Letters for key workers presented by Youth Action - from left, Janette Clarke, Amar Abbas, Alyson Hanson, Jayne Ivory and Cllr Julie Gunn
Published Thursday 17 December 2020 at 12:05
Local charity Youth Action organised an amazing letter-writing effort to thank key workers in Blackburn with Darwen.
Youth Action has been supporting vulnerable families during the Covid19 pandemic with a range of support. Visiting the Town Hall on Wednesday, they presented thank you letters, as well as some treats, for Council key workers. All staff and visitors to the Town Hall observed COVID-19 safety guidelines.
As part of their efforts, Youth Action devised a ‘Say Thank You’ to Covid19 Key Workers’ project with four Secondary Schools (Taheedul Girls, Taheedul Boys, Westholme, BCHS) and five Primary Schools (St Silas, Wensley Fold, The Olive, St Barnabas, St Michael’s) to get local children to write a simple thank you letter to key workers.
Cllr Julie Gunn, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “It’s wonderful to see young people showing their appreciation for our key workers after such a difficult year. My colleagues have worked so hard to ensure our vital support continued under extremely challenging circumstances.”
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Adult Services, Cllr Mustafa Desai, said: “It’s been a humbling year for all our communities. Often overlooked key workers are to be applauded for continuing to support residents in BwD despite the pandemic disruptions to everyday life. It’s fantastic to see Youth Action take this opportunity to shine a light on Council colleagues in this heart-warming way.”
The plan is for Youth Action to hand over letters and treats this week to local key workers across many organisations including NHS, police, fire, ambulance, teachers, youth workers, and social workers.
Chair of Youth Action, Suhail Ainarkar, said: “After the challenges of 2020 it is such an honour to be a part of the Youth Action Say Thank You, where hundreds of local children have written heartfelt letters of appreciation for key workers across the Borough. From NHS staff, emergency services, social workers, youth workers to teachers, to name but a few. It is important at the end of this year to reflect, appreciate and celebrate our achievements as a community. Thank you to all the children from local schools who wrote wonderful letters to say thank you.”
Youth Action are dedicated to enhancing today’s youth for a better tomorrow. The organisation seeks to influence policies to ensure that they are more youth friendly and therefore young people have better opportunities in life and have a greater voice in their community. Youth Action offers young people tailored opportunities which motivate, educate and make productive use of their time, and their services help develop the confidence and skills of young people across East Lancashire.