Clap for carers is back for lockdown three – but this time with a different name
Written by News on 07/01/2021
A nationwide round of applause to pay tribute to the “heroes” who have played their part in the battle against coronavirus is set to make a return.
Clap for Heroes will be held on Thursday at 8pm to “acknowledge” everyone who has played their part through the pandemic as the country enters a third lockdown.
It comes after Clap for our Carers was held across the UK for 10 weeks at the beginning of the pandemic last year to show support for NHS staff and key workers who kept working to keep the country going during lockdown.
People were invited to safely take to their doorsteps, windows, gardens and balconies to join in the national tribute.
This time, the movement has updated its name to widen its message and to recognise all those who have played a role in the fight against COVID-19.
The founder of Clap for our Carers and Clap for Heroes is Annemarie Plas, a Dutch national living in London, who hopes it will again become a weekly event.
She said: “I fully acknowledge that things are now worse than ever and some people might not feel an applause is appropriate, but I also know how much it meant to millions of people last time, not just to our carers but to our neighbours and communities.
“We all need to stay connected and be there for each other and we all deserve a round of applause for what we have gone through and can expect from the coming months.
“When people clap for all our heroes on Thursday, they should also clap for the heroes directly in their own lives, those whom they have personally found to be just incredible individuals.”
She brought the Clap for our Carers tribute to an end last May amid fears it was being “politicised”.
Ms Plas added: “When we first started clapping for our incredible NHS staff, care workers and key workers last March, none of us had any expectation that we would be in an even worse situation nine months later.”
She said the new tribute would “recognise all the other heroes that keep the country going and have endured such challenging times”.
The applause will continue to “celebrate” the work of NHS and care workers, but will also pay tribute to delivery drivers, postal workers, the emergency services, teachers and scientists.
Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said staff “appreciate the support from the public”.
You can watch the nation pay tribute to its care workers at https://news.sky.com, on social media and Sky News tonight at 8pm
(c) Sky News 2021: Clap for carers is back for lockdown three – but this time with a different name
