This week I witnessed mass kindness first-hand, hundreds of people driven by a desire to be part of something positive.
This week was Wrap Up London, an annual coat collection run by 800 volunteers. I did two early shifts at one of the six London Underground stations taking part. We took donations from hundreds of commuters. Each wanted to be part of something and to make a difference in a small way.
Wrap Up London 2019
Over three days 270+ big sacks were filled at Liverpool Street alone each containing between 10-20 coats. Some people gave one coat, some gave two or three, others whole binbags or suitcases. Others had organised collections in their offices and had carried many bags down to the station. Some people bought new donations each day. People handed over their coats with a smile, sometimes taking a photo or stopping for a chat before rushing off to carry on their day. It was lovely.
There was no typical donor. People were of all backgrounds and ages. Donations were stashed under pushchairs and in rucksacks, balanced on one shoulder while using a walking stick.
It was obvious how much effort everyone had taken. From remembering the dates of the collection, getting the coats ready (including in some cases dry cleaning) and transporting them to the station, there were lots of stages involved.
They could just have taken their coats to a local charity shop which would have taken less effort. Instead, they wanted to join in with a collective effort.
Last year Wrap Up London collected a staggering 27,000 coats which were sorted and passed to charity partners working with homeless people as well as refugee centres and women’s refuges. Each year, the collection gets bigger in London with more partners added and more ways to donate. This year too, collections have expanded to other locations across the UK (see Other Wrap Ups).
Acts of kindness in charity campaigns
Kindness is naturally a feature of much of our campaigning and comms. We are trying to persuade someone to do something which they wouldn’t otherwise do, for a greater good. But it is not always labelled as such. Campaigns such as British Red Cross’ The Power of Kindness campaign really stand out because kindness is the core message.
Some campaigns prompt acts of micro kindness, like smile at someone to make their day. Others suggest everyday actions, like invite your neighbour round for tea.
Days like #WorldKindnessDay allow us to thank donors, volunteers, supporters and stakeholders who kindly give their money, time, love etc. Last year on #GivingTuesday there were some campaigns based around kindness. But we could do more to make it easy for people to feel part of a bigger Movement of kindness .
Wrap Up London drives practical, planned and meaningful kindness on a large scale. It is positive action. It is city-wide. It is a collective and shared experience.
If we want to spread more kindness and a sense that kindness is winning, we need to drive it and show it on a large scale. We need to give people practical and collective ways to do this.
Kindness Movements
I have come across a few Movements or projects channelling kindness such as Help and Kindness in Dorset. Do you know of others? I’d love to hear about them. Please share in the comments.
madlinsudn blog 