Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families who tragically lost their children in a horrific attack in Southport during what should have been an enjoyable summer holiday event. This event which resulted in loss of life and devastating injuries has touched us all. Their lives will never be the same again.
We also extend our thoughts to our health, care and police colleagues who have had to deal with such a shocking incident and who have had to respond to the aftermath.
We are devastated by the destructive events that have taken place since this tragic incident. Such unprecedented violence and criminality targeting mosques, Muslims and more broadly immigrants, is devastating and aims to create fear and cause division. It will have caused worry and anxiety for many staff and service users as we go about our work and our lives.
To anyone personally affected by these events, you have our support and we stand in solidarity with you.
In ELFT, we are extremely proud of the diversity of our staff, services users and the communities we serve. The Trust is grateful for the contribution and insights of everyone, and we value and celebrate diversity and inclusion. This makes us richer and assists us in delivering culturally sensitive care and treatment, and thoughtful care to our communities. This is more effective and results in better outcomes for our service users.
We have been part of meetings with the police and local authorities who have developed a co-ordinated plan to increase protections to mosques and key sites and areas in our communities, and are using local channels and networks to reassure people, focus on support and on the importance of communities standing together.
We must remember that the people involved in this unrest are a minority of people and they do not represent the peaceful and fair-minded people who make up the majority of the citizens of this country. You see this in our everyday activities as we go about our business and it continues now despite the images in the headlines and news programmes. We are stronger together, and by standing united, we will overcome the challenges that come our way.