Letter from… Exeter

By Drew Aspinwall, Account Director

Taking the decision to move to the South West of England 17 years ago certainly feels like good forward thinking now that we are in lockdown.

We never take it for granted that we live in an area where many people usually love to take their holidays. Lockdown here in the countryside, a few miles east of the city of Exeter, is certainly a very different experience to that of my friends, family and colleagues who live in cities and large towns. 

On a personal level, our family is able to access open countryside without seeing another person under ‘normal’ circumstances, so social distance is something we are used to and actively seek out.    

What has changed, and changed for the better, as a result of coronavirus is that we are experiencing a notable renaissance of rural services and local initiatives to support local producers and businesses. Milk is being delivered again, companies who usually supply the catering trade have switched to delivering to households and visitor experiences have gone virtual. 

However, a huge majority of businesses in the South West absolutely rely on the summer for their survival. The lockdown came just before Easter when hotels, holiday parks, restaurants, bars and visitor attractions were all gearing up as usual for the season. 

Tragically many of these, often family owned businesses, will not recover from a season without their expected turnover, especially those without assets to use as financial guarantees. Repayments and interest on government-backed loans will start in 12 months’ time, so the businesses who are receiving these will be looking for a bumper 2021 season.

I hope that one of the lasting legacies of the lockdown is that the genuine collaboration and innovation we have witnessed from would-be business competitors, in order to survive, continues. By putting the needs of local communities and customer’s first we are building networks and growing relationships that will pay dividends, both socially and economically, in the future.