Christmas and New Year message from council leader, Allen Brett

Councillor Allen Brett, Leader of Rochdale Council

Twelve months ago I penned my Rochdale Online Christmas message and looked forward to 2020 with hope, optimism and excitement at the many visionary council projects we had ‘oven ready’ to deliver for our residents.

Little did I, or anyone else, know the road that lay ahead. It’s been some journey, but the covid-19 vaccination has been the welcome shot in the arm we all needed to end this most testing of years on.

Our major operation to begin the mass vaccination of our residents, starting with the elderly, vulnerable and key workers, has now begun. Please wait to hear further information from your GP or the NHS, but you can be assured that as soon as the vaccine arrives in our borough, we will have everything in place to immunise our residents. In a year of small steps forward, this is a giant leap and a real triumph for medical research and science. It is the first stage of getting life back to some sort of normality. The centre has Number One Riverside has been open for over a week. Around 2000 of our most vulnerable residents from across the borough have now received their first dose. On 29 December, I am delighted to say the Heywood vaccination centre will open at the Phoenix Centre. Our vaccination approach has shown partnership working at its best. Thank you to everyone for their hard work to get things successful up and running

So this Christmas, I have a message of hope. Yes, there is still a long way to go but the light at the end of tunnel is shining that little brighter. Please remember though, especially this Christmas, we must all continue to follow the covid-19 guidance, observe social distancing and keep an out for each other. Our message is simple and clear. Enjoy a well-earned break, but please do not mix in other households and that includes with your family in other households. We’ve come so far, it is not worth sacrificing the hard earned gains at this late stage. It’s a tough message but we all have to play our part in defeating this awful virus.

I want to also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the incredible work of the health teams, social care staff, frontline workers, council and partner staff and local councillors who have all played their part in delivering the care, support and help for thousands of residents across the borough.

Everyone has played their part and, we can look back with some pride of what has been achieved. The community response teams, the care home staff, the nurses, doctors and public transport workers all deserve some festive cheer as we raise a glass to their work. As council leader, I also send heartfelt thanks to some our unsung heroes; the staff who have kept our parks looking blooming marvellous; the refuse collectors who kept grafting away and the army of volunteers who delivered food, kept an eye on the vulnerable and ensure no one was left behind.

I also know how difficult it has been for those wanting to visit loved ones in care homes. That’s why our brilliant teams put in place a special testing system which is enable visits to take place, but in a safer way to the government’s plan. More care homes across the borough are now facilitating face to face visits, enabling relatives to see their loved ones. The perfect Christmas tonic.

As we look forward to 2021, many challenges await. We will continue to press for more cash to help our stretched services; there is no sign of a level playing field at the moment, let alone the much vaunted government levelling up agenda. Yet again, health and social funding settlement has been pushed back. One day, ministers will stop kicking that particular can down the road. Our campaign continues. And, if ever the adage about the best laid plans coming unstuck the collapse of the Greater Manchester Spatial framework was a sobering reminder of that. Residents can be assured that we’re committed to our growth plan and on track to deliver tens of thousands of new jobs and homes, as well as the regeneration of our borough's town centres and the areas around our five railway stations.

So, we go into the festive period feeling optimistic, but remember those who sadly lost their lives to covid-19. We never forget them. History tells us that we do recover from public health crisis and, when we recently saw 81-year-old William Shakespeare became the first UK man to have the vaccine, I conclude with some stirring words from the Bard himself: it is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.

Please continue to look out for each other and call your family, friends and neighbours. We are the borough of cooperation, let’s never lose sight of those values that keep us strong, together and united. A very merry Christmas and happy new year to you all.