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Campaign for new ‘Thank Holiday’ bank holiday dedicated to pandemic heroes

Thank Holiday would celebrate the service that healthcare and essential workers showed during the pandemic. Picture by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.
Thank Holiday would celebrate the service that healthcare and essential workers showed during the pandemic. Picture by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.

A new campaign has been launched, backed by celebrities, to create a new bank holiday to pay tribute to the people who supported others through the pandemic.

The event coined as “Thank Holiday” would create a new bank holiday from 2023.

The campaign calls for the Scottish and UK governments to create a new holiday recognising those who served their communities through the pandemic.

Covid-19 brought communities together in extraordinary ways and this would be a way of thanking them.

Thank Holiday would also celebrate the service and sense of duty shown by Her Majesty The Queen as part of her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.

The Queen is due to mark her ascension to the throne on February 6, when her father King George VI died in 1952. Her coronation did not occur until June 2 that year.

Public holidays are a devolved issue, so the decision lies with the Scottish Government.

Thank Holiday is backed by several organisations and celebrities, including Bear Grylls and Prue Leith, who recognise the need for a holiday, which shows collective support for those who have served their country over the last two years.

Celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are taking place over 2022 and across the UK. John Giles/PA Wire.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “The Thank Holiday campaign is a great idea that would be welcomed by Scotland’s retail sector.

“Shops would relish the chance to help people plan local celebrations, and it would be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to all those who have gone above and beyond and supported their communities so magnificently during the past two years.”

UKHospitality Scotland also voiced support for the campaign which would “provide a focal point for celebrating a lifetime of Her Majesty’s service to the nation and the incredible spirit and actions of our community heroes”.

They said it would also give the Scottish hospitality sector a welcome boost.

“It would also be a chance to recognise service in all its forms from The Queen to NHS staff”

Chief Scout, Bear Grylls OBE, said: “The Queen deserves our thanks for her incredible lifetime of service, and so do millions more across the country for their own daily acts of sacrifice, love and support.

“That’s why this year, to mark the Queen’s 70th Jubilee, we are asking for a new bank holiday – a Thank Holiday.

“It’s going to be a special day each year to celebrate all of those people who make our communities better places to live.”

Dame Prue Leith DBE said: “The last two years have shown us how much we need each other and how painful it is being disconnected from one another.

“An annual Thank Holiday would be a yearly prompt to reconnect our communities and help us feel we belong. It would also be a chance to recognise service in all its forms from The Queen to NHS staff.”

Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “The last two years have been incredibly difficult for everyone and that is why an annual thank holiday could really make a difference.

“As well as saying thank you to everyone who has already done so much to support others in these tough times, it’s a wonderful opportunity to do even more in your local communities by volunteering, fundraising or even simply visiting your local charity shop.”