Well that was week one over. How is everybody coping with the quite remarkable changes that we have seen in our society and our lifestyles over the past seven or eight days? I am finding the restrictions somewhat difficult to get used to to say the least. But at the forefront of my mind I know that it is the right thing to do in the interest of ensuring that we all get through this as best we can. Certainly it has been an opportunity for communities up and down the country to act as a community: supporting and helping those in greater need. Some of the stories that I have seen in the past few days have genuinely restored my faith in the greater good.

And in this regard I am proud to say that AFC Sudbury has played its part in no small measure. I have seen many examples of members of the club from all sections getting involved with activities designed to either help providing support for those on greater need. Or simply doing something with the aim of lifting the spirits of others at a time when the need is at its greatest. From the AFC minibus delivering meals on wheels. To Callum Harrison appearing on Look East to show off his “Toilet Roll Challenge” skills. All of these things and many more, big or small, show the club at its best. One which is at the heart of its community with the best interests of that community firmly at heart.

The Academy as you will all know continues to operate remotely. As you will know the Academy is predominantly a school. A school which just happens to be rather good at football. But education remains paramount. Our first thoughts as a club when the virus was beginning to spread so quickly was to ensure that the education of all of our students was maintained in the best possible way. The staff quickly got together to design the new remote ways of working and it is to the eternal credit of the staff and the students that it appears to be working as well as it is.

At the same time a lot is written about the “evils” of social media and technology. And it is certainly true that when used in the wrong way it is a tool for destruction. But when used in the right way it can be a vehicle to enable us to get past the terms “remote” and “isolation”. It enables families, friends and neighbourhoods to continue to communicate in a way that at one time would have been impossible. I can talk “face to face” with my 88 year old mother who otherwise would not “see” a soul all day. At the football club I have seen our students working remotely, injured players going through rehab, player of the season awards, goal videos, quizzes - the list is endless. All of the above are designed to maintain that link with our AFC community. And it is a community which sadly at the moment has been forced to endure a separation as the world deals with the enormity of what we all face. But it is a community which will endure because we all share that common goal of being part of that community and everything that it stands for.

As things stand nobody can really predict when things will return to normal and those necessary barriers of social isolation will be removed. We all hope that it is sooner rather than later. As has often been stated our prime objectives as AFC Sudbury remain to do all that we can to keep those involved with the club in any capacity as safe and as healthy as we can. But at the same time to ensure that we all have a club to go back to when circumstances permit. With that in mind if anybody has any ideas as to how we can help keep our remote community together then do please let me know. I would love to hear from you so please do email me at: andrew.long@afcsudbury.co.uk

Keep safe everybody and take special care of your nearest and dearest.

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Andrew Long

Chairman