Long Sutton St Mary’s vicar co-writes report into impact of pandemic on rural communities within Lincolnshire and the Fens

An in depth report exploring the impact of the pandemic on our rural communities has been published.

Fr Jonathan Sibley, vicar of St Mary’s Church in Long Sutton, has jointly written ‘Responses to Covid 19 in Fenland communities – Reflections from the Social Issues in South Lincolnshire Network’ with Dr Rebecca Herron.

Published in conjunction with the University of Lincoln, East Community Fund and Grantscape (experts in community fund management), the paper explores the long-term effect of the virus and its further impact on communities in Lincolnshire and the Fens.

Fr Jonathan said: “The report has taken an infinite amount of time to put together.

“If Covid had happened ten years ago we wouldn’t have been able to have had the contact with people we did through social media as we were not as au fait with it back then.”

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The foreword highlights the vital role social media played when the pandemic hit. It states: “Over the summer of 2020 and onwards through 2021 and the spring of 2022 much of the information presented here was contributed and shared through online meetings (workshops) and discussions.”

This ‘significant’ report brought together different fields of expertise to ‘identify and discuss the current social issues that affect the fenland area of south Lincolnshire and the communities that live there.’

The report highlights the understanding and growth of mental health and well-being groups in the county.

Members of St Mary’s run a food bank, which is identified in the report as a new need within rural fenland communities in response to Covid-19.

It states: “The Social Issues Network provided a direct response to this by developing a local food bank and larder. “

Many residents during the pandemic faced difficulty in access to food and essential items due to lack of money to buy them, distance or transport issues and physical isolation.

This also included digital isolation in rural areas compared with those in urban spaces as residents did not have access to online shopping, public services or online banking.

Fr Jonathan said: “The effects of the pandemic are still continuing today.”

The church offers practical ways to combat these – such as Friday Coffees – a social weekly event that has tripled in numbers since it started as it had been closed down due to the pandemic.

It offers sessions to help with mental health and well-being reflecting the report’s research into how churches can develop connections and activities that can link to wider social needs.

It shows how volunteers are an integral part of these types of events being able to take place.

One conclusion from the report is that the Social Issues Network provides an opportunity to “better observe ourselves – both as a community, as part of a region and as part of wider national and international human systems.”

Visit https://www.facebook.com/socialissuesinsouthlincolnshire for further information.

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