Let us continue the kindness

Let us continue the kindness

The last few months have been notable for many reasons. We will no doubt look back on them with our unique memories, some painful, some nostalgic but all indelible. The direction of countless lives has been changed for good. Alongside terrible suffering and anguish have been heart warming acts of kindness and charity.

In the U.K. the earliest example of this was the governments call for an army of 250,000 volunteers to help support the NHS. Within 24 hours, a staggering half a million individuals had answered that call, offering up their time and energy, often at great personal risk, to come together and fight the common enemy.

The personal desire to do something positive is probably best exemplified by the endurance of Captain Tom Moore. His spirit touched people far and wide. Their collective generosity had raised £32m for his NHS appeal by the time of his 100th birthday.

We have seen many examples of businesses, large and small, donating their profits or resources to the common cause. As a small example, shirt-makers to royalty (Turnbull & Asser) have become manufacturers of PPE for our doctors and nurses, woollen mills (Begg & Co.) have produced new lines of NHS blue inspired garments, whose profits have been donated to the NHS. Luxury hotels (Hotel Football & The Stock Exchange Hotel) have been transformed into temporary havens of rest and relaxation for our front-line workers, too exhausted or nervous to return home for fear of putting their families in danger. Then there are the larger companies who have established new charitable foundations to help those in need.

At an individual level, there are countless examples of executives and their fellow employees who have been suspending, cutting or donating their pay in order to help where possible. The same can be said of companies that have put a freeze on billing their clients in order to aid their cash flow. Neighbours have devised window displayed colour-coded schemes to identify those living close by who need help.

Consumers are also becoming more thoughtful about how they can support their local businesses and communities. Voucher schemes have been voluntarily set-up by concerned citizens (Buy Now Eat Later), designed to allow customers to buy tokens today to support the welfare of local shopkeepers, restaurateurs and inn-keepers, so they can be redeemed sometime in the future when their doors finally open once more.

This is written at a time that coincides with the 75th VE Day celebrations. The scale of the events and challenges are vastly different in many ways but there are obvious parallels. The common goal to achieve victory, the realisation that time will heal but not without having overcome the many and challenging hurdles ahead. Today the bunting has been put out, social distancing street parties are taking place. Now, just like the many times before, the human spirit refuses to be dampened.

While we continue to live under the spectre of the virus it is somehow heartening to witness the incredible and new found clarity of the sunsets and the brightness of the moon and night sky. Just as this will live long in the memory, if our collective, resurgent kindness was to radiate as powerfully and consistently into the future as it has done in the last few months that would truly be a wonderful outcome.

There is no reason why the kindness should end. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we undertook to commit to a more compassionate and giving future together.