Why we all need good neighbours to help us in a time of crisis - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

How many of us have spoken or waved to their next door neighbour over the last few months since lockdown was imposed?

Now rewind even further – how many of us spoke to their neighbours before the scourge of coronavirus transformed our lives?

The way we communicate with those around us has changed so much.

Gone are the days when people would pass you in the street with their heads down eager to get to the shop without having to break into conversation.

Walking up and down the street with our puppy is certainly a conversation starter at the best of times.

But as lockdown started to bite we have found ourselves talking to so many of our neighbours, some of whom we have never spoken to before, on our travels – albeit at an acceptable social distance.

People have just said a friendly hello as you walk past whereas others stop for a conversation to see how we are all coping and adapting.

We’ve been running shopping errands for elderly neighbours who haven’t been able to get out.

Gardening tips have been shared over the fence and we’ve also been on the receiving end of a few puppy training conversations too.

But one thing has been consistent throughout and that is a sense of togetherness – everyone is in the same boat.

We’re all feeling the strain of the new “normal”, from not being able to give parents a cuddle, through to wondering what life will look like once lockdown restrictions are eased.

There’s an air of uncertainty but the real sense of community purveys.

It comes as a new survey today reveals that twice as many people are chatting with their neighbours than this time last year, as communities support each other through the pandemic.

More than 2,500 people said they had stopped for a natter with a neighbour in the past week, according to polling.

When extrapolated to the UK population, this is the equivalent of 33 million people chatting with a neighbour in the last week and 15 million helping them during lockdown. This time last year, around one in five people said they had nobody in their community they could call on.

Almost the same proportion had never spoken to a neighbour, with three times fewer people saying this is the case now.

Today sees the start of further relaxation of some of the lockdown restrictions including groups of up to six people being able to meet outside in England as long as they observe social distancing.

More than two million clinically extremely vulnerable people who have been shielding since March will finally be allowed to spend time with other people outdoors.

Streets up and down our city have had to adapt and will continue to do so in the coming weeks.

But we’ve seen the best in humanity and community during this crisis from street fitness sessions through to bingo games and socially-distanced music renditions.

And that is why we hope good neighbours will stay good friends once the pandemic passes.