NHS staff get their badges of honour thanks to Wigan disabilities group

A Wigan disabilities group is helping boost positivity among NHS staff by sending them a colourful reminder that their hard work will be rewarded.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

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.

During 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.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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.

Staff with the badgesStaff with the badges
Staff with the badges

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!

“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.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“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!”

All 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.

A message from the Editorial Director, Gillian Parkinson:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy when you pop out for your essential shop or subscribing for delivery.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.

As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: "Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role."

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE:

You can subscribe for delivery by contacting us at [email protected] or calling us on 0330 4033004 for details of a participating newsagent near you.

Related topics: