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Dates, days and the concept of time have pretty much lost all meaning now, but cast your mind back to March 26. The city was newly in lockdown and there were rumours of a nationwide clap for the NHS. Some were cynical about it, but when it happened, it was actually strangely moving.
Tomorrow (Thursday May 28) will mark ten weeks (yes, really) of people coming together for Clap for Our Carers and now its founder, Annemarie Plas, says tomorrow will be the last official event.
The Dutch-born Londoner was inspired to organise the weekly event after seeing similar displays of appreciation in the Netherlands.
Plas now has plans to make Clap for Our Carers an annual event, which would happen every year on the last Thursday in March, to create a legacy for the event and show gratitude to the people who kept the city going during this time.
Plas said: ‘I am amazed at how the UK has adopted Clap for Our Carers and how it has managed to connect communities for one moment, every week.’ She said the messages she’s had from carers have ‘been incredible and have made everything worthwhile’.
After nine weeks of clapping, banging pans, even rogue fireworks and generally making a racket at 8pm every Thursday, Plas is calling on people to make this the loudest and most enthusiastic one yet. Get ready to clap your heart out this Thursday at 8pm and help Clap for Our Carers go out with a bang.
Read our interview with Annemarie Plas after the first Clap for Our Carers event.
Here’s how to help (and get help) in London during lockdown.