A fortnight ago, the Chancellor pledged the NHS “whatever it needs, whatever it costs” for the fight against Covid-19. Then, a week later, the Prime Minister promised to do “whatever it takes” to support businesses through the crisis — announcing measures that will virtually underwrite the entire economy for the next quarter. Now the time has come for similar assurances to be given to the third and arguably most important pillar in the response to this terrifying disease: local communities themselves.
Britain needs a social stimulus to match the economic guarantee. The rationale for the former differs from the latter. In the economy, policymakers have acted to prevent a temporary supply shock from transmuting into a permanent cutback in demand. Levers and political willpower we never knew existed have been deployed at unprecedented scale and dizzying pace to this end.
In society, communities are fast experiencing the equal and opposite problem: a temporary explosion in demand after a long period during which the supply of connection and neighbourliness has been in abeyance. Yet there has been no talk of a package to respond to this demand, and to strengthen fragile and anxious communities.
True, the past week has seen countless stories of altruism — mutual aid groups, supermarket elderly hours, key worker discounts and neighbourly altruism. With every story, it is impossible not to have your faith in basic humanity and the power of community bolstered. But for every small act of kindness, there are countless civic institutions and community groups whose vital work is hanging in the balance just when it is most urgent.
Homeless shelters are bracing themselves for closure when their vulnerable populations inevitably fall victim to infection; one shelter in Glasgow has already shut its doors. Stockpiling has emptied supermarket shelves and foreclosed food banks too, leaving families hungry. Community businesses, which rely on venue-based activities such as shops and cafes for 43% of their income, are particularly vulnerable to the prolonged lockdown announced by the Prime Minister on Monday.
Worryingly, new analysis from the Centre for Social Justice reveals that a quarter of all charities with incomes below £1 million have no reserves at all. Newspaper reports suggest donations to UK charities have almost halved in the last month. Even before public restrictions, four in five charities were warning that Covid-19 meant they would probably be unable to operate normal services. There is a real risk that social distancing may destroy social enterprise.
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SubscribeThe replenishment of social capital would take a generation and involve a revaluation of values. Not much can be done on an emergency basis – other than individual acts of mercy.