21 Dec Get involved in the local Big Festive Thank You and ring a bell on your doorstep on Christmas Eve
This month saw the Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership launch the MSE Big Festive Thank You to spread some festive cheer and to recognise how people across mid and South Essex have come together to fight coronavirus. People have been thanking their colleagues across voluntary groups and other providers. This year with so many restrictions on every day ways to celebrate we wanted to give people an opportunity to ring a bell (rather like clap for carers) on Christmas Eve at 6pm.
We will be asking everyone to come outside and light a candle or ring a bell or doorbell for two minutes to spread some festive cheer.
We want you to create some magic for people young and old, as well as celebrating health and care staff, volunteers and communities with a message of hope for everyone. Local churches across Essex are also joining in.
The original bell ringing idea was started by Lauren Sinclair from Scotland. The aim is to spread cheer by encouraging the community to stand on their doorsteps ringing bells at 6pm on Christmas Eve and we wanted to support this across mid and south Essex.
The campaign, which runs until Thursday, 24 December, is based around the five ways to wellbeing which include giving, learning, taking a mindful moment, getting active and connecting. There are a number of different ways people can get involved.
Social media will be used to share the “thank you’s” far and wide using the hashtags #MSEBigThankYou and #2020Angels
Anthony McKeever, Executive Lead for Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership
and Joint Accountable Officer for its five CCGs, said:
“This year has been so tough for everyone but the way our local communities have united through this pandemic has been inspiring. I want to say a huge thank you to so many people including local frontline NHS and care workers, key workers, community groups and volunteers without whom we could not have kept services running as well as we have. It really feels like we are all in this together, a unified effort to look after each other at this challenging time.”
