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If there’s anything we take from this situation we’re in right now, I hope it’s that we all learn to appreciate our NHS and key workers more than ever before. It’s so easy to take free health care, getting your post every morning and popping to the shop for a pint of milk for granted. But when there’s individuals literally putting their lives on the line to keep things ticking along during one of the scariest times of our lives, then those little things don’t seem so little anymore.

Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash

I’m sure most of us have found a few ways to show our appreciation to our NHS staff and key workers during this time. Whether that’s a social media post, clapping on the street or sticking signs up in our front room window. Every little show of appreciation matters.

But today, I wanted to share some ways we can take that even further and show an even greater appreciation for those who are still working, risking their lives and saving other people’s in the process. When everything goes back to “normal”, I pray that we never forget what these people done for our country, during one of the darkest times most of us will live through.

So if you’re looking for some ways to thank those important key workers, here are some suggestions for you!

Make them a care package

A care package would be a wonderful idea, especially for NHS workers who are doing unseasonably long and difficult hours right now. A little TLC will go a long way and you can certainly help with that but making a care package! It will depend who the package is for of course but some suggestions of things to include in a care package are:

  • Soaps / hand wash
  • Chocolate / homemade cake
  • Candles / incense
  • Socks
  • Bath bombs
  • Books

Donate

You can show your appreciation directly by donating to appropriate causes and fundraisers for various things. It might to certain care homes or medical facilities. Or perhaps the ko-fi page of a blogger you know who also works on the front line. There are a ton of ways to make a monetary donation, just make sure you do your research as to where your money is going first!

Offer your delivery drivers a snack or a drink

And let’s not forget the postman and the delivery drivers who are still working incredibly hard during this time. They might not be directly saving anyone’s lives but they’re certainly doing an incredible service by delivering your takeaways or Amazon wish list parcels! Perhaps put a note on your doorstep and leave something out for them to take if they so wish (being careful to still practice social distancing!)

Get crafty with Design Bundles

Getting crafty is a great way to show your thanks to NHS staff and key workers during this time. Not only is it a fun activity which shows that you’ve taken time and effort to do something nice for them, it’s also a great things to do with the kids, if you have them! What kid doesn’t like to get messy and make something?

Design Bundles offers an incredible amount of resources to help you get your craft on, from svgs, graphics, printables, scrapbooking materials and everything in between. So if you are looking and spending an afternoon creating something to thank the key workers, Design Bundles is a great place to start for inspiration! Here are some things you can make to show your appreciation:

A scrapbook

This could be a really good option for someone you know personally who might be working on the front line during this stressful time. A scrapbook definitely takes a little time and effort to make, which certainly shows how much you’re thinking of them. Perhaps adding into personalised notes from people they know, photos, drawings – anything you like that might make them smile!

Thank you cards

An obvious choice but a thank you card really can go a long way. Thank you cards are great to make in bulk, so you can give them to multiple people who you want to thank for working so hard. This is a great option for the kids to get involved in and the cards can be posted out to anyone you know who you

Artwork

Something that will definitely take more time but if you have an artistic flair, this could be a great option for you! Creating some artwork to give to NHS staff, for them to frame in their homes or in the hospital as a way to show your appreciation and also make them smile whenever they see it is a lovely idea!

Have you been doing anything to show your appreciation to NHS staff and key workers during this time? Do you plan on doing anything else? Let me know in the comments and leave some suggestions for other people!

113 Comments

  1. I was trying to think of a way to thank the NHS for the fact that they have cut psychology services for people with a vast array of mental illnesses the length and breadth of the country. I see a psychologist for a few reasons, including being on the Autism spectrum, living with severe depression and anxiety, and probable PTSD after being on the receiving end of both genital mutiliation and sexual abuse during the first five years of my life. Can you give me some ideas as to how someone in my position can express their gratitude for the NHS?

  2. Aw I love these Ideas! I’ve seen a few people on Instagram putting together care packages and I just think its so lovely. I’ve done similar things as little self-care packages for my friends (both those who are keyworkers and those who aren’t) just as a little pickmeup 🙂 xx

  3. These are all beautiful ways to show our appreciation for key workers. I have donated to a couple of different causes but have felt a bit guilty I couldn’t do more – the idea of thank you cards and care packages is so lovely and personal! I love it.

  4. These are all such great ideas on how to say thank you to all those workers! Thanks for sharing this! I loved it!

  5. Great ideas – I love the care packages that you’ve been sending out. I think the best thing we can all be doing right now is practising social distancing and only going out when necessary!

  6. I’ve seen a lot of artwork for NHS staff around Edinburgh, it’s so nice to see everyone coming together to appreciate our key workers. Absolutely love the idea of a care package!

  7. These are all such great ideas! The NHS doesn’t get nearly enough the credit they deserve, it’s the things like this that I’m sure make my mum who was an NHS nurse (and other people too!) feel a bit more appreciated!
    Ellie x // elliekblog.blogspot.co.uk

  8. Those are such sweet ideas. I’m sure that everybody on the frontlines is appreciative to any sort of acknowledgment right now.

  9. In my country there have been many iniciatives like these, I think doctors deserve our gratitude, but here they insist for that to be done after the crisis, so everyone stays safe and avoid risks. Hopefully, that day will come soon.

    Lindifique

  10. I love the inspiration and gratitude in the ideas you share, especially since you have thrown in a little something for everyone, from painters to scrapbookers. 🙂

  11. So many good ideas here! Sometimes, a simple card of thanks says so much, but taking it a step further is really nice. I always treasure something homemade as it takes extra effort and has a personal touch. A little potted plant left out on the doorstep would be nice this time of year…something blooming with a card attached. Not everyone has time to garden, but almost anyone would enjoy some greenery…very uplifting!

  12. Aw! I love this!! I actually treated one of our fellow bloggers, Beka, to a personalised NHS Hero mug! She doesn’t give herself enough credit for what she does so I did it for her! Definitely going to take some of these ideas. My neighbours have carers that come round so I might have to make them a little care package!

    Daisy xoxo | TheDeeWhoLived

  13. I love the idea of care packages for NHS workers!! I have so many friends who work for the NHS and whilst they’re not on the front line, they’re doing an amazing job!! I also love the idea of leaving little treats for delivery drivers and the postman 🙂 xx

    Holly | http://www.gollymissholly.uk

  14. THese are all lovely tips – Personally I’ve been leaving generous tips for my service providers (grocery shoppers, etc…).

  15. Fabulous ideas my husband is an NHS worker and I’m a retired nurse.
    One of my friends was redeployed onto a Covid19 ward. She had to move her children out to another family members home and she was naturally scared and anxious. I put together a care package – I called it a hug in a bag. She was thrilled.

    I toomleave sweets and chocolate for delivery men. Plus my posture

    Never a more appropriate time to show appreciation. We gave a thank you card to the staff of our supermarket too!

  16. Some fab ideas My husband is an NHS worker and I’m a retired nurse. One of my friends was redeployed to a Covid 19 ward. She had to move her children out to another family member and she was naturally petrified. I put together a care package which I called a hug in a box and left it on her doorstep. She was thrilled.

    I to leave chocolate bars and harobis for delivery drivers and my postman. They too are so pleased..

    Never been a more appropriate time to give thanks

  17. I admire the positivity and love behind this post! I think it’s great that you’re giving us ideas on how we can spread a lil’ kindness to NHS works… I think I might create some artwork for the nurse that lives in my neighborhood! Thank you xx

  18. What a lovely post! I’m a key worker, and it is hard to keep going when all you want to do is hide away at home.

    I love the craft ideas. My friend is a keyworker too and I haven’t been able to see her since lockdown began. I’ll have to get crafty and send her a card 😊

  19. This is brilliant, they definitely deserve all the thanks they can get. But unfortunately at the end of the day no amount of our thank yous will keep them fed and warm in their homes. My mum works in a hospital, in the laboratory, and fact is that the most essential workers in our societies are paid the least. When an executive who fires 500 people gets a bonus for millions of £ and the person who at the same time saved 5 lives doesn’t even get a living wage, things are seriously fucked up. I’m afraid we will just forget about NHS again after this is all over. Until the next pandemic hits. But until the system changes, all we can do is to keep showing our appreciation for the NHS as openly and loudly as possible. xx

    1. Oh I’m not doubting that our system is seriously messed up. I do hope that a lot of people will remember this when this situation is over and continue to show appreciation.

  20. This is such a thoughtful post! NHS and key workers are working so hard and definitely deserve to be appreciated!

  21. Love this! I sent out cards in the mail to healthcare workers to say thank you and let them know how much they mean to us! They loved it!

  22. Love this post and all these ideas! My neighbourhood at 7:30 every day comes out and we bang pots and pans to show our appreciation and support for the NHS staff. It’s a little act that brings everyone together 😊

  23. This is such a lovely post! It’s the kind of thing that you hope will stick around even when normality has returned – anything that encourages kindness has to be a good thing, right? It’s lovely reading something so warming.

  24. I think a lot of people overlook the huge impact that a simple thank you card can have on someone that is working hard through these stressful times. It’s the fact that someone appreciated them that may just give them that extra little boost of happiness when they need it most.

  25. Aww I love this so much! Hearing the cheers for our healthcare workers every night at 7pm totally warms my heart. My partner works at the hospital too so it’s very close to hope for me. Love the idea of finding unique ways to say thanks!

    1. Wow, that’s an incredible job to have. She’s obviously helping the community so much. And yess just a few for some elderly people who live down my road, thought it might brighten their day! Thank you xxx

  26. These are so really great ideas. We’ve printed off comedy colouring sheets such as “mr postman, I’ve cleaned my flap” etc, along with thank you ones to hopefully brighten their dad

  27. It’s so funny because I rarely give thank you cards but they mean the world to me when I get them. I think that’s a very thoughtful idea. Thanks for sharing, it’s important we remember the risks they are taking and say thank you from now on.

  28. Some lovely ideas Jenny! I do hope we continue to support our key workers when the pandemic is over too. My sister works in radiology and my mum works in social care so they have both been working crazy hours so I do like to catch up with them to see that they’re doing okay! I’ve seen lots of lovely rainbows and thank you messages on windows, the other day as well I saw a rainbow picture on a police car window, its lovely to see everyone getting together and being supportive <3

    Chloe xx
    http://www.chloechats.com

  29. I love this so much! I will be trying to implement some of these to help say thank you!.

  30. These ideas are so sweet! I have seen so many care packages being sent out. At Easter, our local train station gave out Easter eggs to key workers while a group of people round my village made little Easter baskets for key workers and their kids so they don’t miss out Thank you for sharing this post, it gives me faith in humanity!

    Em x

  31. These are some lovely ideas, I especially love the care packages! It’s been so nice seeing the rainbow drawings in the windows of our street and seeing everyone come out each week for the clapping. Thanks for sharing! xx

  32. These are lovely suggestions. Being diabetic I’ve never taken my free healthcare for granted, I’d probably be dead by now if I was American because the costs are so ridiculously high there. It’s nice to see the extra support in the community right now. The care package idea sounds lovely, I think I’m going to try something like that x

    Sophie

  33. Some lovely ideas here. Personally I just think it’s great to see the key workers getting the recognition they deserve. However people choose to show it.

  34. I love these ideas! I’m a key worker myself and I’ll be honest there’s times I feel very overlooked and underappreciated and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Any little thank you gesture means the world right now. I don’t do my job for praise but in this extremely tough time a little acknowledgement definitely goes a long way and I know many key workers who would love any of these ideas!

    Lauren | https://www.laurenyloves.co.uk/

  35. I love these ideas! They are so thoughtful. The kids were set a challenge by my Auntie at the weekend to draw pictures and write a letter to someone they miss, of course they chose her! But I want to do it this weekend for the old people’s home across the road.

    I think the care package idea is a lovely one, in fact I am going to make one for my NHS friend right now! Thank you for the idea x

  36. Thank you for this post. I am a key worker and I work in the food industry providing certain products for the supermarkets. Every day is a challenge but we do our best in these uncertain times. Take care and stay safe 🙂

  37. I absolutely love this. I’m a healthcare worker and can confirm that any gift would be so so appreciated right now. You can never have enough hand cream or wash and chocolate is always a winner.

    Thank you for sharing such a lovely and thoughtful post Jenny.

    Kate | thelittlecrunch.co.uk

  38. Some great ideas here! A lot of people on my street have put up their rainbows in their windows and unfortunately I don’t have any materials to hand to do this so I’ve been wondering what else I could do other than clapping on Thursday evenings. I really like the idea of the thank you cards and so I’m going to make some to give to the postman etc. Thanks for the suggestions!

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