Positive News Stories

It’s been another week of semi-lockdown in the UK, but it is starting to feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. With some people returning to work and rules around seeing people in open spaces being relaxed, some small semblances of normality are starting to appear. We are continuing with our positive news stories this week though and we’ve got some great ones for you today!

Cranes Reuniting Families

A Belgian maintenance company called, Group-f, have been putting their cranes to use in the city of Watermael-Boitsfort to re-unite families with elderly relatives living in high rise care homes. Residents of nursing homes have been isolated from their families for a number of weeks and whilst those living on ground and lower floors have been able to see and talk to their relatives through their windows, this has not been possible for those living on higher floors.

Group-f have stepped in though and have been raising families up to the higher levels so they can talk to their elderly relatives through the window!

Face Masks For Africa

An initiative to provide free face masks to people living in the world’s poorest communities has been expanded to more African nations in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.

African Masks, a non-profit supported by crowdfunding, employs tailors to sew face masks, which are distributed for free in impoverished communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Senegal, Benin and Nigeria. “We are using local skills – and providing some jobs during a tough economic time,” said Emilie Serralta, a humanitarian worker and founder of African Masks.

Antibody Tests Approved

Antibody tests have been championed by the government as something that could help bring the country out of lockdown and towards normality and this week two new antibody tests have been approved in the UK. The kits were developed by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche and US multinational Abbott Laboratories.

Scientists are hopeful that people who have had the virus before will have developed antibodies that make them immune from it.

Floral Tributes on Bench in Scarborough

Julie Spence usually visits the same bench in Scarborough on the same day every year to commemorate her son’s death, but due to lockdown restrictions she couldn’t this time around. She said it was heartbreaking not to be able to visit this year and appealed for someone to go to the bench for her. In response, the bench in town which she usually leaves flowers on has been covered in flowers and tributes to her son who died when he was just 8 years old after being hit by a car in 2005.

Julie was shocked by the response of the public in Scarborough, "It's been overwhelming - I can't believe people who don't know me and never knew Callum would do it, especially at times like these. For their help I will be forever grateful."

Blue Postboxes Around UK

A number of postboxes across the UK have been painted blue as a gesture of thanks to the NHS staff who are battling the virus. As well as being painted in the colours of the NHS, the postboxes also have 'Thank you NHS' on the back in white paint.

There are currently five across the UK with ones painted in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Thank you NHS workers!