Among all the tragedy, there is one outcome that would never have been imagined last year, when Brexit politics dominated Britain. It is the birth of kindness, of caring for human beings and praising carers – proof that community and society are not dead. I live in an unadopted road, where neighbours have always had to cooperate over decisions. As the oldest residents, my husband and I have seen many changes, but have never witnessed anything like the past seven weeks. I have felt moved to tears by the offers of help. It is a pity that it took a pandemic to turn this country into a more caring society. Let’s hope the children of 2020 will remember these times not just for the rainbows, but also for the kindness among neighbours.
Susan Treagus
Didsbury, Manchester
• As a 78-year-old, I am excluded from physical volunteering (10 ways to help others in lockdown – from phone calls to milkshakes, 3 May), but as a keen gardener I am growing as many tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers as I can. I am also potting marigolds, parsley and basil for the windowsills of the isolated elderly. And our street organised a collection of secondhand books for non-techie isolated folk.
Rose Harvie
Dumbarton
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