Dear Residents,

I am sure many of you are digesting this evenings announcement by the Government and how it will affect you and your family in the coming weeks and months.

I would like to take this opportunity to urge you all to PLEASE follow the advice given. I know that living in the Dales we sometimes feel we are isolated from the rest of the world, but I can tell you now that we are not. If we don’t follow the advice and we don’t socially isolate and keep our distance, people WILL get sick and people WILL die. It could be your parents or your grandparents. This evening I saw several groups of children roaming around town, parents, please keep them in, keep them, yourselves and your family safe.

Many of you know me and I am not a person that is prone to exaggeration, but I have seen the preparations that are being made at the hospitals for the extra deaths that they are expecting. Let’s make sure they don’t get any from our area and follow the advice the Government has set out.

When you have to go out, please be sensible, keep your distance and when shopping if everyone buys just what they need or is allowed to then the shops will cope and there will be enough for everyone. Respect the workers in the shops, they are putting themselves at risk by serving you.

There will be information on the Leyburn Town Council website in the next day or so about how the vulnerable in our community can get help and how they can get food and medicines delivered. If you are able to volunteer to help these vulnerable people please get in touch with the Town Council at clerk@leyburntowncouncil.gov.uk If you need any other help please also get touch with the Town Council, if we can’t help you we will do our best to find someone who can.

We are all living through a situation that most of us thought unthinkable just a few short weeks ago. But if we all work together and follow the advice given then we will get through it. I’ve lived in Leyburn all my life and I know how strong this community is and how it pulls together in difficult times, we’ve seen that just recently with the devastating floods last July.

So in conclusion, please follow the advice given and spare a thought for all the Dr’s, Nurses and Health Care workers who will be looking after the sick at this time.

Thank You and Stay Healthy

Richard Sanderson

Chairman Leyburn Town Council