WHEN we look back at these initial months' of the coronavirus pandemic in years to come, I think our lasting memories will be not just the thousands of people who died but also how almost everyone stepped up to do their part to help in the battle to beat Covid-19.

As editor of the Worcester News, Malvern Gazette and Evesham Journal, every day I have been saddened to have to report more deaths and hardship as a result of the virus, but also heartened by the positive stories we have shared of keyworkers saving lives and communities rallying to support each other.

On the frontline, NHS staff have put their lives on the line to try to save others – tragically, we have lost many of those heroes to this virus – and they have been supported by an army of volunteers making PPE at schools and businesses, or delivering food and other essentials to the vulnerable people self-isolating.

All of us have seen our lives change dramatically. Many of us have lost loved ones. Many of us are now working from home, on furlough or have lost our jobs. We have been unable to see family and friends in the flesh. Yet, in my experience, what we haven't lost is hope. We remain resilient – we are looking to the future beyond the pandemic, thinking 'how can we get through this crisis and rebuild?'

On May 8, VE Day 75, we remembered the courage of those who lived through the Second World War. I believe that, in decades and centuries to come, our generation will be remembered for how we bravely stood up to coronavirus.