Annemarie Plas

Clap for carers founder: We must not swap community for snitching

“HI WINSTON, how are you today?” “I’m good, and how are you, Mrs P?” Since lockdown started in late March, I have started talking to my postman almost daily, simultaneously learning who was living and working in our local community, and kept it going while we were safe in our homes.

When I started Clap For Our Carers I thought it might just be me and a few friends on FaceTime. But — certainly in the early weeks — I received warmhearted messages of connecting and longing for the Thursday applause.

Getting to know Winston is just one of my personal experiences of community spirit that happened during the lockdown. I could fill this page with shared stories, from front-door concerts to Zoom applauses with elderly family members. Clap For Our Carers taught us that by showing gratitude, we connect. We connected with our communities, we looked out for neighbours, and thanked the NHS, key workers, bin collectors, delivery staff, etc.

And I’d bet that every time you saw children’s rainbow drawings in windows, big ad spaces with “THANK YOU NHS & KEYWORKERS”, or any other gesture of gratitude, that it made you feel warm inside, brought a little smile to your face, or connected you to your sense of “gratitude”. Gratitude moves us. It touches us and makes us relate to those we were thankful for during the lockdown.

As time goes by, we are experiencing first hand the importance of being connected, the importance of face-to-face contact, and even the importance of touch, like cuddling. It is just as important as food, sunshine, and sports to avoiding stress and helping us to stay healthy during the Covid-19 crisis. Studies show the importance of touch on health and wellbeing.

At the start of the pandemic the Government seemed to realise how much community mattered. That’s why I was surprised when policing minister Kit Malthouse suggested we start snooping on our neighbours to check they are obeying the rules. That is the surest way to fuel blame culture and division, threatening those vital connections we have forged in this difficult time. It could not be a worse idea. The last thing we need is neighbours to turn against each other. Dominic Cummings, the time has come to change the slogan. I suggest: Stay Healthy > Express Gratitude > Care For Community.

⬤ Annemarie Plas is the founder of Clap For Our Carers

Snooping on our neighbours threatens the vital connections we have made during the pandemic