Earlier this month, the Office of National Statistics released its latest study in to the impact of COVID-19 in the UK regions. It showed the extent to which North East businesses have been affected during lockdown, with two thirds of the private sector showing a fall in turnover.
We asked Stephen Hall, office senior partner at Deloitte in Newcastle, to share some of his thoughts on these findings, what he thinks the region can do as the UK looks to try and recover, and some of his own experiences. “There is no question that the North East has been hit hard by the effects of lockdown, but so has every nation and region. We are not alone, and I truly believe it will be those that look to collaborate – whether that is across sectors or geography – that will be best placed to recover.
“A few weeks ago, I was involved in something Deloitte, alongside techUK and Sage, have committed to undertake across the UK nations and regions. In fact, we were the first in Newcastle. Called a digital dialogue’, this virtual interactive session was used to bring together private and public sector, businesses and regional leadership, to investigate the role that technology could play in our region’s recovery.
“In the midst of a pandemic, more than 30 people attended that session and contributed their experiences but also, critically, their ideas. I saw passion, commitment and openness. I also saw positivity. If you read through the ONS report it shows that in the North East, 92% of the respondents are still trading. I know we have to be cautious with those figures, but there is a determination in our region, and I say that as someone born and bred here, that will also be integral to our recovery.
“COVID-19 is a crisis, but we need to do everything we can to find, and quickly respond to, any opportunity it brings. I have seen organisations pivot at speed and achieve in weeks what would have previously taken years, and digital transformation is one of those areas. Digital tech is something we are already strong in in this region, so the key will now be how the region can accelerate and utilise that, and ensure the development of skills to support it.
“It has, of course, also completely changed how we work. The pandemic has fast-tracked the future of work by five-to-seven years, and we ourselves had to move 20,000 people in the UK, successfully, to remote working in mid-March.
“Like others, we have learnt a lot about the process and of course the benefits and challenges of working from home, many with caring responsibilities or feelings of isolation. These learnings, along with regular soundings with our people and insight into workforces of every generation and geography, will now influence our plans for the next phase of recovery and shape how we – and our clients – will work going forward.
“Whatever the outcome we will continue to play our part in the recovery of Newcastle and the North East. To help, in whatever way we can, to support and accelerate the opportunities of, and in, the region. I am proud of our business, and what our people and clients, continue to achieve despite these challenging times.”
