NHS staff get their badges of honour thanks to Wigan disabilities group
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Happy Smiles CIC is a community organisation which seeks to overturn negative preconceptions about disabled people by focusing on what they can do rather than any limitations they may have.
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Hide AdDuring the lockdown, Happy Smiles has turned its attention to keeping tireless NHS employees smiling, with the heartfelt gesture of sending them little rainbow pin badges, to remind them that “after the storm comes a rainbow.”
Co-founder Alex Winstanley said the project was inspired by a physiotherapist called Rachel at Southport Hospital, but that it had since grown to send badges to NHS staff across the region, including Wigan.
Alex said: “Rachel thought she would keep up the positivity with her NHS colleagues by giving everyone a rainbow badge and a positive message! At a time when incredible people are putting themselves at risk to keep us all safe and well, it was so good to see people making those around them smile!
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Hide Ad“We shared this on social media and were inundated with requests for badges! So, inspired by Rachel’s efforts, we are going to raise money to buy and send as many rainbow badges as possible to staff on the frontline and those providing care to people across communities.
“We’ve had really brilliant messages from NHS staff and frontline workers who are very grateful for the initiative and can’t wait to get their badges.
“We hit our initial £500 target in a couple of days and have stretched this to £1,000, with our current total raised at just over £900. Our original post on Facebook has reached over 92,000 people. It is certainly keeping our team of young adults with disabilities very busy whilst they’re isolating at home!”
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Hide AdAll badge orders will be organised by the Happy Smiles team of Inclusion Champions - young adults with disabilities who show what disabled people are capable of achieving.
To donate to the fund-raiser, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/rachelsrainbows.
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