Just one thing ...

If we could all just take away one think from lock-down .....

 As I sit beneath the stars, camping with my daughter, my mind wonders, desperately in search of sleep, but distracted pondering one question:

 "What is the biggest, most positive, most insightful and most heart warming learning from the last few months of sadness, loss and constraint?" I have TWO!

#1 First and foremost, for me, it was the feeling of community, coming together to help one another. Sadly we have in so many societies retrenched into our nuclear families, with too stronger capitalist tendencies. So it was refreshing to see the love and experience the love for each other. The delivery driver with our first lock down food supply, the emergency prescription drop and the carers across the board.

What was it for you? 

Will we slip back into the myopic mania of life before we know it, or will some change ring through for good?

There is one thing that most of us can do, if you are over 17 years old and over 50kg - and in both categories I admirably surpass expectations - it is something that requires a little over 30 mins of your time, ideally every couple of months: donate blood! Please do consider it, if one person who reads this confirms they will donate, it will make me a happy man (or just simply share this plea). 

Blood donation is vital to help treat thousands of seriously ill patients across the country every day – but new donors are desperately needed. NHS Blood and Transplant is calling for more people to register as new blood donors following a big drop in fresh volunteers in the past decade.

 Here are 7 good reasons you should sign up to give blood:

1.  Donors rates are down - New donors are desperately needed Last year 40% fewer people came forward as new donors compared to a decade ago.
2. As surgeries get back to normal more will be required. It’s not just for emergencies Your blood could help many different patients. You may think blood is just used for massive blood loss in A&E patients. Donated blood is also needed for patients having surgery, mums' in maternity emergencies, and people with cancer or blood disorders.
3. Myth busting - 6,000 donations are needed a day in England & Wales. Almost half of people surveyed thought friends and family donated when a patient needs blood and 13% thought synthetic blood was used. Changes in medical practices mean demand for donated blood has reduced.
4. Blood from all groups is needed but some blood groups are particularly vulnerable to shortfall such as O negative – which can be given to all patients in an emergency.
5. More volunteers from black, Asian and ethnic minority communities are also needed. Some rare blood types are more common among black, Asian and ethnic minority communities. Conditions such as sickle cell and thalassemia are also more likely to affect these communities with patients requiring regular blood transfusions ideally from donors from a similar ethnic background.
6. Bloods gone digital, there's an App! The app makes it easy to locate, book and re-book your appointments.
7. Biscuits! Guilt free biscuits. The post donation biscuits can’t be beaten. It’s important to have something to drink and eat after you give blood. Around 6 million biscuits are eaten by donors every year. I don't normally need an excuse to indulge - but in this case you've earnt it!

Finally, 

#2 For the last few months in lock-down I have been in my home office, doing my best to help secure companies as the pivot, transform and adapt in these unprecedented times (as the greed of the cyber criminals does not abate). But, I have made the most of the time with my family. I have enjoyed evening family meals (especially when the kids cook); being incapacitated by the Joe Wicks workouts with my daughter; broken on bike rides with my son; putting the world to right on walks with my wife and the occasional solo run to clear my heard .... but my second biggest learning is: do not go camping on a 'school' night ....... I am going to be in bits tomorrow if I can't get to sleep soon!

Sweet dreams. Stay safe. And don't forget to donate and continue to save lives. But also, let's not forget those that died fighting the virus for themselves and for others.