Young people in West Cumbria are urging other young people to step up in the fight against Coronavirus, by sticking to lockdown rules.

West Cumbria Youth Council has put together an open letter, appealing for young people to stick to the lockdown rules and do their bit.

The letter has been endorsed by the Workington AFC and Whitehaven AFC.

The youth council has also produced a short Youtube video with members of Workington Reds to help spread the message at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp4Sy86F2AY&feature=youtu.be.

Aaron Kelly and Josh Gillson, members of the Youth Parliament West Cumbria, signed the letter, which said: “As young people ourselves at West Cumbria Youth Council, we know how much of a difficult time this will be for many of you.

"With the announcement of a national lockdown last week, we must do our bit to make sure that we can return to normality as soon as possible. Although seeing friends and family may seem tempting, now is not the time.

"Now is the time to look out for each other and come together to bring an end to this pandemic.

“As part of the lockdown, the government has closed schools and all non-essential shops to ensure that everyone remains as safe as possible.

"We need to stay at home as much as we possibly can, except for food shopping, medical appointments and exercising.

"These rules are not to limit your freedom but to make sure that you stay healthy and so we don’t unknowingly spread the virus to others.

"The pandemic has affected more than just what we can and can’t do. It has impacted our future. With GCSE’s, AS and A-level exams cancelled this year, many of you applying to Apprenticeships and University, may not be clear of what the future holds.

"This may be frustrating and disappointing for many of you, as you have worked tirelessly for two years, but we shouldn’t let that go to waste now.

"Continue to work from home to make sure that on results day you get the grades you want and need.

"We are seeing many examples of you being resilient and following the rules, we thank you for that, we know it’s not easy and we too are facing difficulties ourselves in our personal and educational lives, but we will pull through together.

“The effects of isolation may be causing you to have a challenging time with your own physical and mental health.

"Please reach out if this is the case, there are organisations and groups that can help.

"From the start of the pandemic, the West Cumbria Youth Council have continued to work hard to support you."

In March and April, a survey was created to get feedback on life in lockdown. That received about 1,700 responses.

This went on to inform the government in their response to Covid-19.

They added: "We also created a short video clip sharing tips for returning to school in September. 

"Currently, we are working on understanding the problems with technology that are preventing young people from accessing online learning.

“We haven’t forgotten you. You can stay connected to us on social media where you can share your experiences with us.

"Although we have had to adapt to National lockdowns and it’s been a testing time, we are the future and now is the time to step up.

"So, we urge you, to follow the rules and to protect your family and your friends so that we all can help to prevent the spread of Covid-19 whilst vaccines are rolled out.”