The Big Thank You: Help us say thanks to our community heroes

This month, we want to celebrate the district’s unsung heroes and we need your help.

Two words have never been more important than they are at this time: Thank you.

It is a small gesture that we must never take for granted - and often it is the hardest phrase to say.

As a nation, we are facing one of the biggest challenges imaginable. Our resolve and resilience have never been tested in this way before.

Since March 23 - and even longer for some of our most vulnerable - we have been parted from our loved ones, shielded the defenceless and formed a protective ring around the National Health Service so that it can help those who need it the most.

It has come at a cost and there has been a tragic price to pay as coronavirus sweeps the country. Sadly thousands of loved ones have succumbed to the virus leaving many families struggling to compound their loss as they grieve alone.

It has been incredibly tough - we are living in extraordinary times. Yet it is during times of great crisis that human compassion truly comes to the fore.

And it is that community spirit, that compassion, that we want to celebrate this month with our campaign, The Big Thank You.

Your Express, along with other JPIMedia titles across the country, want to showcase the astonishing lengths key workers and voluntary organisations have gone to over the last ten weeks.

And we will continue to do so as we find our way through the next phase of this crisis.

We want your help to do this. Over the coming weeks, we are asking you, our readers, to share your pictures and messages to those who have made such a difference to your lives during lockdown.

For those making the ultimate sacrifice on the frontline in our hospitals their decisions - under a pressure they have never faced before - have truly meant the difference between life and death.

Meanwhile, thousands of people across the country answered the call to join the nation’s volunteer army to support the National Health Service and become a lifeline to those who were unable to leave their homes.

For others it can be a simple remarkable act of kindness that has resonated with them: be it a trip to the shop, a friendly wave to a vulnerable neighbour or a rainbow in a window.

And titles like ours have been with you every single step of the way sharing those stories of resilience and brilliance in our communities.

We are surrounded by a nation of unsung heroes, and we want to say a Big Thank You to every one of them.

The Big Thank You is designed to thank those who have made a difference to your life in lockdown.

Lucy Gill wanted to say a Big Thank You to all the staff at Half Acres Primary Castleford.

She said: “I was scared about my son going back and how he would adapt but all the staff have been brilliant.

“The measures they’ve quickly put in place are so reassuring and there’s always a friendly face to greet us on a morning.

“Furthermore as NHS staff I feel confident my son is being well taught and cared for taking the pressure of me to concentrate on my job. Well done everyone!”

From teachers and waste collectors to shopkeepers and social workers, we need your help to thank the thousands of people who have kept our communities going during this crisis.

Whether they were picking up shopping or offering a much-needed break with an hour of entertainment over Zoom, they’re all superstars in our eyes.

Has someone made a difference to you in lockdown? Maybe it’s a neighbour who’s gone the extra mile, or a family member who’s helped you out.

Email [email protected] with details about your community heroes (and photos, if you’d like) for a chance to be featured as part of our Big Thank You campaign.