Since the beginning of lockdown, an estimated 43 million people across the UK have done something kind to help others, according to research carried out by the British Red Cross.
To say thank you to this incredible number of people, the British Red Cross has taken over the iconic Piccadilly Circus billboard, illuminating the West End of London, after the advertising space was kindly donated to the charity.
There has been an outpouring of kindness across the UK; with almost 80,000 people signing up to volunteer with the British Red Cross and supporting some of the most vulnerable people during the crisis. Millions more have been performing incredible acts of kindness in their communities.
Some of these wonderful actions include handwritten letters to friends and family, providing icing sugar and flour to a neighbour to make a birthday cake, and children drawing pictures to stick to their wheelie bins to cheer up refuse collectors. Someone even went through their entire address book and called anyone they thought could be lonely.
Recently, British Red Cross volunteer, Emmanuel Cudjoe from Bromley, London (pictured below) has been delivering vital supplies of food and medicine to the homes of vulnerable refugees in Hackney.
“I’m volunteering whenever I can really – evenings, weekends and early mornings,” explains Emmaunuel. “There’s no point waiting until after Covid-19 and thinking ‘oh I could have done more’ when it’s too late. There are people out there who are really struggling – people have told me they can’t access the basic supplies they need to stay alive and that’s absolutely devastating. It’s important that we come together to show kindness, because I’ve seen how small actions can make a big impact on the lives of so many people.”
Kindness is always important, and now is a time that simple small actions can make a huge difference to other people.
“Whilst this virus may keep us apart, kindness will keep us together,” says Zoë Abrams, Executive Director at the British Red Cross. “We want to say thank you to every single person who has shown kindness during this difficult time.”
The charity is calling on the public to send their own message of thanks to someone who has shown kindness to them, either by picking up the phone, or sending a message on social media #PowerOfKindness.
To give help or to get help go to the British Red Cross website.
