How have you shown your appreciation for the NHS this year? Share your artwork or stories with Uber - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

This year, NHS workers have been working harder than ever in order to keep us safe and well. Doctors, nurses and support staff have isolated themselves from their loved ones and put their own health on the line to go above and beyond in the fight against Covid-19. Uber is celebrating their hard work by offering free rides and eats to NHS workers from 23rd - 27th December, and would love for you to join them in that celebration by sharing the artwork that you and your family have created this year in appreciation and support for the NHS.





Here’s what Uber has to say: "This year has been hard for a lot of people. But especially for those working for the NHS & HSC. As a small gesture of thanks from all of us, Uber is committing two free rides and a free meal to these workers this Christmas.

We loved seeing how many people displayed their messages of thanks to health service workers through drawings and artworks this year. We’d like to encourage everyone to show how grateful we all are by sharing these here and creating more of these wonderful messages of support.

And if you’d like us to share these drawings or messages directly with NHS workers this Christmas, just post it to Instagram or Twitter and use the hashtag #GratefulUK. We’ll find it, and do the rest."

So, did you paint a rainbow in the window at the start of lockdown? Perhaps your children were set an NHS themed arts and crafts homeschooling project? Or will the NHS be featured in your DCs festive drawings or your Christmas cards this year?

If art isn’t your thing, we’d love to hear how you’ve shown your appreciation for the NHS in a different way. Maybe you were eagerly lined up to Clap for Carers every Thursday evening or perhaps you volunteered in your local area? Have you encouraged your children to think about the work that the NHS does?

All who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

[gemima27]

we painted a huge rainbow on our front window and clapped with our neighbours every thursday. we are so gratful to them all.

[Cowmilk]

Nhs is open, there is just lot of extra red tape. I sent a letter to pals about the top quality of care I received when ds3 was born. When dsis had an operation and was telling us how wonderful her care was, I encouraged her to send an email to pals. It is easy to complain but when things are done right, it is nice to formally say thank you.

[dollyparton111]

I show my appreciation for the nhs by clapping and I did sponsored streaking through town and put it all in the guide dog collection pot at my doctors surgery

[CordeliaScott]

DCs made rainbows and stuck them in the window. They also used to get really excited about clapping on Thursdays 🤷‍♀️

[PatrishaPatel]

I thanked them by only going out when absolutely necessary, like exercise, or just going out for my mental wellbeing. No parties, no needlessly socialising, just spending quality time with my family and following the rules.

[Serender]

By sticking to the government guidelines and not putting an extra burden on the NHS.

[Dugee]

So how have you all showed your appreciation for delivery drivers, essential retail workers etc? These aren't free at the point of service though so you all understand that they aren't free.

The NHS is only free to those on low incomes who don't pay much tax.

[Dugee]

I'm quite sure that ICU doctors and staff are working incredibly hard and are under a lot of stress, but that is a minority of NHS. Everything else has gone away or been shut down.

I agree. I continued to pay tax, despite much reduced NHS services.

I don't get this fetishisation of the NHS. It's paid for by general taxation and the staff who work there are paid (some are paid very well). Just because treatment is free at the point of service doesn't mean that it is a free service staffed by volunteers.

[Sleepybumble]

As nurses my husband and I have done countless hours of overtime. I wrote a letter to each of my team to let them know why I enjoy working with them and to thank them for a particular time, asset they being to the team.

[KiansKuddles]

I send a lovely thank you card to the 3 midwives who delivered my baby boy - honestly they are uber amazing and the NHS do not get enough credit. We are so fortunate to have them, we really are!

[Bemystarlord]

We decorated our window with a massive rainbow, we clapped on the doorstep and donated to fundraising events in our area.

[ichifanny]

I supported them by working extra shifts in work I work in the Covid ICU unit , it’s been a hard year and having to home school my 4 kids and work nearly took me down .

[Summergarden]

My DCs decided they wanted to write thank you letters to the police and ambulance services during lockdown to thank them for their continued hard work.

DS was stunned to receive a surprise home visit from the police and was given a goody bag for his efforts!

[CrochetBug]

Following all the rules. Wearing masks. And made pretty rainbow hearts.

[confusedpombear]

I'm a junior doctor. I sit with my patients, listen to them and make time for them when they need it. I phone their relatives and update them since they can't visit them and I stay late to sort things whenever it's needed. I've risked my family getting covid all year as I work on covid wards with the worst protection. I moved to ITU (with better covid protection but still exhausting to work in) when it was needed and dealt with short term changes and rota gaps as and when they came up. I collected data for the trial looking at why covid patients fell so sick - it was published in nature this week. It's been an interesting year but there have been some good things that have come from it.

[Anj123]

I’m a key worker but don’t work for the NHS. I am lucky enough to work from home and have followed guidelines around social distancing. I clapped for the NHS and have friends who work for the NHS who I kept in touch with and supported in whatever way I could.

[Purplemirror]

I check in (virtually) with friends and family who work for the NHS and sent cards/small gifts now and again to ensure they knew I was thinking of their hard work.

[oliveoyl72]

I show my support for the NHS by wearing a mask, avoiding unneccessary contact with others, and never voting Conservative.

[Buttybach]

I do illustrations on a voluntary basis for Girlguiding and scouting members to use. This year I created this as a shareable image to thank all the key workers including the NHS. We also made it into a colouring sheet so that all the rainbows and brownies and guides could colour it in and be aware of the hard work going on!
These are the two I produced.
Hope you like them.

[buckley1983]

We made care packs for the staff at our local hospital. My Mum (not local) is a midwife, so we asked her for ideas of what might keep staff going during such a difficult time.. On her recommendation, we filled the boxes with Lucozade, posh coffee, teabags & an array of sweet treats & salty snacks! My son wrote a really lovely 'Thank you' sign which we stuck t the lid of the box & we left them on the doorstep of a neighbour who worked on one of the wards.
We really enjoyed doing it & my son received a lovely thank you card which absolutely made his day!

[Codswallopcurry]

Nothing spectacular, but I have tried so very hard not to catch Corona Virus, which helps the NHS. Taking lockdown very seriously.

[purplepandas]

We shared our appreciation through small food gifts for the local hospital. Our local Brownies played a big role in this and this was lovely.

[Gingernaut]

I don't have to face patients and my contact with the general public is minimal.

I have massive respect for essential shop workers who have had to carry on, facing who knows what and getting abuse and grief from almost every other customer about the rules.

Transport workers also get a massive shout out. They have had to contend with almighty bellends and no praise.

Everything is aimed towards the NHS, but without transport workers, retail workers and all those social carers, this country would have ground completely to a halt.

[Quietvoiceplease]

Oh, we are so grateful for those who work in health AND social care. We are not just thanking the NHS (though, oh my, they really deserve it) but our workers in social care who have really been at the frontline of protecting our most vulnerable people, and usually paid much less than their NHS counterparts.
So we have clapped, personally acknowledged, made donations and hung up banners to thank our CARE workers - and I use every opportunity to remind others that care workers - in our care homes and nursing homes, providing domiciliary care in people's homes - are such unsung heroes in the battle against Covid.

[Gingernaut]

I self isolated (TWICE), got tested (ONCE), I have worked at least a half an hour unpaid overtime every day, followed all rules and worked with shortages caused by short staffing and the impending Brexit.

I work in a hospital with no functioning canteen (social distancing) and eat my dinner in a unused stairwell.

It will get worse.