Welcome to an edition of North East Times that the team and I felt was the only one we could produce at this time – The Disrupted Issue. Our aim was simple; to provide a platform for individuals, companies and organisations to share their news and views that sum up the unprecedented upheaval we’re experiencing as a result of the worst crisis for generations. In the following pages of this issue, you can read about the different ways local businesses and organisations are tackling the pandemic alongside messages from individuals who represent key workers and local communities.
We fully recognise the enormous financial toll coronavirus is making on local businesses and organisations, but we also see how the North East community is rising to the challenge of COVID-19 in some ingenious ways. Most businesses successfully implemented remote working practices immediately after lockdown. Others have pivoted their entire operations to help produce much-needed PPE for the NHS.