Tag: unsung heroes

Are you celebrating National Thank You Day?

  • National Thank You Day, backed by Lorraine Kelly, Dame Katherine Grainger and Tom Kitchin, will give thanks to those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic
  • Tartan Tea Parties, BBQs and picnics are set to take place across Scotland to celebrate local heroes
  • UK Government Communities Secretary thanks community heroes and encourages all to fill the airwaves with tributes to everyone who played their part

The UK Government is celebrating Thank You Day to shine a light on Scotland’s unsung heroes who have served local communities during the pandemic.

With backing from a host of Scottish celebrities including TV’s Lorraine Kelly, olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger and Scotland’s youngest Michelin starred chef Tom Kitchin, the day is set to give thanks to those who have gone the extra mile to help their neighbours.

The campaign for Thank You Day was started by a small group of people from across the UK including Debbie Matthew, a stroke survivor from Perthshire, and May Parsons, the nurse who administered the UK’s first Covid jab.

Thanks to their efforts, people around the country will be gathering to show their gratitude by hosting Covid safe Tartan Tea Parties, BBQs, picnics, and certificate ceremonies in honour of those who have selflessly given their time to help those in need.

UK Government Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is also calling on people to fill the UK’s airwaves with their thanks and tributes on local radio and social media.

Unsung heroes include people such as:

  • Faith leaders who embraced technology to ensure communities could celebrate religious festivals online and opened up places of worship as vaccination centres
  • The many volunteers who delivered food parcels and those who were always there at the other end of the phone or on the doorstep to smile, listen and talk so people did not feel alone
  • Volunteers and charities who worked to get rough sleepers off the streets and provided lifesaving support for those fleeing domestic abuse
  • Council staff, social workers and refuse collectors who kept vital services going during the most challenging times.

The Prime Minister will be joining the festivities with a ‘BB-Thank-Q’, hosting community leaders, NHS workers and representatives from the Royal Voluntary Service.

UK Government Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: This past year has been challenging for us all. But in the darkest of times, when people were most in need, the actions of our friends and neighbours to support our communities have shone the brightest.

“Across all faiths, ages, backgrounds and languages, our communities have shown off the best of this country.

“You are all our community heroes and on behalf of the UK Government I want to say thank you.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The past year has been incredibly challenging for all of us, but the kindness, generosity and community spirit shown across Scotland has been truly heartening.

“From every one of our key workers who kept services going in the most difficult of circumstances, to our voluntary groups who worked tirelessly to help those in need, the people that delivered food parcels to their neighbours, there are so many in Scotland that went above and beyond to support their communities.

“The UK Government is proud to be supporting Thank You Day to pay tribute to all those who deserve our sincere gratitude.”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is holding a Tartan Tea party to mark the day with staff and families from the Scottish parliament.

She said: “It has been heartening to hear stories of people across Scotland who have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide support to friends, families and neighbours throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is important we pause to recognise their efforts.

“Thank You Day gives us the opportunity to express in person our gratitude to those who go out of their way to offer their time and help – and I am hugely grateful to all those who have done so already and continue to do so.

“By heeding the various rules and public health advice and enabling others to do the same, you are protecting the vulnerable and helping suppress the virus.”

Nominate your unsung Heart Hero

Entries to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Virtual Heart Hero Awards 2021 are now open and the charity is asking you to nominate your local heart hero.

It is an opportunity to honour the health professionals and members of the public going above and beyond to help save and improve the lives of those with heart and circulatory diseases. And this year there is an additional reason to celebrate, as the BHF marks its 60th anniversary.

Last year five inspirational Scottish winners were honoured, including:

  • 9-year-old Fraser Cameron, from Giffnock, who scooped the Young Heart Hero Award after walking 100 miles with his dad Ewen in memory of his granny who died from heart disease, raising more than £3,000 for the BHF.
  • The Paul Lynas Memorial Group, from West Lothian, who won the Fundraising in the Community Award, after raising more than £35,000 in honour of their friend Paul Lynas who died after a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of just 37.
  • Margaret McWilliam, from Aberdeenshire, who was honoured with the Charity Champion Award after raising tens of thousands of pounds for the BHF and helping hundreds of people learn life saving CPR.
  • Liz Douglas, from Aberdeenshire, who was given the HealthCare Hero Award for her work as a nurse over the last twenty years, supporting patients and their families with heart and circulatory diseases.
  • Staff and Students at the University of St Andrews, who took the Retail Partner Award after helping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the BHF and providing much needed stock for BHF shops, reducing waste in the community.

The last 12 months have been the hardest in the BHF’s 60-year history. The Covid-19 crisis has had a devastating impact on its income and as a result, research funding had to be cut in half this year.

As a result, a special award is being added this year – Innovative Fundraiser – to acknowledge those who found new and creative ways of raising money as fundraising events across the country were postponed and cancelled.

A ‘Heart Hero’ can be anyone: From a nurse or doctor working in the field of heart disease who has helped a family, to a young person with heart disease who has shown incredible courage and determination, or a fantastic fundraiser.

All nominees will be invited to a star-studded online awards ceremony premiering live on YouTube on World Heart Day on September 29th, when the winners will be announced.

There are three categories for nominations: My Healthcare Hero, Innovative Fundraiser and Young Heart Hero (under 18).

James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “Following the huge success of last year’s Virtual Heart Hero Awards, this year’s event will again be virtual. It has been an incredibly challenging year for heart and circulatory disease patients and their families, for our research community and for the BHF.

“That is even more reason to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our supporters who have gone above and beyond, despite the pandemic, to help us beat heartbreak forever”.

For more information about the criteria and to nominate your 2021 BHF Heart Hero visit,  www.bhf.org.uk/heartheroes.

Deadline extended to win a brand new team kit

As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, UK branded products and clothing specialist Recognition Express has extended the deadline for U16  Junior and juvenile  football clubs across England and Scotland  to nominate their unsung club heroes.

The prize is a brand- new strip for the whole team next season and the extended deadline for free online entry is now 30 April.

The Recognition Express franchise has local branches across England and Scotland each run by owner operators who play an active part in the communities they serve.

Nigel Toplis, managing director of Recognition Express, said: “Our annual Unsung Heroes competition is a fantastic way to recognise those who support junior football clubs.

“In these unprecedented times we appreciate that clubs need all the help they can get, which is why we are extending the deadline for entries.

“Anyone who goes over and above for the club can be nominated; from coaches and caretakers to club secretaries and groundsmen, anyone whose selflessness and commitment allows girls and boys to enjoy football in a safe, friendly and welcoming environment.

“With club sponsorship hard to come by in the best of times and with the added financial pressure facing mums and dads at the moment, Recognition Express wants to offer local teams the chance to start next season on a high note with in a brand new strip, in a design of their choosing.

“As specialists in recognition products, promotional items and branded clothing, it makes sense for us to combine donating a new team strip to a local junior football clubs whilst recognising an unsung hero. It gives us the chance to recognise the contribution these unsung heroes make and give something back to the communities our franchisees serve.”

Anyone can nominate a junior football club hero. The competition is open to all under 16’s junior and juvenile football clubs in England and Scotland.

To enter visit https://www.recognition-express.com/nominate-football-hero and complete the simple entry form.

The competition closes on Thursday 30  April 2020 and the winner will be announced from Monday 11 May.