Torfaen community reflects on a year of lockdowns

“From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction - you must stay at home,” the prime minister said, addressing the nation on March 23, 2020.

What followed was a year of ‘Stay at Home’, business closures, restrictions unlocking, and restrictions tightening again.

To mark the anniversary, a number of buildings were lit up in yellow, and a minute’s silence was held to pause and reflect on the past 12 months.

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Now the community in Torfaen has reflected on the past year.

Noddfa Church, in Abersychan, has stepped up its support within the community throughout the pandemic, offering help across the northern communities in the borough.

Pastor John, from the church, said he was proud of the way the community had responded to the pandemic over the last 12 months.

“I’m so proud of our little valley,” he said. “The way everyone has rallied together has been brilliant.

“Throughout the pandemic we’ve been busier than in normal times.

Noddfa Church holding a prayer at its Food Share hub. Picture: Noddfa Church

“The lockdown has made people realise what is most important in life and for us as a church is has given us the opportunity to serve the community in different ways. But there is obviously the sadness which comes with the deaths and the ramifications of job losses.

“Everything we are doing now, we did before the pandemic. The lockdown saw the demand increase.

“In the first lockdown, demand was huge, but now that has dropped off. There was the immediate physical need of food and water and clothing as people had a sudden change in circumstance.

“Now they are getting that support from the state, we are seeing more people coming for pastoral needs – to help with their mental health.

“We’ve been especially touched by those outside the church who have come to help us, as they have seen us as a hub in the community.

“It’s been great to partner with so many local businesses and groups - Garnsychan Partnership and their Tin on the Wall project has been a blessing. And the South Wales Argus has helped get the word out about what we have been doing.”

Pastor John at Noddfa Church

Pastor John added it had also been tough not to have that face-to-face interaction with his congregation, with services for much of the last year moving online.

“Right at the heart of the Christian message is there is always hope in suffering. I pray that we go forward in to a new normal learning lessons from the pandemic," he said.

“My fear is that when we go back to normal, that community spirit might reduce.”

Kate Burton, the manager of Garnsychan Partnership, said the last year had been “eye-opening” seeing the levels of demand for the charity’s services.

“It’s been busy,” she said. “We’ve have an increase in demand for our services.

“It was very much about providing the services we knew people needed.

Members of the public receive a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at a vaccination centre at Cwmbran Stadium in Cwmbran. Picture: PA Wire

“In the first five or six weeks, we were just responding to calls. We had people ringing about getting food shopping, isolating, not being able to collect prescriptions. So we decided to become a one-stop shop for the north of Torfaen.

“We started a food parcel delivery service, where we were delivering 40 parcels a day in the first lockdown. We partnered with Abersychan Pharmacy to deliver prescriptions and also with Abersychan doctor’s surgery.

“We have 16 senior residents who we check in with weekly, calling to see if they are okay, if they need anything, or if they just want a chat.

“The community response has been quite eye-opening in terms of the demand we have seen for our services.

“In terms of people wanting to help, it’s been incredible.

“What we have found is across the borough, services have worked together, communicated better, and people have been saying ‘let’s not duplicate [the services we provide], let’s work together’.

“Because we have had no income, the investment we have had from funding - from Torfaen council and Torfaen Voluntary Alliance for example - has continued to support us.

“Without that income, we wouldn’t be able to do what we have done.

“We still have got rent and overheads to cover, but with no income. So we are thankful for that support.”

As well as being tough on charities, the past year has also been an extremely stressful one for business owners.

Nichola and Allun Davies from Ragamuffins Emporium in Pontypool

Allun Davies, who owns Ragamuffins Emporium in Pontypool with his wife Nichola, said the uncertainty for businesses over when they would be open was tough to deal with.

“When the first lockdown was announced, we spent the next six to eight weeks photographing everything and creating albums to move everything online,” he said. “It was a massive undertaking.

“That’s [online and on Facebook marketplace] our biggest source of income now.

“We’ve struggled through and have made it through. We’re still here. But it has been a massive strain on us mentally and physically.

“We still have our bills to pay while we are closed. Since the fire break, we have been in a situation where we have had to pay 100 per cent of our bills with only around 30 per cent of our takings.

“It hasn’t been easy. We’ve had sleepless nights. It’s that air of uncertainty - when you are planning a business, you don’t know where you are going to be.

“The information that comes through is either scant or far too tenuous. Originally we were give the date of March 15, only to see that taken away from us. We were then told April 12. Now we are being told we may open then, but its very much an uncertainty.

“We are feeling a little bit of frustration, especially as shops which are open can now sell items that we sell.

“But in terms of the support we have had, I can’t complain.”

To mark one year since the first national lockdown, Torfaen council joined Marie Curie’s initiative to take part in a ‘National Day of Reflection.’

Leader of the council, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: “Despite this dreadful pandemic, this past 12 months has shone a light on the strength in our communities.

“It has brought people closer together and we’ve supported each other through the grief of losing family and friends.

“We have all made sacrifices and perhaps it has made us appreciate the little things in life which we often taken for granted.

“I sincerely hope our community spirit and concern for each other will be a legacy that lives on.”

Torfaen MP, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said: “On the anniversary of the first lockdown, we have rightly paused to remember those lost and the sacrifices made by all over the past year.

“Tragically, over 126,000 people have died as a result of the pandemic in the United Kingdom alone. But this figure could never convey the unimaginable pain families who have lost loved ones have been through over this past year, and my thoughts were with them.

“We have also given thanks to our NHS, and all frontline workers, for putting themselves at risk to keep others safe. Their commitment to our wellbeing has come at great personal cost and we must never forget their sacrifice.”