By Councillor Keith Budden – chairman, East Hampshire District Council

During my time so far as chairman of East Hampshire District Council I have had the great fortune of meeting people from across our district’s communities.

Volunteers and workers, residents and community leaders, people of all religious faiths and none – what a diverse bunch we are in East Hampshire!

What has struck me about the people I have met is that, despite their different walks of life, they all see the value of putting other people first.

We may have different backgrounds and different politics, but we are all united by our desire to work for each other. Charities working for people with life-limiting illnesses and groups encouraging us to plant uplifting floral displays – we all want to make our towns and villages a better place to live.

Any successful society must provide for and support its weakest, most vulnerable, members. That’s what we try to do at East Hampshire District Council and that’s what I see happening day in, day out across the district.

Whether it’s the pre-schoolers, the young adults or the elderly and infirm, it is that positive desire to help each other which makes East Hampshire such a great place to live. This community spirit is particularly poignant at Christmas.

At this time of year our problems can feel underscored and emphasised by the happiness we perceive around us. Loneliness can be more acute if there is no one to break bread with on Christmas Day, poverty can bite harder when so much of the festive season is driven by commercial excess.

We can, and should, all do more to help each other.

I would like to use this platform to appeal to the people of East Hampshire to spread a little care and kindness this Christmas. Pop in to see your neighbour, have a chat, raise a smile, donate to charities or food banks. Even a simple ‘merry Christmas’ to the person you meet in the street may bring a smile of sunshine into that person’s day.

My experiences as chairman over the last eight months have shown me that we really do care for each other as a community and I have great faith in the people of East Hampshire to support one another.

I hope you all have a wonderful, caring Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!