The nights are drawing-in and our thoughts are turning to the winter ahead. Preparations are well underway not only to deal with the evolving Covid-19 response, but also to ensure our Christmas celebrations sparkle, giving us all an opportunity to enjoy what’s most important in life – friends, family and a strong, healthy community.
Let’s play smart and work together to keep safe. It is vital that we know if we’ve been exposed to Covid-19, so we can then get a test and if positive, isolate ourselves to protect our friends and family. We can’t be complacent, so please take a moment to download onto your phone the NHS Covid-19 App, which has easy to use tools for contact tracing, local area alerts and QR code venue check-in. Join this weekend’s big app download to support the NHS Test and Trace process, here.
Certain venues and hospitality businesses are now required to display their QR codes to support the test and trace process. You will be asked to scan the code when you arrive, so an alert can be sent to you subsequently if there is a risk that you may have been exposed to Covid-19. It’s an easy and effective way to stay one step ahead of the virus. The more of us that use NHS Covid-19 App, the greater the protection for our whole community.
Those of us who were lucky enough to get out and about during the Heritage Open Weekend, might have visited Spencer Yard for the Paint the Yard Festival. This space was transformed into a vibrant open-air gallery, featuring artwork, murals and live paintings, thanks to some amazing local talent. The success of the project has laid the foundations for the ambitious changes that are being planned for the area as we begin key elements of the redevelopment.
Leamington Spa’s Creative Quarter will revive the Old Town, creating new spaces for those within the creative industry. Work will also start ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games to restore and revamp existing buildings such as the Town Hall, Royal Pump Rooms, Post Office and United Reformed Church, to create an exciting renewed gateway into the town. This scheme will not only further enhance our burgeoning creative and high-tech digital sectors but will in turn create future jobs in areas which are seeing growth.
Get ready to join our high streets, businesses and homes across the district in coming together to switch on the Christmas lights on Friday 27 November. This is an opportunity to light up the district – we hope to involve everyone in turning their own festive lights on at home, hopefully bringing some festive spirit and fun at the end of this extraordinary year. We’ll keep you updated with our plans!
We recognise that many of us are experiencing stress and uneasiness at the moment, preparing for an uncertain future. Yet, every day acts of kindness, patience and understanding demonstrate that together we can and will prevail. Getting to the other side of this pandemic was never going to be a sprint, but a longer race that we can win by looking out for each other, showing patience, good grace, thoughtfulness and a genuine love for our neighbours. Now, wouldn’t that really be something remarkable for us to celebrate this Christmas!
