Dear Members of St Edmund’s,

I hope that you will all have seen the Prime Minister’s statement from last night. In it, he underlined how important it is that each of us takes personal responsibility to help stop the spread of Coronavirus by following the measures the UK has put in place. In short, from last night people must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities, daily exercise once per day, any medical needs and travelling to and from essential work. If you haven’t watched his speech I would encourage you to do so. The basic message is clear – minimise the amount of time you spend in public, if you need to go out do so as infrequently as possible, and stay at least 2m away from others.

These are exceptional times. Walking around college I have been inspired by the way in which each of you is responding to the challenges around us. From those conversations, it is clear that each of us is feeling a range of emotions at what is happening, both here at St Edmund’s and across the world.

To help us, I ask that each of you in St Edmund’s follows three simple principles. 

• That we each own the responsibility to protect ourselves and others in our community by adhering to all guidelines. 
• That we all treat each other with respect, compassion and dignity in any interaction –  in person or online.
• That within our ‘households’ we work extra hard to maintain a supportive and positive environment – and continue to support others in need across the college community.

I have been extremely impressed by the maturity with which you have approached the situation. The sympathy you have demonstrated in supporting each other. And the welcome you have already given to those who are moving into new rooms. I am impressed, but given who you are, I am not surprised.

You will see that we have taken further steps in response to the PM’s statement yesterday – set out below and in the FAQs which are updated daily. We are, in line with other colleges, doing our best to maintain spaces in which you can walk or study. I want to keep these open for as long as possible, while adhering to public health guidelines, to keep us resilient in mind as well as body. But make no mistake, my ability to keep them open depends on each of us using them responsibly. That means adhering to social distancing of 2 metres and strict hygiene practices, not using them for gatherings of more than two people together, and abiding by the limits on numbers in any space.

Each of you is an adult and knows what I am about to say. I will say it anyway given the importance of this moment. There will be a growing temptation to break or ‘flexibly interpret’ the guidelines set by the government and College. That is human. But know that if you act on that impulse, you are risking the health of many, not just in college, but beyond our walls. You may not know their names, but they are people who are loved and deserve better.

This is time to focus on the needs of our community and to work together as one. The wellbeing of all of us depends on each of us. That is what I expect and that is what I have seen. If you have any concerns, however, you must raise them – respectfully. If you don’t feel able to do this in person, please do use the email or phone number provided in the FAQs. We are here to listen and to support you to the best of our ability.

I am writing this from my flat in Geoffrey Cook building, looking out on the sunshine and our lovely grounds. I and other fellows and staff will continue to be present on the College site. It has been a great reassurance to me, and everyone else working to support our College at this challenging time, to know that I can rely on you to play your part positively, with respect and with understanding. We will all have our resilience tested. But knowing we are all supported by a community like ours will see us through this exceptional period. 

Thank you – it isn’t possible without you. And keep it up!

Yours,

Catherine Arnold

Master