Our pandemic superstars! Just a few of the brilliant folks who have made 2020 in the Aylesbury Vale all the more bearable

For staff wellbeing and to help others Kelvin Wong who runs the Watermead Inn and Miya set up a food and necessities delivery service ​for the elderly and most in need as well as NHS staff and other key workers.

This was done ​with the help of volunteers from the Watermead events committee who organise 'Larks by the Lake' and 'Films on the Field' every year , other volunteers and people who have donated to our great cause

The team delivered to over 100 households.

At the time Kelvin said: "Reading the message coming through there are some desperate situations out there. We are also trying to help the brave and courageous NHS staff and other critical workers so that they can stay out of shops."

Of course all of the wonderful NHS staff at Stoke Mandeville Hospital deserve a giant shout out! And for weeks we all showed our support with rainbow banners, and clapping for frontline workers on our doorsteps every Thursday night.

Also at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in the summer Andy Collins, local radio DJ and Bucks Herald columnist hosted Connect2You, a campaign born out of the pandemic which aimed to bring together two sectors hit hardest by COVID. – the arts and care homes.

The event, which also boasted an appearance from X-Factor star Andy Abrahams saw the stars bring live entertainment to the doorstep of vulnerable people who may not have been able to get out and about for some time, lifting spirits by connecting people with song, joy and laughter.

The show was also streamed live online for residents who couldn’t make it outside and so that friends and families could join their loved ones remotely to share the experience, helping to create magical shared memories when they may not be able to be together physically.

Aylesbury Mosque and local Muslim leaders also stepped up to the plate in support of the NHS, delivering hundreds of meals to hard working Stoke Mandeville Hospital staff.

Councillor Niknam Hussain said: "It's an initiative within the Muslim community to give something back."

Living so close to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, six year-old Beau Bailey and his mum came up with a bright idea to say thank you to hospital workers too.

Beau, who attends Stoke Mandeville Combined School coloured in some bright and cheerful 'Lego keyworker' pictures, and the pair made the pictures into a mural on their fence, which is close to the route that many staff take to get to and from the hospital.

Quick off the blocks during the firest lockdown Jade Rose Pinnock set up a Facebook page to help people suffering from anxiety which might be aggravated by pandemic.

She said 'the world's gone mad', but the group is a calm place for people to share information and put misinformation to bed.

The group was also a change share anxiety coping mechanisms, and a way for people to feel supported by their community.

Jade said at the time: "We need to support each other at a time when our anxieties may be going into overdrive.

"Many people have lost their jobs, or now have to claim Universal Credit and that can be extremely stressful but if we work together, we can cope."

Mike Smith, The Mayor of Aylesbury used his very different fundraising year to give a £19,000 boost to Aylesbury Youth Concern.

In turn, the charity set about supporting young people, many of who had lost jobs as a result of the pandemic.

Fresh from helping with the pandemic support scheme in Watermead, Timothy Long sailed into the record books after becoming the youngest person ever to sail solo around Britain.

Timothy 15, had never even sailed his boat Alchemy alone until a day before his trailblazing 1,600 nautical mile voyage which began on July 16.

A voyage which at one point saw him being forced to steer for seven hours straight by hand during rough weather, as well as battle gale force winds, and sleeping for just 20 minutes at a time.

The teenager missed out on training because of the coronavirus lockdown, but undeterred and armed with knowledge from an online navigation course, he was determined to make his mission a success and raise money for legendary world solo yachtswoman Dame Ellen McArthur’s Cancer Trust charity.

Sue and David Stopps took the fight against HS2 well into the pandemic, by holding socially distanced peaceful protests in affected Fairford Leys and Stone.

Together with a team of residents, the campigners illicited honks of support from passing cars, and the protests continued over a number of weeks.

Aylesbury Friars Club co-founder David also partnered with a host of music industry big names to launch a fundraising prize draw in aid of struggling road crew who had lost their jobs during the pandemic.

The draw, which gave music fans the opportunity to own amazing memorabilia donated by top names including Eric Clapton, Radiohead and Mark Knopfler raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for roadcrew, who have been left severely struggling after losing work.

The RSPCA also deserves a mention. The charity dealt with 1,300 lockdown incidents during the first lockdown in Buckinghamshire, with officers and volunteers working around the clock.

Also for the animals was the St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham, which battled on while forced to lose revenue.

Lockdown casualties included a juvenile rabbit and a baby otter.

Tiggywinkles also took on an awareness role, with vet Steve Smith recording a Youtube video to warn members of the public not to believe everything the see and read.

In the enlightening and in-depth video Dr Smith, who cares for 1,000 patients a day at Tiggywinkles, said that while there have been coronavirus cases in animals, it is different to the Covid-19 strain that is affecting humans.

Taking a leaf out of Captain Sir Tom Moore's book, Hilda Duncombe walked 103 laps of Bartlett's care home in Stone to celebrate her 103rd birthday.

Hilda also set to work writing poetry during the gruelling pandemic isolation, and The Bucks Herald recently published two of her poems, which Hilda hoped would give readers a bit of cheer.

Aylesbury Churches have also had to adapt, with online services over Zoom becoming common practice.

All of our churches have worked hard wiuth initiatives to support people during the pandemic, including the Vineyard Church's Community Fridge Scheme.

From The Bucks Herald and all of our readers we would like to say a big thank you to absolutely everyone who has made the pandemic more bearable. It has been a terrible year, but we have got through it together!