Kindness is spreading fast across the world – Samara, 16, reports…

In challenging COVID-19 times, acts of kindness are spreading right across the globe. An inspirational project, The School of Kindness, is helping that welcome trend to fly even faster. The Good News Post’s, Samara Siviter, aged 16, from The King Alfred School Academy, finds out.

With bad news dominating 2020 and now into 2021, it is refreshing to hear that a kindness charity is spreading hope and happiness at an incredible rate.

The School of Kindness, part of the 52 Lives Charity, was begun in 2013 as a Facebook Page by Jaime Thurston. 

Originally, it was set up as a way for her friends and family to help other people, and change people’s lives through a simple act of kindness. 

Since then, it’s grown into a global network of almost 100,000 kind people who unite each week online, to bring happiness and smiles to people all around the world. 

Jaime told us: “When life gets difficult, I think it encourages us to focus on the things that really matter – compassion, human connection and kindness. And we have seen that emerging during this pandemic. 2020 was a challenging year, but it was also a year filled with stories of people helping one another.”

She added: “The great thing about kindness is it doesn’t only help other people – science has shown it also improves your own physical and mental health.”

Former Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “Jaime has given people a chance to help others around the world who are less fortunate.” 

The School of Kindness aims to spread kindness and to empower children, to make them realise that every day little acts they carry out really do have the power to change people’s lives, as well as improving their own health and wellbeing. 

They just need to choose to be kind at every opportunity. 

Due to its success, it has now grown into a suite of projects and resources, that encourage and help children understand the effect that kindness can have upon themselves. 

They offer free kindness workshops and lesson plans all across Primary Schools in the UK, with their visits and work highly commended. 

The Kids Club on their website has an array of stories, games, quotes, competitions and challenges that inspire young children, to go out into their local neighbourhood and perform a random act of kindness, especially during these unprecedented times.

So whether it’s calling on an elderly relative, helping a clinically vulnerable person get their food shopping, delivering food parcels to families in need or just helping to keep people optimistic, in times like these kindness can make all the difference. 

Tony Wheat, from West Pennard School praised their workshop by saying: “I have been teaching for 17 years and I can honestly say that impact your visit has had on us has been far more than anything I have ever experienced before.”

 For more on their amazing kindness project see https://schoolofkindness.org