The majority of people believe we can all be kinder to each other, according to a survey of the UK public for the British Red Cross.
Three out of four people questioned admitted they themselves could do more to be kinder to others, with a staggering 97% agreeing that if we all did one kind thing a day, the UK would be a better place.
The small acts of kindness which have had a big impact on the people surveyed included:
- A stranger at a petrol pump lending them 2p when they had no cash and were just over the £30 limit to use contactless
- Friends who’d only ever met on Twitter sending another Twitter friend a box of goodies to cheer them up when they were ill
- A neighbour nipping next door to re-plant a rose bush that had died, as a surprise
- Coming home to a house full of happy post-it note messages from a flatmate
- Being met at the door with a… cheesecake after a particularly bad day at work
Alongside the survey, the British Red Cross is launching its One Kind Thing campaign, encouraging everyone in the UK to do something kind to support its vital work.
From donating money, time or unwanted clothes, to taking part in an event, the charity is inviting us all to choose ‘one kind thing’ to ensure its volunteers can keep connecting people in crisis with people’s kindness, across the UK and the world.
“The British Red Cross connects people in crisis with people who want to help,” said Zoë Abrams, Executive Director for Communications and Advocacy at the British Red Cross. “We reach out when people need us most so they know they don’t have to face their challenges alone. These survey results show the UK public believe we can all manage to do one kind thing, and it doesn’t have to be grand scale to make a real difference.
“Even the simplest acts of kindness can start to remove some of the fear and anxiety we all feel when faced with adversity, however big or small. That’s as true in refugee camps thousands of miles away as it is on a street here in the UK. It’s heartening to see how strongly people recognise that; now we must mobilise and empower one other to create a kinder nation.”
Find out more about the One Kind Thing campaign by searching online for ‘Red Cross One Kind Thing’. You can also get involved on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Linked In, using the hashtag #OneKindThing.
