This is my fourth weekly message which sadly will not be appearing in our Royal Sutton Coldfield Observer newspaper. But I am distributing it as best as I can by other means.

I hope you were able to enjoy the Easter weekend within inevitable severe limitations. It is clear that the vast majority of our local community continue to abide by the lockdown rules, observing social distancing and many were able to enjoy our park over the weekend for their daily exercise. It truly is a jewel in the Royal Town’s crown.

I and my team have continued to work on numerous individual issues and requests and thank you for your patience as we tackle them sequentially but urgently. The most significant problems continue to arise from a lack of protective equipment and clothing (PPE) the supply to Good Hope has now radically improved but some of our care homes have experienced great anxiety, difficulty and delay in securing the equipment they need and some have been running out of important material. We are working on this locally, regionally and nationally to seek reassurance on supplies and Liam Byrne MP with whom I co-chair a committee of Birmingham’s members of parliament and local authority and I are making a further appeal to ministers today for reassurance.

More encouragingly the Town Council working with our Church, Age Concern and local volunteers across the community and with Birmingham City Council – and with the assistance of our brilliant Sutton Coldfield Birmingham City Councillors and our hard-working Town Councillors have now skilfully organised a strong network to support with food and other essentials including medicines the vulnerable throughout our Town. I thank them all for their energy and persistence. An extra thanks this week to Mr Kabir Uddin from Sutton’s Bashundora restaurant for supplying 115 meals to frontline staff at Good Hope.

As the lockdown persists we will I hope soon see a light at the end of the tunnel for how this will end. The epidemic approaches its peak. It is now clear that our wonderful NHS will be able to cope as the curve of infection flattens. What is now needed is an unremitting focus on ramping up testing exponentially and logistical coordination for PPE.

I believe the lockdown will end gradually with different groups and sectors progressively being released. It will happen and some normality will start to return. But we will face grave economic challenges as so many of my constituents worry deeply about their financial security. But we know from our experiences so far that we have the determination and means to get through. And we will.