On Sunday, we gathered together in the Memorial Gardens, one of Crawley’s most meaningful places to pause, to reflect, and to remember for the National Day of Reflection to acknowledge the profound impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on our lives, our families and our community. It was a moment not just to remember those we lost, but also to recognise the many ways in which people’s lives were changed forever.
Here in Crawley, as in towns and cities across the country, the pandemic touched every household in some way. Behind every statistic is a person a parent, a grandparent, a friend, a neighbour and behind every loss is a story of love.
We gathered beside the recently planted avenue of trees and the newly installed memorial benches, as a place of reflection and remembrance. The plaque will mark our own record of respect to those we lost. But it will also help those who wish to come and remember in the future. These are lasting symbols, living reminders that ensure those we lost are not forgotten, and that future generations will understand what our community went through together.
The pandemic tested us in ways we could never have imagined. It brought isolation and uncertainty, and for many, deep sadness and loss. Yet it also revealed something powerful about Crawley. We saw neighbours checking on neighbours. We saw volunteers step forward, community groups mobilise, and acts of kindness repeated again and again. We saw resilience, compassion and solidarity often in the smallest, quietest moments.
Sunday’s event reflected that same spirit of togetherness. Through music, words, prayer and reflection, we honoured every life lost and every person affected. We recognised the grief that still remains, and we acknowledged that for many, the journey of healing is ongoing.
As a council, and as a community, we remain committed to contemplation, to learning, and to supporting one another. Reflection is not about looking back alone it is about carrying forward the lessons of compassion, care and connection that helped us through such a difficult time.
It feels, in some ways, like nothing has been predictable for nearly a decade now, old certainties have been tested heavily. Sometimes there is too much anger, expressed too readily.
It is occasions like this that give us a chance to put this into perspective, to reflect on what we lived through and of course, to remember who did not. Let us continue to treat one another in kindness, today and always.
Cllr Michael Jones
Leader, Crawley Borough Council
