Good news and community stories reported during the first COVID-19 lockdown in March and April 2020.

1. People respond to the call for NHS volunteers

In March 2020, the NHS and Royal Voluntary Service sought 250,000 volunteer responders to support people at home. Around 750,000 people applied. Tasks included delivering food and medicines and making calls to people who were isolated.

2. NHS Nightingale London opens

The temporary hospital at ExCeL London opened in April 2020. NHS England’s initial plan was for up to 500 beds, with the potential to expand to several thousand if required. The planned maximum was not the number initially available.

3. Airlines invite staff to support Nightingale hospitals

In March 2020, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic invited staff whose flights had been grounded to consider non-clinical support roles alongside NHS staff at the new hospitals.

4. Engineers develop a breathing aid

UCL engineers and UCLH clinicians worked with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains to adapt a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, recommended for NHS use in March 2020. The breathing aid could help some patients when oxygen alone was insufficient.

5. Food parcels reach people shielding at home

In March 2020, the government began delivering food parcels in England to clinically vulnerable people who had been advised to stay at home and had no other means of accessing food.

6. Clap for Our Carers becomes a weekly event

People in Buxton and across the UK joined the weekly applause for health and care workers in 2020. The first clap took place on 26 March; the initiative was launched by Annemarie Plas and continued on Thursday evenings for ten weeks.

7. Cheshire neighbours dance together at a distance

During lockdown, residents of a Cheshire street joined in a daily socially distanced dance at 11am, led by fitness instructor Janet Woodcock, ITV reported in April 2020.

8. #ViralKindness postcards help neighbours connect

Becky Wass from Cornwall created a printable postcard in March 2020 so people could offer help with shopping, supplies or a phone call to neighbours self-isolating. The idea was shared widely as #ViralKindness.

9. Children put rainbow pictures in their windows

During lockdown, children painted and displayed rainbows in windows as messages of hope and support.

10. BP provides free fuel for emergency vehicles

BP supplied free fuel for eligible UK emergency-services vehicles during the pandemic. The company’s 2020 annual report describes the programme and its participating vehicle types.