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The spirit raisers The inspiring individuals
In the middle of lockdown, a smile, a laugh and a chance to escape the everyday were needed as much as the bare essentials. That’s where happiness-spreading heroes Jason Baird and Andrew Baldock came into their own. Known as the Stockport Spidermen, the two friends raised their community’s spirits by doing daily runs around Stockport in superhero costumes, while raising more than £40,000 for NHS charities. Quizzes were part and parcel of the lockdown experience for many as a way to get together online and break from the every day. But few quizzes were as successful as Jay Flynn’s weekly pub quiz which launched online to give people a little light relief in the lockdown and attracted half a million people every week. The quizzes also raised £750,000, some of which went to the homelessness charity that helped Jay when he was a street sleeper a decade ago. Meanwhile, rainbows have been the universal sign of hope during the pandemic, an idea popularised in the UK by Ipswich mum Crystal Stanley. She came up with the idea after seeing
Even in the face of uncertainty and fear, there were certain extraordinary individuals who came forward to make an incredible difference this year.
Realising early on that people who were self-isolating may struggle to get the help they needed, Becky Wass from Cornwall came up with a postcard that could be shared on social media, then printed and posted through a neighbour’s door so they could request shopping, urgent supplies or a friendly phone call. Her postcard idea went viral and helped so many communities support those most in need.
Meanwhile, Sali Hughes, cofounder of the charity Beauty Banks aimed to get essential toiletries to people in poverty, especially after stockpiling left shelves bare. something similar online in Italy and so created a local rainbow trail, encouraging people to paint, draw or craft a rainbow to display in their windows. The Queen later referenced the rainbows in a speech describing them as the symbol of the UK’s “national spirit” in the face of the pandemic.
And of course, we can’t forget the weekly Clap for Carers, a chance to show our thanks and unite with our neighbours. The brainchild of Annemarie Plas, it was inspired by something she’d seen in the Netherlands. Initially just a one-off, our nation cheered its key workers for ten weeks.
She raised £60,000 to pay for soap, sanitiser, washing powder and other items to help people in financial difficulties, including those who found themselves newly struggling because of the pandemic.
Around the country many people rallied to sew face masks and other items for key workers, but the story of sisters Lucy and Libby Garmston, aged eight and 13, who spent hours sewing PPE for medical staff after their great-uncle died of Covid-19, really touched us.
Another youngster, 16-year-old student Nina Anderson, came up with a clever way of giving isolated older people in care homes a little human contact by launching Community Senior Letters. Her project enlisted primary school children to write letters to residents in care homes where visitors were banned, making a huge difference to their mood.
The effect of the pandemic on the nation’s mental health was addressed by psychotherapist Ruth Chaloner when she launched The Help Hub, a free online emotional support service for anyone experiencing loneliness, depression or anxiety during lockdown and led to more than 800 qualified therapists lending their expertise to the service free of charge.
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