Love West Norfolk? Let’s thank West Norfolk on 14th February

After the success of the Love West Norfolk Heroes scheme, which saw some 60 individuals, teams, and organisations recognised - and as times remain difficult - this year’s Love West Norfolk day will be devoted to thanking those who are making a difference. 

James Bagge, Love West Norfolk’s Ambassador explained: “Over the last year the Love West Norfolk Heroes campaign has revealed to us all the many acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness performed by so many across west Norfolk. 

“Many have shown themselves keen to get public recognition for friends, family, neighbours, organisations, and businesses who have made this harrowing time a little bit easier for us all. This Love West Norfolk Day presents us with an opportunity collectively and loudly to celebrate this enduring and special community spirit–and say: ‘thanks west Norfolk.’”

CAN, of course, works closely with a wide range of VCSE groups and organisations across West Norfolk – indeed we have a senior manager specialising in exactly that.  

Jackie Cushing, CAN's Locality Manager West, says: 

"We enjoy working with VCSE organisations and partners in West Norfolk - I’m constantly amazed and impressed by the ‘can do’ attitude of those people who are helping and supporting people in their community - in my experience West Norfolk folk like to get things done and rise to the challenges they face, even the challenge that is Covid-19"  

"This can range from a grass roots community group springing up to help their West Norfolk neighbours with shopping during Covid, to larger West Norfolk charities who have completely reworked their support so they can keep helping their beneficiaries despite the challenges of social distancing, to public sector colleagues who step up to contact vulnerable people in the area who are isolating or shielding."   

Jon Clemo, Chief Executive of CAN, added:  

“Community Action Norfolk (CAN) are thankful to the many thousands of community volunteers who stepped forward to help their neighbours in the last year.   

“As a charity that works with voluntary and community organisations, we have been in contact with more than 45 different grass roots community groups that sprang up in west Norfolk to help their neighbours during Covid - and we want to say ‘Thanks West Norfolk’ to those people.  It has been heart-warming to see how many people in west Norfolk have been passionate about supporting others in their villages and towns who are impacted by the pandemic, and their kindness and neighbourliness says a lot for community spirit in the area.” 

Easy ways to get involved in thanking West Norfolk  

• Say thanks online: on Love West Norfolk Day, 14th February, share who you’re thanking in west Norfolk and why on social media, using the hashtags #lovewestnorfolk and/or #thankswestnorfolk. The Love West Norfolk campaign organisers will be sharing your posts throughout the day. 
• Send in your thanks: tell Love West Norfolk who you want to thank and why via the contact form at www.lovewestnorfolk.co.uk. Fifty messages of thanks will be displayed on a virtual ‘wall’ on the Love West Norfolk website, and they will also be shared on social media on 14 February. 
• Download and send a Love West Norfolk thank you card: Love West Norfolk will be making available some Love West Norfolk ‘thank you’ cards for you to share online – email one to someone you would like to say thanks to, or share with them on social media. 
• Children’s thank you pictures: youngsters in west Norfolk can get involved too. Download and colour in the pictures that will soon be available from the Love West Norfolk website and display in your windows to say thanks west Norfolk. Or, design your own thank you pictures – and don’t forget to share them on 14 February on social media 
• A moment of thanks: at 6pm on Love West Norfolk Day, Love West Norfolk will be sharing a film on their channels. Why not join in a moment of reflection and gratitude as we say: ‘thanks west Norfolk’. 

And don't forget to visit www.lovewestnorfolk.co.uk to see what's happening, and find out why people love West Norfolk.