It has now been three years since the world was first forced to shut down due to a global health pandemic.
In many ways, although things have now “returned to normal”, they will never be the same again. Or at least not for the foreseeable future.
And while, for most, it may feel like the daily threat of Covid has gone, the world is a changed place.
Businesses have closed and will never reopen. Our shopping centres are now just shells of what they once were, and the cost-of-living crisis has left people counting every penny – scared to be seen as being frivolous.
Before the pandemic, life felt busy. Maybe too busy, at times. But, now, with working from home as the new normal, weeks can go by where my human interaction is limited to whoever is on the other side of a screen.
I am lucky to have a large circle of friends, a boyfriend with a lot of free time and colleagues who enjoy a pub quiz. But, for many, the long-term impact on life after the coronavirus pandemic has been huge.
When 24 Aberdeen councillors voted last month to close the doors to six libraries and Bucksburn swimming pool, they were not just taking away a resource: they were removing one of the remaining pieces of normality some of the users of those facilities had left. That is why it has hit so hard.
To the locals who were regular visitors, this was just one more thing that would change since March 2020 – and it’s overwhelming. People felt powerless during the Covid lockdowns, and now the council is reopening that wound by ripping these facilities away.
But, this time, we are not confined to our own homes, and the power of being together has never been more important.
A lot has been achieved in the space of a few short weeks
Since the announcement of the closures, Aberdonians have not taken it lightly. Dozens of citizens affected have marched in the streets in protest, brandishing banners and chanting outside council meetings.
Campaigners who were banned from making their case in the council chambers were reduced to amassing on Broad Street to read aloud a speech from a laptop screen. They refuse to be silenced. Rather than accepting the decision lying down, they have vowed to fight.
As a collective, a lot has been achieved in the space of a few short weeks. Social media pages have been established, national news organisations have covered their plight, and a law firm has agreed to fight the legality of the closures on their behalf at no cost.
Govan Law Centre is delighted to act on behalf of @AberdeenSave to save six libraries and a swimming pool in Aberdeen as part of our Public Interest Litigation Unit. We appreciate the support of the Faculty of Advocate’s Pro Bono Unit.
— Govan Law Centre (@GovanLawCentre) April 3, 2023
While we are still a long way off from the reopening of any of these facilities, there is hope. That hope has been brought to life through a community unified with a common goal.
I have been watching the protests from the sidelines. On two occasions since the full council meeting where the budget was slashed, I headed down to the Town House to witness the campaigners for myself.
The energy they had as a collective was palpable and admirable. It made me wonder what could be done if more people gathered to be seen and to be heard over something they believe in.
So, when Aberdeen business heavyweight Bob Keiller said he hoped a new approach could help transform our city centre, I felt optimistic.
We all want to see our city thrive
Our Union Street has been set up to rejuvenate the Granite Mile. It is believed that, with the help of an army of volunteers, we can see it sparkle once more.
The idea was a simple one: if everyone who had something negative to say about the state of our city centre armed themselves with a wire brush and a bucket, the very basics could at least be taken care of, without waiting for others – like building owners – to take action.
Within days of breaking the story last month, I was inundated with people asking how they could go about helping. Aberdonians are renowned for having a good moan but, for the most part, we care about the city we live in and we want to see it thrive.
For so long, the pandemic forced us to be alone, but it’s times like these that show just how important it is to come together for a common cause.
Three years on, we may have lost a lot – but we have also learned a lot about what really matters.
Rebecca Buchan is City and Shire Team Leader for The Press & Journal and Evening Express
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