But one thing which has shone through during the crisis is the strength of our communities. Perhaps no one has seen this more firsthand than Pam Donnelly. She is chair of the One Colchester partnership, a group which includes councils, emergency services, education establishments and the voluntary sector. Mrs Donnelly said: “I have no difficulty in voicing how proud I am of all of our partners and communities. “The actions of individuals, groups and neighbours to support each other have been fantastic. “They have taken place without any intervention from One Colchester or anyone else. “There are so many individual acts of kindness no one will ever know about.