THE PRIDE OF BRITAIN
So this weekend saw another major Covid-19 announcement by the Prime Minister, informing us all that England would have another lockdown similar to the lockdown earlier in the year. Once again we are being called to be responsible in the fight against this disease. Three weeks ago I wrote “In this crisis ‘We are all Leaders now’, we all have a responsibility for each other, we all need to be flexible, agile and adaptable.” This is true for us all, we are all leaders, no matter what we do, we have a collective responsibility for each other and I saw great instances of this last night.
Last night was the Pride of Britain Awards, where we saw the examples of people, young and old stepping up and stepping out, inspiring, leading and showing the way. The winners stretched across the whole nation and we heard the inspirational stories of bravery, courage and service to others.
Rhian Burke- Manning received a Special Recognition award for setting up the bereavement charity ‘2 wish Upon a Star’. This is amazing in itself, but not only did she set up the charity, but she did this after the death of her son George and her husband Paul, both within 5 days of each other. Rhian could barely function for months. She then launched 2 Wish Upon A Star, to support others suffering from the sudden loss of a child or young person, giving them the help she and Paul never had.
Marcus Rashford the Manchester United footballer, also received a special recognition award for his campaign to ensure the poorest children in Britain don’t go hungry during the holidays. He received thousands of Pride of Britain nominations, as he has won the hearts of the nation for his tireless campaigning. Alongside him was 11year old Emmie Narayan-Nicholas, a leukemia patient who was also inspired to provide meals, support and comfort to the families of seriously ill children.
Other awards went to Sir Ben Helfgott, for a lifetime of work helping fellow Holocaust survivors and educating others about the horrors of the concentration camps. He supported the establishment of the annual Holocaust Memorial Day. Herman Ousley received his special recognition award for years of campaigning against racism in football and wider society, establishing the anti-discrimination charity Kick it Out. Sebastian Williams at just 11 received an award for his bravery in scrambling 100m down a ravine to save his mum who had fallen down the mountain. There were many other inspiring stories of fundraising, starting businesses and charities following adversity and stories of support and service to others.
Many of these people I had never heard of, many just ordinary people, stepping up and stepping out to help, support and doing what they could. This was emphasised, with the final award of the evening, to the NHS frontline workers for their dedication and sacrifice particularly over the past nine months. The NHS was nominated by thousands of people across the country who saw the tremendous work done by all those working in the NHS, in some cases risking their lives to care for others. Prince William, announcing the award said “The devastating impact of the pandemic has reminded us as a nation of how much we owe to the thousands of NHS workers who have gone far beyond the call of duty this year. “They’ve worked tirelessly, with humility and compassion, in the most challenging of circumstances, putting their own lives on the line to help others.”
Kate Middleton said she and William had been “inspired” by frontline workers’ “stories of bravery and selflessness” during the pandemic. She said: “Many had to leave their families for weeks on end, some have come out of retirement to help, and others have stepped into new roles to play their part in the fight against coronavirus. Their hard work still goes on and we remain indebted to them.”
So as we go into another period of lock-down, where there will be some sacrifice and some hardship let us all step up, support each other and lead- inspired by those who are The Pride of Britain.
Have a great week everyone and remember: Your actions today can be powerful especially if they inspire others to act tomorrow.