Over the last week I have been self-isolating due a stomach bug and some flu like symptoms.
I’ve been thinking very carefully about how we should respond to the dramatic impact that the coronavirus has been having on communities across the UK.
I’m sure you have seen the news with the governments call for the closure of cafes and leisure facilities due to the horrendous pandemic that is COVID-19. Many of our tenants, as well as other charities, social enterprises and businesses are under insurmountable pressure and many will not survive.
Following UK government guidelines we will be closing the doors of The Circle temporarily from today Monday 23rd March 2020 after just over 3 years from opening our doors.
It would be socially irresponsible for us to continue and over the past 2 weeks, it has been far from business as usual.
People are everything to us here at The Circle from our staff, tenants, volunteers, our board of directors, our funders, businesses, local community and visitors and their wellbeing is paramount.
We want to protect them as well as the public.
We are working to support our community where we can through online support, delivering the Academy digitally and ensuring that we can help our tenants and those most in need during these challenging times.
We will start by working to do what we can to survive beyond this pandemic, and this will involve diversifying our business model and supporting others to do the same.
We will do our best to maintain our staff team although inevitably this may mean cuts, but we hope these changes in the short term will ensure our future.
We have worked so hard to develop our community and services here at The Circle.
We’re also putting our faith in the Scottish and UK Government to step in and provide financial support for our people, charities, social enterprises businesses and across our communities.
I want to express my thanks to the whole Circle Team who have been so amazing during this time.
But I want to tell you all that we WILL be back and the doors will open!
No matter what, we will open again as soon as it is safe to do so and maybe not for business as usual, but we will come back fighting and be there to support our community.
And believe me when we open those doors you will be met with the warmest of welcomes from myself and the whole Circle Team.
Take care of yourselves, keep safe and be kind!
With a heavy but optimistic heart,
Kirsty Thomson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer