We can get through this together
In the midst of a global pandemic, Closer looks at the heart-warming ways people are finding to stay positive...
For many people in the UK, the coronavirus first felt like something that was happening far away.
But as Closer went to press, there were 3,269 confirmed cases on our shores – with the figure rising every day.
The government has imposed drastic measures, with all schools closed, large public events – including the London Marathon and Glastonbury Festival – cancelled, and people advised to stay at home.
Rumours of a total lockdown have circulated, which, it’s claimed, could see people only able to leave the house with permission from authorities.
And during his now-daily briefings to the nation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was willing to take “further and faster” measures in coming days.
POSITIVES
But despite causing shock, panic, and bewilderment across the country, the scare has also had some unexpectedly heartwarming effects.
Community groups and volunteers all over the UK have mounted efforts to help elderly and vulnerable people to get food parcels and run errands.
And videos, uploaded to social media, have shown residents on lockdown in apartment blocks in Denmark, Italy and
New York getting out onto balconies and singing together. Even celebrities have shared their musical talents. Popstars, including John Legend, Pink, and Gary Barlow have livestreamed “at home” concerts.
Mum-of-three Charlotte Bond is one of the many people across the UK who is trying to find the positives during such an unsettling time.
Charlotte, 50, says, “My daughter Amelia, 20, has
Down’s syndrome. She’s in the at-risk category, so was placed into self-isolation. At the same time, I started getting symptoms of the coronavirus – a cough and aching joints – so, stuck at home together, I had a lot of time on my hands. I started to think of ways I could fill it.”
Having previously worked on fundraising campaigns for Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Red Cross, and even Live Aid, Charlotte quickly started thinking of ways she could help.
She says, “I knew that, if we all pulled together, we could make this situation bearable.”
Charlotte, who lives in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, created a Facebook group called TORPEDOS, and invited her friends and neighbours. She appealed for those with skills, time or resources to help out those who were self-isolating.
Charlotte explains, “The name is an anagram of ‘doorstep’ and I also thought it would resonate with the generation that had survived World War II – the same generation who are most vulnerable.
“Within hours, I was flooded with replies of help, from free food deliveries to the elderly, dog walkers, and people who will phone the elderly to chat and check up on them.
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
“I was even contacted by GPs offering to answer medical questions and counsellors giving mental health support.”
Charlotte also printed 3,500 postcards with key phone numbers and information written on them, which will be dropped into letterboxes and put up in shops by volunteers.
Charlotte says, “I work on the campaign 18 hours a day. It’s great to help others, but I do it for myself, too.
“We can’t pretend coronavirus is going to go away soon or be easy, but together we can make this horrific situation better. The sense of community and love I’ve experienced is mind-blowing.
“We’re often faced with a lot of bad news, and led to believe that people aren’t kind to one another. But it’s times like this when we find that, actually, it’s quite the opposite.”
Closer looks at other people who have found a silver lining during this difficult time...