Next Sunday will be a day of contrasts across North Somerset. It is Mothering Sunday and, whilst some will be able to be with their mothers, many will be doing this remotely, via the internet, telephone or perhaps a distant wave from outside their front gate. And poignantly

March 14 marks the anniversary too of the death of the first person from coronavirus in North Somerset. Very sadly, more than 300 more people have since lost their lives and those grieving that loss have had to do so distantly and very differently from how they would have wanted that remembrance to be.

We are asking that people across North Somerset light a candle and put it in their front windows at 7pm on Sunday March 14 as a tribute to those we have lost, to give us time to reflect and, on Mothering Sunday, perhaps to give us the opportunity to consider what all our mothers have done to care for and nurture us. Please do join us.

This week also sees the first steps of easing the lockdown rules, some minor changes that begin to take on the road to greater relaxation. Most notable amongst these was the return to school and college for many of our children and young people.

Since March 2020, our schools, teachers, and families have done a brilliant job to support each other and keep our youngsters learning. It hasn’t been easy for anyone, and many of us have had to learn new skills in teaching assistant and IT support roles at home. However, without the flexibility and dedication of our teachers and lecturers, we simply couldn’t have done it.

They have continued to provide support to the children of key workers, stepped up to get meals to families in need, set up Covid testing operations and continued to provide home learning for everyone.

The greatest investment we can make is in the future generations and we want to say a huge thank you to North Somerset’s teachers, lecturers, and support staff for all they have done and continue to do.

North Somerset Council leader Don Davies and deputy leader Mike Bell.