A year like no other
BGL Tech’s Jayne Lansdell reflects on an extraordinary time - one year since the UK was plunged into lockdown:
Twelve months on from a situation very few anticipated and none of us expected to experience, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the last year from a personal perspective.
‘Stay at home’
The first phase of ‘stay at home’ flashed by as we all threw ourselves into solving the problem of keeping people safe and businesses going, figuring it out one step at a time. A whole nation, and beyond, lined up behind a single clear objective of stopping the virus toll. People adapted and looked out for their neighbours, helping friends and strangers alike.
A whole nation, and beyond, lined up behind a single clear objective of stopping the virus toll.
My son returned from university in April last year, so we set ourselves a lockdown mantra, ‘health, happy, productive’. We spent more time together - probably more time together than we’ve ever spent. We had time to eat together, walk together, watch and debate the news together, create our own exercise regimes and flick through old photo albums to refresh loved memories. He then started driving for Ocado delivering food and meeting a whole range of people and supporting the wider effort. These were the values which held my small family together and I think we can say that BGL too looked to its embedded values to drive its people-led response: United, Authentic, Creative, Ambitious.
We had time to eat together, walk together, watch and debate the news together, create our own exercise regimes and flick through old photo albums to refresh loved memories.
In the first six months we also saw small businesses spring up to fill the void of services we were missing; food; social events; virtual exercise classes; people finding their creative strengths and talents. Keeping us entertained online with concerts, inventive plays and broadcast reflecting the challenges we were all facing. And of course, fundraising against all the odds raising millions, championing causes and ensuring no-one was missed. BGL led the way with its Empower, Pledge, Donate campaign which has donated more than £1 million in the last year to charities and community causes impacted by the pandemic.
The rule of six
During the summer, offices were adapted in anticipation of a return, however modest, to our workspaces. Rule of six kicked in and shielding continued. We worked out how to mature our responses, making sure our people remained safe and our customers were able to access our services. We spent time checking in on those people whom we missed most or felt could use a boost.
The business focus at the time was entirely united, how do we keep our team safe, what can we do to support people working at home both physically and with their wellbeing? We got creative with working patterns, and we maintained our excellent service levels ensuring customers continued to receive uninterrupted access to products and services.
Quietly, whilst we were all staying at home, the skies cleared, traffic dropped to a trickle and public transport became more pleasant, having fewer people rammed into carriages. Red Kites hunted in the skies across back gardens, green parakeets migrated from local lakes to next doors’ feeding table and foxes, squirrels and even an escaped turtle all enjoyed a quiet summer. A lovely spring and summer made the restrictions manageable for a lot of us, but not all.
Tiers and vaccine hope
As summer moved to autumn and winter an anticipated second, more devastating wave hit our shores. More tiers, more restrictions, more tests and more challenges. Then the low point for me was the Christmas ‘shut down’. No family in my part of the country, presents by post and only the very vaguest sense that Santa had been and gone at all. But in December there came hope. The first vaccines hit the arms of the most vulnerable.
As we moved through January, millions more were vaccinated, with a most amazing rollout programme, harnessing the ‘can do’ spirit of the, by now, exhausted NHS to get to the most vulnerable people soonest with an armful of not only vaccine, but a sense of hope, relief and joy.
In December there came hope. The first vaccines hit the arms of the most vulnerable.
Life after Covid
It is still too soon to tell when the new normal will kick in, but I have learned so much about the people around me and I admire them more for it — everyone who managed to work, keep safe, and care for others during the last 12 months; everyone who managed a little self-care along the way despite everything - lunchtime walks, shutting the laptop lids at the end of the day and genuinely relishing the environment.
The massive spirit of inventiveness and optimism which has carried us all through will change the balance of our lives for the better.
The massive spirit of inventiveness and optimism which has carried us all through will change the balance of our lives for the better. It will change the way we work. A more tailored working experience at an individual level is possible, necessary and the progressive approach to the future. We can do it and we can do it well.
