I had what I call, a bit of a ‘head in hands’ moment when I came to write this leader… Many of us have had a break over the past couple of weeks to enjoy Christmas and celebrate the coming of 2016. The fireworks routinely set off by so many countries now, as one year becomes the next, have been even more spectacular than those we enjoyed last year, yet alongside that, millions of people were (and still are) going though turmoil, from the families displaced by the growing global conflict, to – closer to home – those who are fighting to salvage what they can from flooded homes and businesses.

I’ve been following the floods closely as I have family in the most badly hit parts of the UK and although I can see that it looks miserable, it was only when I was caught out walking in heavy rain last week that it occurred to me just how cold those affected must be! And then of course came the question: “Are we spending our money wisely, or should we spend less on fireworks and more on looking after everyone and upgrading our nation’s flood defences so we can prevent this recurring misery for those living in flood zones?”

Of course this industry will eventually benefit from people needing to replace fittings, furniture and appliances once the clean-up has finished and the buildings have been brought back into use, but I’m aware of many businesses that had been looking forward to getting the new year off to a good start with some busy trading, that can no longer do so because their own showrooms and manufacturing sites have been destroyed by the floodwaters.

How frustrating and soul destroying this must be for everyone involved! It’s bad enough to have it happen once, but no-one should have to keep going through the disruption and despair time and time again because not enough is being done to protect our environment, should they?

If you have been affected by the flooding John Austen and I wish you well and hope that things get back to normal more quickly than you are expecting them to. And however you’ve fared over the Christmas break, we’d like to say: “Happy New Year. May all the good things you wish for, come your way.”

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs