The 9th Fermanagh Herald Business Awards were due to have taken place last weekend, but as with most aspects of business life, things have had be postponed and changed to deal with our new reality. One of the constants that can be relied upon is the affection of our regular
business awards host, Paul Clark, for the County of Fermanagh. Paul, a self-proclaimed adoptee of Fermanagh, penned his thoughts on the current situation and his hope for the future.
‘This time last year, I thought that Brexit would be the defining story of my journalistic career. I was wrong!
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything – everywhere. Looking back over the past months, 2020 has been a rollercoaster; and as
I write, there is no sign of the familiar returning, anytime soon.
I enjoy the regular visits to my adopted county, for the Fermanagh Herald Business Awards. This year I will miss meeting up with friends.
Our céilí will have to wait for another time…
I have been coming to Fermanagh since the 1970s. Then, I was told that the road from Belfast to Enniskillen was longer than the road from
Enniskillen to Belfast. Of course, it is the same distance.
The coded message was that it was more trouble for people to travelto the west, than vice versa.
It is a road I have travelled countless times. However, not too many…
Due to Covid-19 businesses have been under pressure like never before. People have had to be resilient and imaginative, to remain
afloat.
Crisis management requires no explanation right now. When something disturbs the status quo, our first instinct is to defend ourselves.
This Coronavirus is an unpredictable enemy, which shows no sign of being tamed, any time soon.
For now, we will not be able to return to our familiar pre-crisis reality. We have to manage our lives in a different way.
As a people, we are hospitable, but, we’ve had to close our doors. Until they re-open, we have to reimagine our business model, and attempt to create new opportunities.
Muddling through these times is a massive challenge. But we’ve been here before, in different circumstances – and we’ve emerged on the other side, often stronger. I never tire of saying that business will always find a way! I look forward to seeing you again, in 2021.
Paul Clark,
Journalist & presenter, UTV
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