Let’s try to keep calm and pick up the phone

I have tried my level best until now to not reference the Coronavirus in my blogs becuase I am generally "a cup full to brimming of postivity and light-heartedness" type of girl.

However, the current pandemic cannot be dismissed nor taken fippantly. One by one, day by day, each and every event, awards ceremony, conference and meeting across the county has been either postponed, or cancelled.

I've had so many invites pulled for many months that I sense my wings have well and truly been clipped (I am an eternal social butterfly).

Given that my role with the magazine is very much public facing and working with a diverse mix of Yorkshire businesses including our new partners Gold Rabbit Limited, Grinning Graphics and Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the incredible charities Wakefield Hospice and the Community Foundation for Calderdale,it has been time to re-think how I communicate and where I work from.

Now more than ever is the time to talk and stay connected with our partners, contributors, peers and business contacts - a simple phone call with a cheery "Hello, can we do anything to help today?" followed by "and how are you?" really does make all the difference at times.

Thankfully, we have at our fingertips a number of platforms which our partners can benefit from daily and we are focussing on our digital communications with our TopicUK App (available from the App Store or Google Play) our fortnightly e-newsletter, new look website alongside our social media platforms.

If companies cannot communicate face-to-face with their clients and audience,we are here to help. Silence is not always golden, market presence, brand awareness and brand values need to recognised and we are keen to amplify this.If we all stand united, try not to panic about short term performance marketing but focus ideally on the longer term, together we can get through this.

I admit, it is easy to sound upbeat and write this, but it is not easy to actually live and breathe it each and every day. In all honesty, it unnerves me and I wish I could take the pain away from everyone already affected.

My beloved late father always said I was built from fine "Yorkshire Grit" and I am determined to dig deep, work hard and continue to champion "God's own county" via our well respected magazine and very much look forward to happier and healthier times.

Best Wishes
Mandy