On Tuesday 23rd March, local BBC radio reaches the first anniversary milestone of ‘Make a Difference’ – one year on from when the country was first placed into lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic.
The BBC’s Make A Difference campaign was launched as a virtual notice board for those offering help and those needing support, and one year on over 4 million people have either called or messaged their local BBC radio station.
To mark the occasion, all 39 local stations across the country are dedicating a day of thanks to those who helped make a difference throughout the last challenging 12 months – no matter how big or small – and we want to hear from listeners about the people in their communities who deserve a special ‘thank you’.
It could be someone who made you laugh in a dark moment, offered help and support at a difficult time or simply provided a comforting ear to listen, these are the stories that demonstrate the important role community has played during the pandemic.
Chris Burns, Head of Audio and Digital for BBC England said: “The power of radio is huge when it comes to connecting local communities in their hour of need. The impact of Covid-19 has been reflected by ‘Make a Difference’ across all our local stations and has highlighted acts of kindness and enabled us to share some amazing stories. We want people to tell us who they want to say a special ‘thank you’ to because whilst this has been an incredibly difficult time, we should never forget the acts of kindness and generosity from friends, neighbours and strangers that we have seen over the last twelve months .”
Listeners’ stories and messages of thanks to those who have helped them through the last year will broadcast throughout the day on 23rdMarch as local BBC radio stations reflect back on an extraordinary year.
We will also be remembering those who have lost their lives to the pandemic with a national one minute silence at 12.00 across local BBC radio.
