Comment: Hope on the horizon as we look ahead to 2021

The attempts to reconnect and re-start have been thwarted more than once by ever changing COVID restrictions - but as we step hesitantly into a new year, there is hope on the horizon.

The mass vaccination programme holds the key to any return close to the normality we lost in March.

We need to celebrate those steps forward, but ensure we take each of them as safely as we can in order to emerge fully from the shackles of 2020.

Living with this virus may well change how we interact and behave for a long time to come. Going back to what we had isn’t an option.

The future, as poet Jackie Kay once wrote, appears like a blank sheet of paper.

How we fill that in is very much in our own hands.

Column: We need fresh approach to care home access in 2021

But, individually, and collectively, we can emerge in 2021 as a kinder, more caring society - one which throws an arm around our most vulnerable citizens, understands how much richer communities can become when they work together, and goes the extra mile to offer help and support.

The fear and isolation that the pandemic brought made life unbearably tough for many people, but it also sparked a remarkable response, and a spirit which saw so many individuals and groups make such a positive difference.

If that carries into 2021 - and beyond - then the road ahead can indeed be filled with hope.

We wish you all a happy new year.