Looking to the future on second annual Day of Reflection

As the second anniversary of the first Covid lockdown approaches, Blackburn with Darwen leaders are looking to the future.

As one of the hardest hit areas of England throughout the pandemic, Blackburn with Darwen has learnt a lot about how to respond to challenges posed by the virus.

The Council is keen to use the national Day of Reflection to remind residents of how far Blackburn with Darwen has come in the last two years, and look toward a brighter future for the two towns.

Chief Executive Denise Park pays tribute to residents’ resilience. She said:

There’s no denying that our communities have been through such a lot over the last two years. We’ve had to make immense sacrifices and tragically many people have lost loved ones.

Throughout it all, local residents have demonstrated community spirit in abundance and worked together to help drive down virus rates.

Covid hasn’t gone away yet and the future is uncertain, but we can use the lessons we’ve learned about how to respond to the virus to move forward with resilience.”

The borough’s Covid case rate is currently less than half the average England rate and remains amongst the lowest in the North West. However, cases are increasing, as in other parts of the UK – Blackburn with Darwen’s current case rate is 253.9/100,000 people, up from 158 this time last week.

At 12 noon on Wednesday 23 March, people across the UK are encouraged to observe a one minute’s silence to pause and reflect on the impact of the last two years of living with Covid.

Loraine Jones, General Manager at The Mall Blackburn, added:

The Day of Reflection is an important date and we will be marking it by taking part in the one minute’s silence here in The Mall.

Our memorial wall has given people the opportunity to remember those lost during the last two years and there have been lots of beautiful tributes left.

The strength and spirit of the people of Blackburn with Darwen continues to make me feel proud to be part of such an amazing community.

We’re looking forward to seeing the legacy projects take shape.”

The Council is currently gathering residents’ views on a permanent memorial to the pandemic, through an online survey.

Coun Mohammed Khan CBE, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, commented:

We want to create a lasting legacy in Blackburn with Darwen that recognises the impact of Covid on our lives. It’s so important that we listen to the opinions of our residents – no two people’s pandemic experience was the same.

We want to create a series of memorials that genuinely reflect our residents’ experiences– and that’s why we’re asking local people of all ages for their views.”

Through a short online survey, the Council hopes to gather opinions on what elements of the pandemic they feel should be commemorated, what sort of features they think would make suitable memorials, and the best locations for them, to make sure the project reflects our diverse communities.

Visit bit.ly/covidmem to complete the short pandemic memorial survey now.

Catherine Price, Blackburn BID Manager, added:

It has been a really tough couple of years but what has shone through is how the pandemic has made the community stronger.  Blackburn people have shown real grit, determination and the ability to adapt.”