‘DON’T hug a granny’ is the latest Government soundbite to hit the headlines.

There must be mixed reactions to this one in homes across the country: distressed heartbreak and anguish for those desperate to see loved ones who have been quarantined in care homes; worried thoughts from youngsters at school whose routines and certainties have been disrupted so confusingly over the past year.

For those bereaved who have so tragically lost grandparents without even getting a chance to hold their hand, let alone hug them, the reaction must be of shattered grief, frustration and even anger.

Who is granny anyway? The old lady with dementia looking bewildered staring from the care home window? The cheery wifie at the checkout in the supermarket, always helpful though on the late shift again? The doctor in ICU, gowned up in PPE, struggling under claustrophobic heat, only focused on doing all she can to save your life?

Grannies come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, all stages of life.

They are not all retired, poorly or in care homes. Many are in their prime, contributing to all areas of society but all too often invisible, regarded as a diminishing asset, even a liability. Millions are unpaid carers, ‘saving the NHS’ in a real and invaluable way.

This generation of women have experienced a lifetime of unequal pay and pension provisions. Many have had opportunities their grandmothers could not have dreamed of, while others have had their careers sidelined by child-rearing, sexism and a glass ceiling that is only now starting to crack. Now, whether with grandchildren or not, vulnerable or fit, we’re not even getting any hugs!

Of course, we all appreciate the message is to protect older vulnerable people from a real danger of inadvertently transmitting the virus. But governments must value older women for what we have contributed and are still contributing. Treat us with respect and listen to our voice in society, not put all grannies in the same basket!

In my opinion, “grannies’ rights are for life, not just for Christmas”.