When health secretary, Matt Hancock, launched a call for 250,000 people in England to bolster the NHS response to the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly five people per second enlisted for the new volunteering scheme within the following hours resulting in 750,000 people registering.
And that’s because most people want to help others and Hancock’s call gave an immediate means to do so. People who have been put on furlough leave from work, or who are retired, or who simply have spare time, want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
The spirit of community is alive and well, and we can all take heart from that.