People in Leeds are being encouraged to take part in the ‘Big Thank You’ campaign this winter which launched on Thursday 6 December and runs through to February 2019.
The campaign is a partnership approach involving the city’s NHS organisations, Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police (Leeds District), British Transport Police and community and voluntary organisations who are recognising the dedication and hard work that staff do every year to help people through winter.
The campaign, launched with the Yorkshire Evening Post, gives people in Leeds a chance to recognise the city’s unsung winter heroes from all walks of life, such as unpaid carers and community groups supporting people every day.
Councillor Rebecca Charlwood, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing at Leeds City Council, said: “We know that so many people in Leeds are helping people stay well and help to keep the city going throughout winter and all year round.
“The campaign gives you the chance to say thanks, and encourages people to do a little bit more this year by taking simple steps to look after themselves, their loved ones and any vulnerable neighbours.
“We know winter can be a tough time for many and demand on services increases, so saying thank you will really help to boost the morale of all those who volunteer their time locally or work in a service close to you.
“If you know a colleague, neighbour, friend or family member or an unpaid carer who has gone over and beyond for people, why not say a ‘Big Thank You’ to them on the following website www.bigthankyouleeds.co.uk”
Chief Inspector Lorna McEwan, from British Transport Police said: “We’re really pleased to be joining the ‘Big Thank You’ campaign – we can all make a difference and what better time than at Christmas to thank those who do just that.
“Whether it is a neighbour or a friendly face that cheers you up every day – you can nominate them through the website where you can also pick up some tips on how to be a winter hero. We also want to thank our staff who work so hard throughout the year and in particular during winter, as we have challenging weather conditions and we do say thanks to individuals but sometimes not everyone is recognised for their hard work and going that extra mile.
“British Transport Police will be patrolling stations over Christmas as we do every day of the year – if you see us, why not spread some festive cheer by stopping to say hello.”
The campaign is also encouraging people to make at least one pledge so that they too can be winter heroes. This could include getting the flu jab, looking out for vulnerable neighbours and being prepared for any spells of wintry weather.
Local people are also being encouraged to attend two community events to thank their winter heroes; these will be taking place at the following venues:
- Leeds Market, Wednesday 12 December 10am – 4pm
- Leeds Bus Station, Wednesday 19 December 10am – 4pm
Find out more and say thanks today at www.bigthankyouleeds.co.uk
ENDS
Notes to editor
The campaign has two elements to it:
- The Big Thank You.. To Our Winter Heroes – this celebrates people, teams and services across Leeds that make a difference during winter. Examples might include people that loaned their 4×4 vehicles to support community nursing staff, services that pulled together to deliver great support and volunteers that checked in on the elderly over winter. People can choose to thank their neighbour, a carer or a colleagues – anyone who they feel deserves that recognition because of the help they provided this or previous winters. People will be able to do this by visiting the following website bigthankyouleeds.co.uk where they will be able to post their thank you or upload a video. This will then encourage them to become a Winter Hero…
- Be A Winter Hero – raising awareness on becoming a Winter Hero this year through easy-to-adopt tips for what people can do to help others and reduce the strain on services. Examples might include people looking after themselves (eg getting a flu jab), look after a neighbour (eg picking up a prescription / shopping) or being prepared (eg keeping an eye out on the weather) and individuals will be able to share this on Big Thank You website bigthankyouleeds.co.uk
Issued by the communications team at NHS Leeds CCG. You can contact the team on 0113 84 35528 or 0113 84 35470. Alternatively please email us: [email protected]