THERE is a getting back to normal or at least the ‘new normal’ feel as schools reopen and more people return to their offices and places of work. The changes are more significant for some than others, but I have been impressed with how resilient and adaptable local residents have been in dealing with the virus and the recovery.

I know that many students had a difficult and stressful time receiving their exam results last month, and we had neither the educational environment nor the results day that any of us expected or wanted this year.

Over the past few months we’ve faced many challenges and while we haven’t got it right every time, I want to assure my constituents that there are many, many people in local and national government who worked tirelessly to find the best solutions and we’ll continue to do our best to address this unprecedented set of issues.

My ministerial responsibilities meant I had to be in Westminster and travelling across the country this summer, but I also took advantage of my time in Worcestershire. During #LoveCultureWeek, I visited Broadway Tower, followed by the Droitwich Heritage Centre at St Richards House and I enjoyed a visit to the Confetti Fields at Wick – spectacular as ever. Most recently, over the bank holiday weekend I enjoyed time by the River Avon in Evesham at the Angling Festival and at the Vines Park Community Market – held instead of SaltFest in Droitwich.

As ever, I’ve had many insightful discussions with business owners on local visits and had the opportunity to see how they have adapted to new measures. I’ve been impressed by efforts from events’ organisers and businesses alike who have made their places as Covid-safe as possible, with social distancing and hygiene measures – it’s taken a considerable amount of work.

As summer draws to an end, I hope we can all look forward to getting back to as close to normal as possible in the coming months while staying vigilant to the ongoing threats of Covid-19.