65% in West Midlands admit they could do more to be kinder, says British Red Cross survey
West Midlands residents believe doing just one kind thing can make the UK a better place
91% agree that if we all did one kind thing, the UK would be a better place
Two thirds (65%) admit they could do more to be kinder to others
British Red Cross campaign asks us to make a difference with One Kind Thing
About two in every three people surveyed admitted they themselves could do more to be kinder to others, with a staggering 91% agreeing that if we all did one kind thing a day, the UK would be a better place.
Preventing people from feeling lonely ranked top for the difference people would most like to make. Among the small acts of kindness people shared that had a big impact were:
- A stranger at a petrol pump lending them 2p when they had no cash and were just over the £30 limit to use contactless
- Friends who’d only ever met on Twitter sending another Twitter friend a box of goodies to cheer them up when they were ill
- A neighbour nipping next door to re-plant a rose bush that had died, as a surprise
- Coming home to a houseful of happy post-it note messages from a flatmate
- Being met at the door with a… cheesecake after a particularly bad day at work
Alongside the survey, the British Red Cross is launching its One Kind Thing campaign, encouraging everyone in the UK to do something kind to support its vital work.
From donating money, time or unwanted clothes, to taking part in an event, the charity is inviting us all to choose ‘one kind thing’ to ensure its volunteers can keep connecting people in crisis with people’s kindness, across the UK and the world.
Executive Director for Communications and Advocacy at the British Red Cross, Zoë Abrams said:
“The British Red Cross connects people in crisis with people who want to help. We reach out when people need us most so they know they don’t have to face their challenges alone. These survey results show the UK public believe we can all manage to do one kind thing, and it doesn’t have to be grand scale to make a real difference.
“Even the simplest acts of kindness can start to remove some of the fear and anxiety we all feel when faced with adversity, however big or small. That’s as true in refugee camps thousands of miles away as it is on a street here in the UK. It’s heartening to see how strongly people recognise that; now we must mobilise and empower one other to create a kinder nation.”
Clinical psychologist, Dr Sarah Davidson, heads up a team of British Red Cross staff and volunteers trained to support people wherever they are in the world when crisis hits.
“Increasingly we’re seeing how emotional support is as vital as water, food, shelter and cash, to help people start to recover. And kindness is at the heart of that because it connects us to each other. Whether you’ve lost your home, your relative or your livelihood, having another human being notice your pain and be kind to you helps break through feelings of pain, loneliness and isolation.
Find out more about the One Kind Thing campaign by searching online for ‘Red Cross One Kind Thing’. You can also get involved on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Linked In, using the hashtag #OneKindThing.
