Denton MP Andrew Gwynne has an optimistic message for you in his final Reporter column of 2021.

As we continue to live in very uncertain times, it’s more important than ever that we take a moment to remember both how far we’ve come, and what there is to be hopeful for.

It’s easy to feel a little pessimistic or even a bit fed up with the current COVID situation – I know that I am guilty of it sometimes.

A lack of Government clarity, coupled with an ever-changing virus, can understandably make people feel a little anxious over the festive period. After all, Christmas is all about family, friends, and connecting with people. Anything that jeopardises that is rightly cause for concern.

But we should remember that we are slowly chipping away at this virus, and the future is full of hope. This time last year we were only a few weeks into the vaccine rollout, and there was lots of uncertainty; how would the British public respond to the call to be vaccinated? How would the NHS respond to a once-in-a-lifetime call to arms? How would these jabs respond to a fiendishly adaptive virus? Plenty of big questions with no clear answer.

Well, a year on, and those questions seem a lot clearer. The British public did what it does best and rallied to back our brilliant NHS. 47 million people have now been fully vaccinated, and the number of those who have received their booster is rising rapidly.

The NHS responded phenomenally to a huge ask, and volunteers, armed service personnel all stepped up to help. Vaccines have proven remarkably resilient to COVID.

Even faced of the highly mutated Omicron variant, the booster is hugely effective at preventing hospitalisation and serious illness, which is why we should all get our boosters as soon as possible (if you haven't already!).

We have a huge amount to be optimistic about. I will not pretend that the last couple of years haven't been incredibly difficult. But here in Tameside we have proven that in a crisis we can come together and make a difference.

I was inspired by community groups like St Mary’s Food Bank who worked tirelessly to help those most in need. I was also reminded of the generosity of local people after hearing about the record-breaking donations made to this year’s Tameside Toy Appeal.

So, I would like to wish everyone in Tameside a merry, safe and Happy Christmas. Whatever happens over the next few months, I know that we will emerge stronger and more connected than ever before so long as we continue to stick together and look out for one another. Here’s to the future.

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