Charity inviting Shropshire communities to ‘show and share kindness’

A Shrewsbury-based charity is asking people to highlight the kindness that is happening in their local communities.

The callout comes from Shropshire Rural Communities Charity (Shropshire RCC) as part of its ‘Shropshire Kindness Week’, which is taking place from 8 to 14 March.

The campaign aims to share acts of kindness that have particularly helped people during the Covid-19 crisis, and to inspire people to show kindness to someone local who they think deserves it.

Shropshire RCC will also use the week to highlight some of the work done by its volunteers and staff.

The charity has continued to operate throughout the pandemic, including helping newly-established community groups, distributing grants to groups and individuals in need and supporting their volunteers to continue delivering services to hearing aid wearers by making socially-distanced ‘doorstep’ repairs.

Most recently it has spearheaded the recruitment drive for Covid-19 vaccine and rapid testing centre volunteers in the County.

Julia Baron, CEO of Shropshire RCC, said: “It goes without saying that the past year has been extremely challenging, but in difficult circumstances local communities come into their own, working together to support each other and look out for those that are more vulnerable.

“Through our work we see many examples of kindness within the local community which often goes unnoticed, so we want to take the time to share and celebrate that.

“We also want to share what our staff and amazing volunteers have been up to, often going above and beyond to find ways to continue delivering our projects and making sure people get the help they need.”

Shropshire RCC will be sharing ideas and stories on its Facebook and Twitter pages and is inviting people to get involved by using the hashtag #ShropshireKindness. Suggestions include checking in with a neighbour, picking up litter on daily walks and saying thank you to teachers for their support during school closures.

Local businesses are being invited to use the week to say ‘thank you’ to their employees for their support during a difficult year.

Shropshire RCC is also welcoming donations so it can continue to support people and communities across the county. For more information visit www.shropshire-rcc.org.uk/ShropshireKindness