‘The 5 July 2020, which is the birthday of our NHS, is about saying thank you to everyone without whom the NHS wouldn’t have been able to respond to coronavirus.’ — NHS Chief People Officer, Prerana Issar.
The 5 July will be a moment for everyone to reflect on everything our communities have recently endured, stand in solidarity to mourn our losses, and thank those who are risking so much to keep us safe. Thanking everyone from truck drivers and cleaners to doctors and shelf stackers, all of the key workers who have kept us going. It will also be a thank you to our neighbours, the ones who did the shopping, got the prescriptions, kept an eye on each other or simply did their best to stay home and save lives. This day will be the start of the campaign for a kinder, closer and more connected country.
Our hope is that together we can kick start a change in narrative, revitalise our connections with each other and galvanise institutions into doing their bit.
How to get involved
Saying thank you, together
Share an image, picture or self-recorded video message offering thanks to someone who has supported you and why – now, during lockdown or at any time. This could be a colleague, friend, family member or neighbour.
For support from our national NHS England and NHS Improvement social media channels, please ensure videos are captured in landscape and include subtitles.
Inspire others to explore a career in the NHS
2020 has been the most challenging year for our NHS, and staff at every level have gone above and beyond to respond to COVID-19 in remarkable ways, including thousands returning to the frontline to support their colleagues. Staff have adapted their ways of working, looking after each other as well as our friends, families and loved ones. We’d like to reflect on the moving stories of our staff recently and inspire others to consider a career in the NHS.
Supporting templates for ‘thank you’ drawings
Artists and designers have come together to create special thank yous for you to customise and put in your windows for the world to see. Download your favourite one, colour it in, and add the name of the person you’d like to say thank you to.
More information and templates are available here.
Personal commitments and stories: Live Well, Work Well, Care Well
From couch to 5k and quitting smoking, to looking after our mental health and checking in with friends and colleagues; many people have begun to make small changes over the last few months to better live, work and care well. We’d like to encourage people to continue to maintain these initiatives and inspire others to do the same across social media through short videos and stories that provide useful tips and advice for others.
Saturday, 4 July
On the evening of 4 July, national landmarks will be lit up in blue as part of our collective memorial across the country. Join in by placing a light in your window – an LED candle, a lamp or a torch. We’ll encourage stories and pictures to be shared across social media.
Sunday, 5 July
At 5pm, join in a one-off clap – the loudest ever – to say thank-you to everyone who has helped us through the crisis so far. Raise a glass, mug or cuppa to our friends, families, colleagues and neighbours.
NHS England and NHS Improvement channels
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NHSEngland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NHSEngland/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nhsengland
Together Coalition
Twitter: https://twitter.com/togethercoalit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/togethercoalition/
