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On Thursday evening at 8pm, hundreds – if not thousands – of people up and down the country are expected to stand in doorways, on balconies and at windows, applauding the key workers fighting at the frontline of coronavirus.
Annemarie Plas, who lives in south
London, will be one of them – she’s the woman who kickstarted the idea. Plas tells HuffPost
UK she plans to hang out of her living room window and hit pots and pans to make noise for those working hard, so the rest of us can stay safe.
The 36-year-old decided to orchestrate #ClapForOurCarers after she heard friends and family members in her home country, the Netherlands, were doing something similar. And, having seen footage of people coming together for the same purposes in
Spain and
France, she thought: why not do this in the UK, too?
“It’s really been inspired by what I’ve seen at home,” she says. “I saw what was happening there and I thought: ‘wow, this is amazing, let’s see if I can pull it off.’”Related... NHS Medics: We Aren't Being Protected From Coronavirus – We Fear We'll Infect Our Families Plas, who works in sales and as a yoga instructor, FaceTimed her friends on Friday and floated the idea of ‘clapping for carers’ – including NHS workers, care workers, pharmacists and supermarket staff. Her friends were all on board.
So, she made a graphic for social media, set up a website, and started sharing it online. Over the weekend, the campaign blew up – the Duke and
Duchess of Sussex and Victoria Beckham were among those who pledged support. And thousands of people shared the campaign online and in group chats, committing to taking part.
Plas, who lives with her partner and two-year-old, is encouraging everyone to stand where they can while respecting social-distancing etiquette – be it doorways, windows, balconies, gardens or living rooms – at 8pm on 26 March. All you have to do is clap, make noise, and show your appreciation.
Times are fraught for those on the frontline right now. As the UK descends into an lockdown, NHS staff say the standard of protective equipment they’ve been given makes them scared to go to work – and terrified they might infect their families. Hopefully it can give some strength and boost to whoever needs it.Annemarie PlasMeanwhile supermarket staff have been subjected to abuse from angry customers. One worker said she was spat at by a shopper, while another was told: “I hope you get the virus and die”.
In such dark times, there have been glimmers of kindness for key workers, with hospital staff receiving free coffees, flowers and groceries from the retail sector, and members of the public showing appreciation with thumbs up as they head to work.
But Thursday night’s round of applause could be the biggest show of support yet. “Hopefully it can give some strength and boost to whoever needs it,” says Plas, adding that it’ll also creating a sense of togetherness in communities during a time of isolation.
“I hope that it will give that boost to the frontline people, people that we’ve often taken for granted,” she says. “They can see how much we appreciate them.
“Without them we are no one.”
To find out more about the campaign, visit the Clap For Our Carers website. Related... Home Coronavirus Antibody Tests Available To Order 'Within Days' What Is The Coronavirus 'Antibody Test' – And How Will It Work? How To See A Doctor Or Dentist During The UK Lockdown Why You Should Be Using The Covid-19 Symptom Tracker