Positive news update: July 24th 2020

Our positive news stories have now moved to the 'stories' section of our Good and Kind website. Don't worry, we'll still be updating this on a regular basis to give you your good news fix! If you've already finished reading our collection of positive news, then head to the Good and Kind website to read more stories of positivity and kindness. Whilst you're there, why not take a look at the small things you can do to help make the world a kinder place!? 

 

Positive news update: July 17th 2020

A young girl learns to sign

Delivery drivers have been busy over the past few months, with people turning to online shopping as a result of being unable to visit stores. As a result, many of us have gotten a little friendly with our regular delivery drivers, the best example of which is shown between driver Tim Joseph and eight-year-old Tallulah. Tim is profoundly deaf, and so Tallulah has been learning sign language in order to communicate with him when he brings packages to her house. Her mum shared a clip of this heart-warming exchange, which was unsurprisingly seen by people across the world. How lovely!

A care home recreates record covers

Residents and carers at a north London care home look like they’ve been having a blast keeping themselves busy during lockdown! In order to keep residents entertained whilst the home remained closed to visitors, staff have been organising various activities, including recreating famous song and album covers. Covers which have been recreated include records from Madonna, Queen, and David Bowie and they’re just fantastic! See for yourself!

Supporting vulnerable residents

When lockdown hit, many took it upon themselves to support the most vulnerable residents in their communities. Leroy Simpson is no different. At the start of lockdown, he launched a project called ‘Harlesden Mutual Aid’, which aimed to bring his community together and deliver meals to people in need. On its first day alone, the project delivered 190 meals and has now become an important service to the community. Leroy wanted to make sure people were still having the meals they needed to not only keep them physically fit, but also mentally. What a fantastic way to support the community!

 

Positive news update: July 10th 2020

A supermarket hero

Heroes come in many shapes and forms, and this week’s hero is Ethan Dearman. The Morrisons security guard went viral after being spotted holding an umbrella over a dog standing in the rain. When asked why, he simply said: “you never know how dogs feel about the rain”. We think this lovely gesture deserves a spot on this positive news update – who doesn’t love a good dog story!?

Pen pals from across the world

Staff at a Lincoln care home recently put out a plea on social media, asking for people to become pen pals and write to residents. The post went viral, with over 43,000 shares and almost 6,000 comments from people across the world promising they would write in. Well, it seems like these people kept their promise, as staff and residents were overwhelmed with the number of letters and gifts they received. Hopefully, this means they won’t be short on pen pals for a while!

A scheme to thank the NHS

A woman in Bradford has recently launched a ‘Thank the NHS’ campaign, which asks for people’s support in saying thank you to NHS staff for their work during the coronavirus crisis. Businesses, public figures and celebrities can pledge gifts and experiences to be given to individuals working for the NHS on all levels. Staff members can either register themselves or nominate a deserving colleague to be in with a chance of winning a pledge. We think this is a lovely way to thank NHS workers and give them something special after a more than difficult few months.

 

Positive news update: July 3rd 2020

Daughter crashes BBC interview

Lockdown has meant that families across the world have had to juggle working from home with childcare, with many experiencing the inevitable collision of these two worlds. In a recent BBC interview, Dr Clare Wenham was speaking when her daughter appeared, seemingly wanting important feedback on her unicorn picture. In this hilariously sweet video, Dr Wenham’s daughter can be heard not only asking for the interviewer’s name, but also asking for both Wenham and BBC’s Christian Fraser’s feedback on where she should place her unicorn picture. Hats off to Dr Wenham and Christian, who we think handled the situation perfectly!

Care home reunites families

As we went into lockdown, care homes across the country closed to non-essential visitors, meaning that families were not able to visit their loved ones. After spending months relying on calls and video calls for communication, a care home in Essex has recently installed a clear screen and intercom in their summer house. This enables families to once again see their loved ones and speak with them in person, whilst maintaining appropriate social distancing measures. Visitors must pre-book, have their temperature taken and enter from a different side of the building to residents, and the summer house is cleaned and disinfected between each visit. What a wonderful way to reunite families after weeks apart! 

Nurse finally hugs son again

Like many key workers, Nurse Charlotte Cole had to make the difficult decision to live apart from her two year old son for nearly three months. After one of the care homes where she works had a confirmed case of COVID-19, she made the decision to move her son in with her parents. What she expected to only be a few weeks in fact turned to 11, and although she and her partner have been visiting through a window, they have not been able to hug or hold their son for the duration of lockdown. Earlier this week however, they were finally able to hug their son again, and it doesn’t surprise us to hear that there were many tears involved! It’s wonderful to hear of so many stories about families finally being able to reunite after so long apart!

 

Positive news update: June 26th 2020

Community shop ‘heroes’

Volunteers at a community shop in Thurlton have been hailed as ‘heroes’ by their local community. They have been supporting elderly people and those who are self-isolating within their communities by making regular grocery deliveries to ensure they have the supplies they need. In addition to making sure these people have the essentials, they are also providing them with some much needed social contact during a lengthy period of social isolation. So far, they have made 200 deliveries during lockdown, and the store has received a £750 grant from the Prince’s Countryside Fund to help with delivery costs for as long as they are needed. What an amazing show of support for vulnerable residents!

Bookshop sales soar

As online retailers have risen within recent years, the fate of bookshops hasn’t always been certain. However, as many people have been faced with more free time, reading seems to have taken off during lockdown, and the extent of this was shown when bookshops reopened last week. Within just six days of reopening, bookshops across the UK sold almost four million books, an increase of over 30% in sales when compared to figures for the same week last year! As a bookworm myself, I’m glad to see so many people taking up reading and supporting local bookshops!

The ‘Lockdown’ Marathon

Earlier this week, five friends came together to run what they called the ‘Lockdown’ Marathon, whilst maintaining social distancing of course. They ran a 26-mile marathon in order to raise money for NHS charities, and what made this run particularly great is that they used a GPS tracker so that their route would spell out the ‘NHS’ letters – how amazing! It’s no surprise that they smashed and surpassed their £10,000 target. Have a look at their fundraising page and check out their incredible route!

 

Positive news update: June 19th 2020

Sir Elton John praises students

A group of music students have recently performed their own, fantastic version of Sir Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” through a video call, and we’re not the only ones who were impressed. Sir Elton John himself was so impressed by the cover of his song that he sent the pupils a personal video message, telling them it really cheered him up and was so good that he watched it three times in a row! What an incredible surprise that must have been for the students!

Drive-in concerts get the go-ahead

The coronavirus crisis and lockdown have caused widespread disruption to events, including concerts and festivals – changemaker Savannah has particularly missed out on a number of these. However, plans for drive-in gigs across the UK have been announced, with some very famous names booked in to perform. These will be happening across the UK and we’re super excited to know that one will be taking place in our very own city of Lincoln! We hope this makes up for all the events you missed Savannah!

A coronavirus breakthrough

This week saw the announcement of a major breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus. A low-dose steroid treatment drug has been shown to help save the lives of seriously ill, high-risk patients with coronavirus. What makes this breakthrough even better is that the drug both already available and cheap, meaning patients across the world could benefit from its use. This much-welcomed news is timed well with the easing of lockdown and reopening of cities worldwide.

 

Positive news update: June 12th 2020

Teddy bears help social distancing

As coronavirus cases begin to decrease in countries across the world, businesses and organisations are slowly beginning to reopen and return to normal. This includes the world’s second-oldest theme park in Denmark. Like most businesses, the team at Tivoli Gardens theme park have been busy putting measures in place to ensure social distancing is possible – but with a unique and rather ‘cute’ twist. Using an ‘army of teddy bears’ to show visitors how to practice social distancing, the bears are there to occupy some of the seats on the rides so people can enjoy the attractions whilst remaining at a safe distance. I can’t say I ever thought I’d see teddy bears on a rollercoaster, but I’m definitely glad that I have – it’s adorable!

Iceland Foods adopts Chester Zoo’s penguins

Chester Zoo recently revealed that they have been seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic, to the point that their future had become uncertain. However, this heart-breaking statement sparked a wave of support for the conservation charity, with people making donations, adopting animals and buying memberships to support them. Perhaps my favourite act of support, however (and I’m rather biased), was when Iceland (not the country) adopted Chester Zoo’s Humboldt penguins! It’s great to see such an amazing act of generosity from the frozen food company, who opted to support the upkeep of the animals most typically associated with a frozen environment – I love it!

Friends sing for key workers

After a tough week at work, a radiographer at Ipswich Hospital and her nursing colleague gathered their friends together to sing a song for key workers. After recognising that her colleagues were feeling the stress of the pandemic, she decided to make a video to ‘spread cheer’ among key workers. Singing McFly’s ‘Shine A Light’, the video received over 20,000 Facebook views within days of its upload. It’s great to see people continuing to support our key workers, who are working hard to keep our country going.

 

Positive news update: June 5th 2020

A young boy’s hand-washing invention

A young boy in Kenya, aged just 9 years old, has received a presidential award after creating a hand-washing machine to stop the spread of coronavirus. As Stephen demonstrates by video, the machine allows users to avoid touching surfaces whilst washing their hands by using foot pedals to dispense soap and water. What a great invention and a very well-deserved award!

Window cleaning for good

A window cleaner working in the Great Yarmouth area has been supporting local businesses to bounce back after lockdown by washing their windows for free. Initially cleaning the windows of regular clients, he has now gone further and washed the windows of more than 700 properties. Businesses know he has visited from a note he posts through letter boxes, in which he explains he is wanting to keep them in “tip top condition” so that they can quickly bounce back once lockdown is over. What a great show of community spirit and support for local businesses!

An NHS worker reunites with her family

Many key workers have had to make the difficult and heart-breaking decision to isolate from their families whilst working on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis. One such worker is Suzie Vaughan, who works in an intensive care unit for the NHS. Suzie initially anticipated being away from her two daughters for a month, but they actually ended up spending over two months apart. However, in a video that recently went viral, Suzie is finally reunited with her daughters – be prepared to shed more than a few tears when watching this one!

 

Positive news update: May 29th 2020

A virtual trip to New York

Lockdown has meant many trips, events and holidays have been cancelled. However, people are continuing to find creative ways to mark these occasions. After a couple’s trip to New York to celebrate their 50th anniversary was cancelled, their family arranged for them to have a virtual trip, complete with videos and online tours of the places they would have seen if they were visiting in-person. The couple happily went along with the trip, having special dinners and dressing up for pictures in various virtual locations. It may not have been the holiday they had planned, but it was certainly one to remember!

 The ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’ in Berkshire

A Monty Python fan in a Berkshire village decided to add some laughter to his fellow residents’ daily walks. After putting signs outside of his house stating that people were "entering the jurisdiction of the 'Ministry of Silly Walks’", he found that residents took to the challenge of re-enacting the famous sketch. This will definitely bring a smile to your face regardless of whether you’re Monty Python fans, but will be a particular treat for those of you that are (we’re looking at changemaker Eloise here).

An ease in lockdown restrictions

Perhaps my favourite news to come from this week is the ease of lockdown restrictions allowing for groups of up to six people to meet outside from Monday 1st June. This means that friends and families can begin to meet and see each other again after months apart, as long as social distancing is practiced of course. Many of us have been apart from our loved ones, and I’ll be the first to admit that I cannot wait to see my family again, even if it is from a distance in an open space. As long as everyone continues to appropriately follow the social distancing guidelines, who knows? Maybe an overnight stay or even a hug is around the corner.

 

Positive news update: 22nd May 2020

‘Nosey’ gardens event goes online

For the past 15 years, villagers in Woodford, Northamptonshire have been opening their doors for an ‘open gardens event’, where they welcome people to walk around their picturesque gardens in order to raise money for a local church. As this can no longer go ahead under new restrictions, the decision was made to move the event online! What has been described as “Britain’s biggest excuse to be nosey” is now open to everyone to have a nose around (I’m looking at our nosey changemakers) and all donations will go to the NHS Charities Together COVID Appeal. How blooming wonderful!

A DIY wedding

The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures has meant that couples across the country (and the world) have had to press pause on their wedding plans. However, a couple from Manchester decided not to wait and decided to transform their flat so that they could do their own DIY wedding ceremony – complete with a priest made out of empty beer boxes! They then took photographs in their local park and held a virtual reception with their friends and family via social media. Now I wonder if they’ll transform their flat into a honeymoon dream…

Drones delivering medicine

Drones don’t always have the best reputation, particularly with their loud and potentially intrusive nature. However, a drone delivery service in Ireland, who intended to use their fleet to deliver takeaway food, have decided to use them as a tool for good. They have started using their drones to deliver medication and other essential supplies to isolated older people. They can deliver in as little as 3 minutes! Now that is what I call using technology for good.

 

Positive news update: 15th May 2020

International Nurses Day tributes

On the 12th May, people across the world came together to celebrate International Nurses Day and pay tribute to the nurses that are keeping our countries going through this crisis. Tributes were made across the UK; people shone lights, lit candles and shared messages of gratitude and monuments (including our very own Lincoln Cathedral) lit up blue in tribute to these key workers. Perhaps the biggest tribute of them all came from the World Health Organisation, who named 2020 as the Year of the Nurse. It’s great to see that even in lockdown, people continue to find ways to pay tribute and give thanks to our key workers.

A socially distanced hug for changemaker Jo

Perhaps one of (if not the) hardest parts of lockdown is being unable to visit family members and loved ones. However, that hasn’t stopped family members from finding creative ways to stay connected and lift each other’s spirits. This week, changemaker Jo’s cousin sent her a letter containing a ‘socially distanced hug’ in the form of a threaded bracelet. It’s safe to say that this lovely gesture put a smile on all of our faces – have a look below!

Another surprise afternoon tea for changemaker Chloe

Last week we showed you the lovely afternoon tea delivered to changemaker Chloe by her adorable nieces. This week, she was lucky enough to get yet another afternoon tea delivery! Her close friend Ruth, who runs Betsy’s Vintage Pop-up tearooms, left a Great British afternoon tea on her doorstep, complete with handmade sandwiches, sausage rolls and cakes! I can’t even pretend I’m not jealous – just look at how delicious it was!

 

Positive news update: 7th May 2020

Lockdown photo-shoots

When faced with no work because of event cancellations, a photographer in Rutland decided to get creative with her neighbours. Accompanied by her five-year-old daughter (i.e. her creative director) has been using her daily exercise to conduct “lockdown photo-shoots” with her neighbours, at a safe social distance of course. The results are nothing short of fantastic and it has been a great way for her to connect with people and understand their way of lockdown-life.

A drive-through disco

Staff at a Yarmouth care home in Norfolk got creative this week and found a new, fun way for families to see their loved ones whilst maintaining a safe social distance. In an event signed off by Norfolk Police, residents were able to take part in a ‘drive-through disco’, which involved family members driving past residents who sang and waved flags. What a lovely way to keep families connected during these strange times!

Surprise afternoon tea for our changemakers

In case you haven’t noticed, we changemakers love our tea. Chloe and I are known in the office for loving tea perhaps a little too much (although there’s no such thing in my eyes), and this week we were both surprised with homemade afternoon teas! Believe it or not, these two events were completely unrelated and it goes without saying that we were both in tears from these acts of kindness.

Last week, I was told I couldn’t go downstairs for an hour – which was unnerving to say the least. However, when I was told to pick one of my many teas and go downstairs to the kitchen, I found that my partner had put together an afternoon tea complete with homemade scones and cakes. Take a look below!

On Monday, Chloe received a text from her adorable nieces telling her to go downstairs, only to find that they had boxed up an afternoon tea, including homemade cakes and scones, and left it on her doorstep to find! Just look how sweet it was!

 

Positive news update: 1st May 2020

‘Keepy-uppies’ for charity

A ten-year-old footballer has set a goal of doing one ‘keepy-uppy’ for each UK key worker in order to raise money for charity. This equates to a whopping 7.1 million keepy-uppies! She is currently managing 2,000 per day, which is incredible considering I struggle with one. So far, she has raised over £1,600 for nine charities. Incredible!

Pamper bags for the NHS

A cleaning firm director posted an idea on a local community forum to create pamper packages for key workers, who currently have little time to themselves, and it’s safe to say the community liked the idea. The community rallied together to donate hundreds of ‘pamper’ items, including chocolate, discount vouchers from local businesses and hand sanitiser. This is just the latest in a series of heart-warming acts by communities, and I don’t know about you but we are loving them!

Captain Tom Moore’s birthday!

In case you didn’t know (although I’m not sure how you wouldn’t), it was Capt. Tom Moore’s 100th birthday this week! In response to his inspirational efforts to raise money for the NHS (which, by the way, has now surpassed £32 million) people across the nation, including a few famous faces, rallied together to send him some birthday cards. Well, when I say ‘some’ I actually mean over 125,000! This gives us just a small idea of how many people he reached with his inspiring story. Happy birthday Captain Tom!

 

Positive news update: 24th April 2020

A carer’s heartfelt gift

At Thistleton Lodge Care Home, war veteran Ken Benbow slept with a photograph of his late wife by his bed every night. Now, thanks to carer Kia Tobin, he can sleep with her ‘every night in his arms’. Knowing how much he missed his wife, Kia had a cushion printed with a picture of her on. Ken’s reaction to receiving this gift is nothing short of wholesome and I challenge you to watch it without shedding a tear or two (or ten in our case).

An 11-year-old (virtually) climbs the three peaks

‘Captain Ben’, aged 11, has completed the virtual equivalent of the three peaks challenge by climbing his stairs over 1,500 times in under 24 hours. Inspired by Capt. Tom Moore (who, by the way, has now received the Pride of Britain Award), Ben spent over 17 hours on Sunday climbing his stairs in a bid to raise money for the NHS. He travelled the equivalent of 3,408 metres and raised over £3,000. I don’t know about you, but we’re loving the innovative ways in which people are completing physical milestones in order to raise money our key workers!

The beauty of lower pollution levels

We already mentioned the huge drop in pollution levels in our top ten positive news stories blog, but now we’re starting to see the beautiful impact of this, we want to give it a place in this week’s positive news spotlight. In light of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, people around the world have been capturing picturesque views that have been made possible through this reduction in pollution. Some of India’s most polluted cities have cleaner air and the Himalayas are visible from cities for the first time in 30 years, which has led to some of the most amazing views and pictures – take a look for yourself!

Changemaker Sophie’s birthday!

We had another birthday this week and once again we asked The Garden Tea Room if they would be able to put a cake together to help us celebrate. Just look how delicious the cake was!

 

Positive news update: 17th April 2020

A Grimsby teacher delivering school meals

The assistant head at Western Primary School in Grimsby has been walking around five miles every day to deliver school meals to up to 80 children at home. Children and adults have been waving to him on his travels, giving him praise and describing him as a hero. However, Mr Powles says he is just doing his job in a way that he’d never expected to do. Well, we think he’s going above and beyond and deserves a place in this week’s positive news blog!

Residents expressing thanks and gratitude to bin crews

Residents across the country are using cards, pictures and messages to thank their bin collection crews who continue to work during the coronavirus crisis. In addition to waves and applauds, people have been finding creative ways to express their gratitude to these key workers. They have been creating their own thank you cards, offering thank you rocks, sticking art to bins and even leaving out sweets for the crews! A little bit of kindness goes a long way, and it’s great to see people continuing to find ways to safely express their gratitude to key workers across the country.

Image credit: BBC News

Army veteran raises over £13 million for the NHS

You must have heard about this, but if not, we’re here to make sure you have. 99-year-old Army veteran Captain Tom Moore pledged to complete 100 laps of his garden before turning 100 on the 30th April in order to raise £1,000. Completing his final lap on the 16th April, to say he met and surpassed his target would be a HUGE understatement. He has so far raised a whopping £17 million (and counting!) for NHS workers! He has received messages of support and thanks from people across the country, including NHS workers, sports personalities and politicians, and was met with a guard of honour from the 1st Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment upon completing his final lap. If this inspiring story doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, I don’t know what will!

Celebrating Savannah’s birthday

This week was our changemaker Savannah’s birthday. Usually, we like to decorate the office and shower the birthday desk with confetti (sorry Kelly). Obviously, this can’t happen right now, but we’re sticklers for celebrating a birthday! We decided to instead look local and see if we could get a cake delivered. The amazing Garden Tea Room in North Hykeham, Lincoln was able to put together a cake for us and have it delivered to Savannah’s house, and just look how good it looks!

 

That brings us to the end of this week’s positive news blog. If you come across any positive news stories, please get in touch and share these with us. We’ll continue to provide you with a weekly summary of some of the positive news stories circulating our media. Until then, be happy and be safe.