I start this week’s blog by admiring the tenacity and endeavour of Captain Tom Moore. At the grand old age of 99, with his 100th birthday due on the 30th April, Captain Tom has without doubt captured the love of our nation, raising by the last count this morning, a staggering £26 million for the NHS with his sponsored walk. 

I salute him and his heroic deed which has helped galvanise our country in a way we have never seen before. In recognition of this amazing achievement the government have invited Tom to officially open the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate on Tuesday 21st of April.

With the government’s announcement last week of a further three weeks of lockdown, that takes us to the 7th May, we will certainly start testing our patience and resolve.

I enjoyed reading Steve Gibbs’ blog in the Service Dealer Update last Friday, keeping us abreast of what’s going on for many of our industry machinery dealers and at what capacity they are managing to operate during this current crisis. Having talked to a couple of machinery dealers myself, they said they were very busy, mainly due to a large take up of online sales and the fact they service specialist front line contract services, such as cemeteries, farming and commercial van supplies.

No doubt many dealers who can offer online sales facilities will be kept busy to some extent, especially with the more domestic focused products.

Again this week, I would like to reflect on how this lockdown is having an effect on many of our sports facilities, parks and public open spaces. After several phone calls, I have established that the level of work being carried out currently appears to be varied. Some sports venues have managed to get on with some renovations, depending on the availability of materials and resources, whereas others have not. Many sites are now working with a skeleton staff or rota system and just doing the bare essentials.

Parks and green spaces have featured prominently in recent media coverage of the consequneces of the outbreak. These much-loved places that you manage are justifiably valued as free open areas for people to walk, exercise and reflect responsibly - and will undoubtedly play a vital role as we emerge from the pandemic.

As a Green Flag judge, I am only too aware of the value these public parks and open spaces bring to the table. Whilst out walking my two dogs, Marloe and Annie, I, like many thousands of us, am currently enjoying the peace and tranquillity that has come about from this current lockdown. I am lucky, I live near the countryside and can access open space easily. However, those who live in cities and towns must rely heavily on these valuable public open spaces to get their daily dose of exercise during this pandemic.

The availability of these open spaces is helping us cope with the stresses of living with Covid-19. The opportunity for us to get out of our houses and exercise is crucial to our wellbeing. However, across the country we are seeing some local authorities being told by the police to close their parks, due to overcrowding. This happened to Walsall Council last week when the council was asked to close its popular Arboretum / Park, but after a considerable number of complaints from the public the facility was reopened along with their cemeteries.

However, on Saturday the government announced that parks and cemeteries must remain open and family can attend loved ones' funerals.

Speaking at Number 10, local government secretary Robert Jenrick, said "people need parks" but they must observe social distancing and not congregate in groups. He also announced an extra £1.6bn for local councils in England.

Maybe after this pandemic is over, our government will finally come to its senses and start investing long term in these core services (NHS, welfare & care and public services) which all play an essential part in maintaining the fabric of our lives and economy.

I also read with interest that the restrictions on movement caused by the coronavirus lockdown are transforming the UK's exercise habits. Home fitness workouts, cycling and walking are now the most popular methods of exercise, according to a Savanta ComRes study commissioned by Sport England.

More than half of adults in England (59 per cent) are using their daily activity time to go for a walk.

The research also shows how the lockdown - and the threat of coronavirus in general - have led to people recognising the importance of physical activity to staying healthy. Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of adults say it is more important to be active now, compared with before the outbreak.

And finally as an ex-greenkeeper, I read with interest the latest BIGGA Essential Maintainance for golf update.

Their industry statement outlines those treatments considered essential for the safe maintenance of a golf course during the current government restrictions. It is accepted that golf courses exist in many different forms, on many different soil types and in differing landscapes, and that this guidance may require adaptation.

If you follow the link to BIGGA’s guidelines you can read their recommendations on:

• Working Practices
• Mowing
• Irrigation and Nutrition
• Construction and Renovation
• Machinery and Equipment Maintenance
• Other Maintenance

It will be interesting to see how these guidelines work in practice and how many golf courses manage to come out of this situation unscathed.

The real issue will no doubt be the loss of income and how each golfing facility can manage investing in the maintenance of their course until the lockdown is over.