Following the announcement of lockdown being extended in mid-April, it was revealed 90 per cent of Herald readers believed the lockdown should be extended.

At the time Sue Stevens said, “I would rather be in lockdown for as long as it takes and come out the other end alive. Some people aren’t taking it seriously enough.”