Once again we are looking back at another difficult year. And when we look forward we are searching the horizon for a break in the clouds.

There’s no doubt 2021 has been a tough 12 months for us all and everyone has suffered in some way. The year has been marked by personal tragedies, lost livelihoods and great sacrifices.

Set against this context, it wouldn’t be appropriate to deliver a new-year message about East Hampshire District Council and its aspirations and ambitions.

So my new-year message for 2022 is a much more personal one and is a call for more compassion and understanding.

Now almost two years into the pandemic, the pressure and stress for some has been relentless.

Many people have had no opportunity to take an emotional firebreak and the impact on our nation’s mental health has been a major topic of discussion over the year.

So, my message for 2022 is a simple one. Be kind.

You don’t know what people are dealing with or how they are feeling.

Whether at home or at work, everyone is going through their own private trials, so we mustn’t be too quick to judge.

Try to be a positive influence on the people around you and remember that even the tiny gestures – a smile in the street or a kind word to a colleague – can make a big difference.

As an authority and as individuals we need to be more understanding and more caring.

I understand people need more than a smile to get through the hardest times.

The council has supported many hundreds of vulnerable people during the year in ways I will not list here.

The welfare of the district’s most vulnerable people has always been one of my top priorities as leader.

We established a £1 million funding pot for community organisations in 2019 and that pot has been replenished with a further £1 million from April 2022.

People look to those in authority to lead them through times of crisis, but they can only lead effectively if they have the public’s trust.

The decisions made now will shape our country’s future for years to come. It is vital the right calls are made at the right time.

It is equally essential the public believe in the sacrifices they are being asked to make.

That public trust has been badly damaged in recent times.

I hope in 2022 we see the kind of corporate leadership and responsibility from our leaders that we have been missing over the past year.

In East Hampshire, local leaders also have to pull together to get the job done. We have to do what is right by local people and I am not afraid to carry a fight to the government, if that is what it takes.

It may not make me popular with central government but I don’t care about that if it is the right thing to do for our area.

We have already argued our case in respect to housing numbers laid down by London for our Local Plan, and we may face a further fight in 2022 with the prospect of devolution looming.

What cannot be doubted is the resilience and hardiness of the East Hampshire people.

We have overcome many challenges in the past year and will no doubt overcome many more in the next.

But whatever the trials we face in 2022, let’s try to keep in mind the value of being kind.