Archive: this round-up reports news and announcements from May 2020. Advice, services and offers may have changed.

Here’s our weekly compendium of positive news stories to cheer us up and lift the spirits 💪

We also want to flag up all the positive ways that our readers are finding to deal with the crisis, from good deeds to witty photographs. Please email info@explorebuxton.co.uk with any contributions.

1. Banksy pays tribute to nurses with hospital artwork

In May 2020, Banksy’s Game Changer was installed at University Hospital Southampton. It depicts a child playing with a nurse superhero toy. The original sold for £16,758,000 in March 2021, with proceeds supporting healthcare and wellbeing projects; a reproduction remained at the hospital.

2. The furlough scheme is extended

In May 2020, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to October. After further extensions, the scheme ended on 30 September 2021.

3. An Irish pub uses a drone to deliver drinks and snacks

During lockdown in 2020, McKeever’s Bar & Lounge in Rathdrinagh, County Meath, used a drone to deliver drinks and snacks to neighbours.

4. Garden centres in England reopen 

From Wednesday 13th May 2020, garden centres in England could reopen as part of the early steps in easing lockdown. Cafes and playgrounds at the sites remained closed at that stage.

5. A socially distanced aerobics class lifts spirits

During the 2020 lockdown, Fulham personal trainer Flo Dowler led neighbours in 1980s-inspired workouts from a shipping container on her street. The Monday classes also raised money for charity.

6. A drive-in rave in Germany

With nightclubs closed during lockdown in 2020, Club Index in Schüttorf held drive-in parties in its car park, with people enjoying music from their vehicles.

7. Painted rocks form a snake in Buxton

In 2020, members of the HP Rocks Facebook group started a painted-rock “COVID-19 snake” in Pavilion Gardens to cheer up passers-by. The snake began near the Argyle Residential Home on Broadwalk, and people were invited to add painted rocks.

8. A girl and her pony pay tribute to the NHS

In 2020, eight-year-old Amber Price from Bridgnorth used pony paint to decorate Bear with a rainbow and a thank-you message for NHS workers.

9. Postboxes painted blue thank NHS staff

In May 2020, Royal Mail painted five postboxes blue with a thank-you message for NHS staff. The boxes were in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

10. Captain Tom Moore’s fundraiser raises more than £32 million

Captain Tom Moore set out to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. His fundraising page went on to raise more than £32 million before it closed. He received the Freedom of the City of London in a virtual ceremony on 12 May 2020.

11. Dog reunited with family after Tennessee tornado

After an EF-4 tornado struck Cookeville, Tennessee, on 3 March 2020, Bella the dog was missing for 54 days. Her family said she had alerted them before the tornado; she was reunited with them on 26 April.

12. Great Britain sets a coal-free electricity record

By May 2020, Great Britain had gone more than 28 days without coal-fired electricity generation. The run ended on 16 June after 67 days, 22 hours and 55 minutes. The record concerned electricity generation; it did not mean that all other uses of coal had stopped.

13. Plans for a film in space

In May 2020, NASA’s administrator said the agency was working with actor Tom Cruise on a planned film aboard the International Space Station.