Small business owner battling terminal cancer in face of lockdown hardship

Craig Cannell runs Your the Hero Training which offers health and safety training courses to other businesses and has been losing out on income because of the level four coronavirus restrictions.

Craig Cannell
Author: Clyde NewsPublished 24th Nov 2020

A Hamilton man who is living with terminal cancer is telling Clyde News every day he has to juggle providing for his family with his health.

Craig Cannell runs Your the Hero Training which offers health and safety training courses to other businesses and has been losing out on income because of the level four coronavirus restrictions.

However, he says he's not able to claim for any support from the Government because his profit margins are not high enough.

He said: “It’s a very difficult place to be at the minute especially when there is no support for me to provide for my family because that's the biggest motivator anybody has.

“Not getting the help I need is tough because it means I don’t know if I will be able to pay my mortgage each month.”

Guidance around shielding during the first lockdown meant essential supplies like medication and food parcels were delivered and he had no reason to leave the house.

However, there is currently no requirement for people to go back into shielding again in any part of Scotland.

The 34-year-old is worried for his safety this time around because he still has to leave the house for essential reasons and will be around more people.

“If I am getting cancellations due to these restrictions then I should be put into shielding because I should not be working in the first place, but I need to find a way of providing for my family.”

“Nobody is policing the restrictions that are in place.

“You do not see anyone being told to wear a mask properly and that it covers your nose.

“It’s controversial, but the shielding advice should be updated because if the R rate is that high that we have to go back into lockdown then surely the shielding community should be protected again.”