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Kindness news from the media and Kindness UK
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Healthwatch And VSBD Encourage Acts For World Kindness Day
Two organisations are asking people to pledge acts of kindness.
Healthwatch Westmorland & Furness and Vision Support Barrow & District are encouraging people and businesses to show acts of Furness Kindness in celebration of World Kindness Day. Their appeal comes after a Disability Voices report, published by Healthwatch, advocates for a more caring and inclusive society. Kate Rees, manager at Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness, said: "The team at Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness are thrilled to be teaming up with Vision Support Barrow and District (VSBD) to promote World Kindness Day in Barrow, Furness and Westmorland and Furness. "Working with VSBD this World Kindness Day is a way of spreading that message in a fun and engaging way. "We can’t wait to see what people come up with!" People and businesses are urged to pledge acts of kindness, whether big or small, on the VSBD website. Amanda Bennett, chief executive at Vision Support Barrow & District, has previously collaborated with Kindness UK and the Wahl Foundation in America on similar initiatives. Ms Bennett said: "I am delighted to bring World Kindness Day to Barrow and am looking forward to working with Healthwatch to encourage more acts of kindness with and for the community of people with disabilities in Barrow and South West Cumbria. "I'd encourage everyone to consider what small act of kindness you can do to help us reach our goal of 100 acts of kindness." The two organisations are also committing to their own acts of kindness. Vision Support Barrow & District will host an Access to Work event for people and businesses. Ms Bennett, who has previously worked for Guide Dogs UK, Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), and chaired the Access to Work forum for the non-profit sector for the past three years, will host the event. Ms Bennett said: "For my act of kindness I will run a session for local employers on Friday 15th November to spread awareness of Access to Work, which is a government scheme which supports people with disabilities to access and remain in work." People can RSVP for a free space at the Access to Work Tea & Talk through Eventbrite. For more information and to make a pledge, visit the Vision Support Barrow & District website. Please click here to see article. |
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Dornoch Firth 3-18 Campus Friendship Benches
Recycled plastic ‘buddy’ friendship kindness benches chosen by students at both Dornoch and Bonar primary schools.
These were as a result of a bursary from Kindness UK. Please click here to see article. |
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Slemish College awarded KindnessUK School of Year 2024
Slemish College have been awarded KindnessUK School of Year 2024
Congratulations to all students, teachers, staff, parents and associates for this amazing achievement. Please click here to see the kindness higlights. |
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Keble School Again Receive 'Kind School' Accreditation 2024
Well done to all staff, pupils, teachers, parents and associates for again achieving the Kindness UK 'Kind School' accreditation.
"I wanted to share with you the past 6 months and some of the kindness initiatives at Keble. We have continued to take part in regular fundraising activities and since our last update in July here are some of the charities we have supported. Anti-bullying week in November where the children wore odd socks to highlight the fact that we should respect people’s differences and treat everyone with kindness." Please click here to see the full presentation. |
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Riverside School - Kindness week 2023
Two weeks ago, Riverside School had their Student Council lead them in Kindness Week as a positive alternative to Anti-Bullying Week in the UK!
During the Kindness Assembly the theme of kindness was introduced and the following activities were provided for the students:
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Why Be Kind? 5 Ways Kindness Is Good for Well-Being
Tchiki Davis and Sukhman Rekhi teach us about the importance of kindness and how to show more kindness in this article featured on Psychology Today
See a snippet of the article below: The act of being kind is often used as a synonym for being nice. While niceness implies a level of pleasurable or agreeable behavior toward someone else, kindness takes niceness a step further. Kindness can be defined as a genuine and sincere way o f giving your time and intention to someone else through compassion, time, generosity, and care for the betterment of helping others (Binet & Passmore, 2019). Kindness can be shown in a variety of ways. Some ideas may include offering emotional support, giving time to someone or a cause, showing respect, encouraging another person, providing resources, or something as simple as just being there when someone needs you. Research suggests that showing kindness not only makes the person we are being kind to feel good but also helps our own well-being. To read the full article click here. |
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Strangford Integrated College Makes it Eight In A Row!
A massive congratulations to Strangford Integrated College for their eights consecutive Kindness UK Kindness Award.
The school have set a new record after previously setting the record last year with seven wins. To see evidence of Strangford Integrated College's work over Kindness week please click here. |
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Dornoch Firth 3-18 Campus
We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dornoch Firth 3-18 Campus for achieving Kindness UK accreditation.
This incredible accomplishment reflects the commitment of the entire school to foster a culture of kindness. You can see examples of Dornoch Firth's achievements in the links below. Dornoch Academy Dornoch Academy - Photos Bonar Bridge Primary School Dornoch Primary School |
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Keble School Yet Again Magnificently Continues To Fly The Kindness Banner
Being part of Kindness UK has had such a positive impact on our school community.
It has made both students and staff much more aware of how kindness can make a difference not just to our day to day lives but to the wider world. Thank you for the inspiration. Please click here to see the full presentation. |
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Castlederg High Complete Mission:Kindness Challenge For World Kindness Day
A lovely example of a Kindness Day initiative from Castlederg High who pursue a full and meaningful schedule of kindness initiatives.
Well done to all at Castlederg and keep up the great kindness projects. Please click here for more info about what the school have been up to. |
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Strangford College Achieves Kindness UK Kindness Award For Seventh Year In A Row
Congratulations to Strangford College who have been awared with the Kindness UK Kindness Award for the seventh year.
This in itself is a record. There has been an ongoing programme of kindness initiatives throughout the school. Click on the link below to see what they got up to for World Kindness Day 2022. Strangford College - Kind School of Year 2022 |
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Slemish College awarded KindnessUK School of Year
Congratulations to all students, teachers, staff ,parents and associates for this tremendous achievement.
Click here for the full article. |
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Kindness… A Pocket Guide By Sebastian Boo 2022
A delightful and comprehensive compendium of kindness research, application and observation.
Easy to read and reference. Well researched against many published journals and books, it is a rich resource for further study and would form a good basis for kindness initiatives in both commercial and institutional organisations. |
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Inchinnan Primary School Achieves Kind School Status
Congratulations to Inchinnan Primary School on achieving the kind school status.
A huge well done to all students and staff for all of their excellent work. Please click here for more info about what the school have been up to. |
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The Benefits of Being Kind - Dainik Bhaskar 08/05/2022
"There is a current social movement for kindness to be part of the U.K. school curriculum, teaching children to practice compassion from a young age. The results have shown a decrease in bullying, increased feelings of well-being and a rise in the practice of compassionate behaviour to all living beings."
The above quote is from an article featured in the Indian newspaper, Dainik Bhaskar, with both english and Hindi versions available below. Please click here for the english version. Please click here for the Hindi version. |
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Slemish College Achieves Kind School Status For Second Year Running
An awe inspiring programme of kindness initiatives that have achieved such positive results on so many levels.
What an amazing team of teachers, students, parents, staff and associates. Please click here for more info about what the school have been up to. |
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Keble Prep Continue Kindness Initiative
Keble Prep School have continued their kindness initiative and explain the positive impact it has had on the school community.
Kindness to our planet The school Eco-club meets each Monday at lunchtime. It is a way to empower and encourage the boys to participate and take up meaningful environmental activities and projects. It is a forum through which our boys can reach out to influence and engage their parents and the rest of the school to promote sound environmental behaviour. Working in teams - appreciating each other's contributions. ‘One Kind Word’ was this year’s theme for Anti-Bullying week. One kind word can make a difference. Our pupils wrote either one kind word or a kind deed they would like to do for someone else onto their leaf to attach to our Kindness & Gratitude Tree. We taught ‘Celebrating Difference’ throughout our school in the Autumn term, looking at protected characteristics and the Equality Act 2010; the children understood the importance of kindness, tolerance and respect to all. We had fun supporting Anti-Bullying week by wearing odd socks. It provided the opportunity to encourage us all to express ourselves, celebrate individuality and what makes us all unique; and to spread kindness this year. Our Fundraising We held fundraising events for Jeans for Genes Day, Red Nose Day and Children in Need. We are planning a whole school charity event in the summer for Children’s Mental Health charities. Time to Talk Day and Children’s Mental Health Week We used these dedicated days in February to promote kind conversations and how by supporting each other we can grow together. The children learnt how a shared conversation and one small act of kindness can make a huge difference. Internet Safety Day Safer Internet Day is a yearly event, with this year’s event taking place on Tuesday 8th February 2022. This year’s theme is “Together for a Better Internet”. Lessons this week are to highlight being kind on the Internet as a school. One of our Year 2 boys asked for food donations from local residents and then delivered the food parcels to vulnerable people in his community. Please click here to see photos. |
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Leen Mill School London Awarded Kind School 2022
Leen Mills school London achieves Kind School status for third year running. Well done to all students, teachers,staff, families and associates.
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A Very Kind Year 2022
Congratulations to all students, teachers, staff and associates for maintaining such high level kindness initiatives in the following schools which have all been accredited with Kindness UK ‘Kind School’ status for the consecutive year 2022.
Leen Mills Primary School, Nottingham UK Riverside School, Prague, Czech Republic Horizon School, Dubai, UAE In challenging global times, it is an especially positive achievement to have kept the kindness flag flying throughout. |
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Eteach article on Kindness and Kindness Day
'World Kindness Day' is an article written by Elizabeth Holmes for Eteach.com, focusing on kindness in schools.
Please click here to read the article. |
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Keble School and Kindness UK Accreditation
Keble Prep School have provided an update on how they have been continuing with their Kindessuk.com initiative and the positive impact it has had on the school community.
"Alongside our Head teacher commendations each week we now have a kindness certificate. Teachers are able to nominate a pupil who has shown kindness to others, or a good deed. These are handed out during our assembly every fortnight." "Our Year 4 pupils wrote letters to young carers to acknowledge their work on national young carers day. It gave them an insight into other children with lives different to theirs." "Our Year 3 and Year 4 pupils talked about how people had shown kindness to others throughout the pandemic and then designed stamps for everyday heroes of the pandemic during their art lessons." "Through our science curriculum we have established an eco gardening club. The boys are learning to care for the environment and through this how kindness to the planet impacts on our wellbeing." "We have continued with our charity fundraising efforts and the theme of 'Giving to Others'." "Once we are able to go back into the community we are planning on promoting kindness in our local area and to make it a greater part of our everyday school life." "We have an ongoing Gratitude Tree where anyone can place a leaf stating an act of kindness that they have witnessed or have perhaps been on the receiving end of a kindness." "Thank you for the wonderful kindness pack, we have enjoyed trying out some of the activities this past year." |
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Why Kindness In Business Is No Longer Optional—And What Being Kinder Involves
Kindness is not widely regarded as a matter for serious businesspeople. Corporate language is rife with the tropes of fighting and fury. Shows like The Apprentice—one of a strikingly limited number of mainstream TV programs about business—imply that success is down to an individual’s willingness and ability to win, no matter what the cost. And many leaders remain in hock to a default mode of engagement that is cold, domineering, and hyper-competitive—an old-fashioned “tough guy” archetype that remains stubbornly difficult to lay to rest. Simply put: kindness is not high on the common-or-garden capitalist’s priority list.
Please click here to read the full article. |
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Leen Mills Fantastic Kindness Project
Over 400 messages of kindness have been gathered and made into wonderful displays.
What an uplift to the school and all involved. Leen Mills school has achieved Kindness UK kindness accreditation on several occasions and continues to innovate amazing kindness projects. This is such a clear indication of the value of kindness initiatives and their impact in education. Please click here to see the display. |
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Belfast Boys' Model School Receive Kind School Accreditation
Congratulations to Belfast Boys' Model School collecting the Kindness UK Kindness Accreditation.
A huge well done to all students and staff for their hard working including:
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Riverside School, Prague - Fifth Consecutive Year Overseas Kindness UK Kind School Of The Year Accreditation
What an impressive example and testimony to the fact that Kindness can become an integral part of a school and community with positive effects being felt by all on so many levels. Once again, congratulations to all teachers, students, staff, parents and associates for continuing their amazing kindness initiatives. What a great start to 2021.
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Slemish College Ballymena First School Of Year To Achieve Kindness UK Kindness Accreditation
Well done to all students, teachers, parents, staff and associates for this terrific achievement in such changing and challenging times.
The importance of kindness in education at all levels has never been more important. "We’re one of the most oversubscribed schools in Northern Ireland, yet we only have one permanent building. All other classrooms are in temporary mobile buildings, and have been since our foundation in 1996. We have one all-weather pitch, one grass pitch and two changing rooms to accommodate 20 students each. We have 900 students, and up to 300 applicants each year for 140 places. Why am I telling you this? Because in an area with schools with amazing facilities, we would never compete – if facilities were what mattered most. Parents send their kids to us because of who we are, not because of what we are. That’s why we know values matter more than anything, and that is why we are so over-the-moon to have an association with KindnessUK. Thank you so much for all you do to promote Kindness. I have seen the power of your work in the impact it had when I was head at Strangford College, and I am seeing that influence again here at Slemish. We are going to get a new build in a few years’ time and we’ll have lovely facilities then. But that will just be the icing on the cake. If those facilities never came, I’m confident our values would keep us as strong as we are today. I hope you enjoy the film." Please click here to see how kindness initiatives can help. |
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Newton Prep School Achieves Kindness UK Kindness School Certification For Second Consecutive Year
What an amazing achievement and example to others particularly in these changing times when education is facing considerable challenges of a an unprecedented nature and kindness has such a valuable role to play.
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Queen Elizabeth Pays Tribute To ‘Kindness Of Strangers’
LONDON (AP) — One of the traditional fixtures of any Christmas Day is to see Queen Elizabeth II and her family go to church. Not this year. The coronavirus pandemic has made sure of that.
However, the queen, 94, did fulfill what is considered her most cherished Christmas Day duty. Addressing the nation — as well as the Commonwealth — on television Friday. The queen, who has spent much of the year isolating at Windsor Castle with her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, delivered a heartfelt message of hope in her Christmas address, praising the “indomitable spirit” of those who have risen “magnificently” to the challenges of the pandemic. Please click here to read full article. |
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Horizon International School - Overseas Kind School of the Year
Congratulations to Horizon International School for being the first school in Dubai to achieve the Kindness UK kind school accreditation.
A huge well done to all students, teachers, staff, parents and associates for working hard to achieve this award with their super initiatives. Please click here to see some of the activities carried out by pupils and staff. |
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Jennifer Darlow: Healing a nation with kindness
Showing compassion for each other may have a greater impact on covid-19 than we give it credit for, says Jennifer Darlow
The foremost priority for medical professionals has always been the care of the patient. Never in living memory has this been more put to the test than during the covid-19 pandemic. However, in our rush to care for those who are sick, perhaps we as medics, and also as individuals and a nation, have forgotten how to care as people. Putting our efforts into being kind to each other may have a greater impact on covid-19 than any of us realise. While it’s easy to overlook, we are already being mandated by the government to be considerate to one another. Many current policies in place to prevent the spread of covid-19 are not intended to protect the individual following the rules; rather, they are there to stop a potentially infected individual passing on the virus. Face masks have mainly been worn so that we can reduce droplet spread to others; self-isolation rules do little to benefit the person in isolation, but potentially protect other people around them. Please click here to read the full article. |
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Lochfield Primary School Receive Kindness Weeks First Kind School Award
Lochfield Primary School in Paisley are the first school to achieve Kind School status in Kindness Week with Kindness Day being on Friday 13th.
Well done to all pupils, staff, teachers, parents and associates. Never has there been a greater need for kindness and this is a great example to others. Please click here to see some of the activities carried out by pupils and staff. |
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Music Communication Charity Include.org Dedicates World Kindness Day To Its Volunteers
Include.Org brings together people with and without disability to have fun, forge friendship and to help include people with communication difficulties.
The beautiful song was created by Include.Org and explains to people how to be kind and inclusive in the ways they support and communicate with each other. To see the video please click here |
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The Amazing Sebbie Hall celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Kindness Day
It seems like yesterday that we introduced Kindness Day to the UK... but it is the tenth year anniversary, and what a testimony that Sebbie Hall is celebrating it and making such a big impact for so many others.
This is kindness in action. Wow. Thank you Sebbie. A teenager from Staffordshire who struggles with learning difficulties, performs hundreds of Acts of Kindness to raise £10,000 for disadvantaged and disabled young people to celebrate 10 years of World Kindness Day. Since lockdown forced his school to close in March, 17-year-old Sebbie Hall decided to try and raise money for children who might be affected by loneliness and who don’t have devices with which they can keep in touch with their friends. He pledged to perform 100 acts of kindness in ten days, and his work included gardening, car washing, collecting lego stickers for children, paying for strangers parking, giving change to people in the laundrette and handing out packets of Nice biscuits to lift people’s spirits. Sebbie so enjoyed seeing people happy that he has continued with campaign to help others and now does a daily act of kindness. The money is being used to buy communication aids and access to inclusive arts for disadvantaged and non verbal children. The teenager, who has learning and physical difficulties has beaten all the odds for himself and others and has so far raised over £5000 for young peoples’ charities. Sebbie continues to raise money for disadvantaged and disabled young people by doing daily acts of kindness...he is now half way to his next challenge of £10,000 to celebrate 10 years of ‘World Kindness Day.’ Doctors said that Sebbie would never talk or walk when he was diagnosed with a rare chromosome anomily as a baby... however Sebastians determination proved the doctors wrong..it is this resilience that has driven him to want to make a difference to help others. Sebbie has developed an online following and has been featured in many online blogs, radio WM, Radio Bedford, local and national magazines and BBC Midlands news. Sebbie received a visit from the Lord-Lieutenancy of Staffordshire thanking him for his efforts during the coronavirus. Ian Dudson CBE KStJ, the Queen’s representative in the county, praised the kindness Sebbie had shown for the Staffordshire during the pandemic. “As the representative of Her Majesty The Queen in Staffordshire I would like to thank you for the contribution you have made to the County during these extraordinary and difficult times. No matter how large or small, the innovation, collaboration, humanity and selfless service shown by so many across the region during the Covid-19-pandemic has been truly inspiring.” Sebbie said he was ‘proud and happy inside’ to receive such an award. ...hopefully Sebbies hard work conveys a much needed message of positivity in these times ...thank you for supporting. #bekindlikesebbie @sebbiehall2003 Please click here to Sebbie's video. |
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Kindfest ...Amazing Kindness Online Festival On Kindness Day 13th November
Everything you have ever wanted to know about kindness both from an academic and personal point of view. Ideal for corporates, institutions and absolutely anyone with an interest in positive values.
Five different tents and over 25 world class speakers and presenters including Claudia Hammond, A.C.Grayling,Professor Robin Bannerjee, Professor Alice Roberts, Jimmy Wales, Susie Hills, David Jamilly and many more. Plus Captain Tom Moore and daughter Hannah Ingram Moore. Any profit goes to Charity. For more information please visit the following: www.teamkind.org.uk facebook.com/TeamKindUK instagram.com/teamkinduk twitter.com/teamkind2 www.sussex.ac.uk facebook.com/kindnessuk twitter.com/TeamKindnessUK |
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Can Kindness Save A Life?
When BBC producer Kamilah McInnis was at a really low point, she never expected to find a bunch of flowers left as a gift from a stranger. She’s gone on a journey to find out who left them, and about the other groups whose small acts make a big difference.
Please click here to watch the video. |
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Corpus Christi School Awarded Kindness UK ‘Kind School of the Year’
Corpus Christi school achieves prestigious KINDNESS UK ‘Kind School of the Year’ status for their wonderful kind initiatives both pre and post lockdown.
Congratulations to all students,staff,teachers,parents and stakeholders for the ongoing projects which set a great example to others and continue to bring positive effect all round. Please click here for more information. |
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International Resource Sharing And Mortality In A Global Perspctive
First published August 31 2020 University of California, Berkeley.
A fascinating paper highlighting the importance and value of sharing and pro-social behaviour. Please click here for the full article. |
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16-Year-Old Student Gets Thousands of Primary School Children to Write to Lonely Care Home Residents
To combat loneliness amongst care home residents, a 16-year old student has set up Community Senior Letters, an initiative that has helped match over 55 primary schools and 55 care homes, to write letters to elderly residents in their area during the COVID-19 crisis.
The mastermind behind this innovative project is Nina Andersen, a 16-year-old student from London. She has previously set up Community Senior Music, where semi-professional musicians performed concerts at various care homes. Due to COVID-19, she has had to switch from musical entertainment to handwritten letters to keep the elderly connected during these unprecedented times. Community Senior Letters aims to match primary schools to care homes in the same borough to provide human connection during lockdown. This allows hope and happiness to be brought to the elderly residents at care homes, and for them to form wonderful friendships. Likewise, students are able to form friendships by unleashing their inner creativity as they send letters and drawings to the care homes. Speaking of the latest initiative: Nina Andersen, Founder of Community Senior Letters said: “I believe that letters and drawings have the power to affect empathy and connection between two people from different generations, contexts, and walks of life. Sending and receiving these letters helps to uplift spirits, ease stress and relax the mind. Not only does it provide elderly people with some form of human connection during isolation, but it also helps to alleviate any boredom the pupils may be feeling.” Juggling this project with her studies, Nina also said: “I am currently working on this project alongside my schoolwork, and find it challenging at times to manage the workload, but it makes my day when I receive pictures of handwritten letters from primary school children, or emails from care homes expressing their gratitude and appreciation for this project.” Also speaking of the initiative, Lynde House Care Home, a care home signed up to the project said: “We are loving the letters and they have cheered everyone up. Please keep them coming, they are so appreciated!” The World Health Organisation (WHO) have announced there is currently no evidence indicating COVID-19 can be spread through post, allowing letters to be received safely by the care homes. This initiative demonstrates that even a small act of kindness, such as writing and sending a letter, can make a big difference to someone else’s life. Community Senior Letters would love for more schools and care homes to get involved. To do so please email communityseniorletters@gmail.com. |
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What Comes Next: Will the pandemic make us kinder – or will it deepen divisions?
Kindness has been a pervasive theme since the pandemic began, on both a global and local scale.
A crisis of this proportion crashes us all together and forces us to rely on each other in ways we haven’t had to in a generation. And there is a sense that our ability to survive this hinges on individual and collective kindness – on how well we, as a society, can work with each other and for each other. And many are being kind. Thousands of us are discovering reserves of compassion and empathy that we have never had to use before. Please click here for the full article. |
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A Comprehensive Cyberbullying Guide for Parents
Digital technology is quickly becoming ubiquitous in our society. The vast majority of individuals now travel with at least one device on their person. This has its advantages, as people can gain access to real time information as well as communicate with social contacts and business associates. It is also useful for day to day activities such as travel times, geolocation and weather information. And this trend is going to continue as new technology continues to be developed.
Please click here for the full article. |
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First Polish school to achieve Kindness UK 'Overseas School of The Year' accreditation
Well done to all students, teachers, staff, parents and associates alike for the implementation of a full kindness initiative and for all the positive benefits ensuing. Kindness UK is proud to accredit our first Polish School with this status.
For fuller details click here. |
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Charles praises people for uniting with kindness
The Prince of Wales, who is out of isolation after contracting coronavirus, is proud to see how kindness is keeping people together, Clarence House has said.
Charles has paid tribute to the work of the British Red Cross, after speaking to its chairman, David Bernstein, and chief executive Michael Adamson via telephone last week while in isolation at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire. Please click here to read the full article. |
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Coronavirus: The good that can come out of an upside-down world
Our world has changed immensely in the last few weeks but amid the upheaval and distress, there are reasons to believe we can emerge from the crisis with some human qualities enhanced, writes Matthew Syed.
A few years ago, Michael Michalko, a former US army officer, came up with a fascinating idea to sharpen creativity. He called it "assumption reversal". You take the core notions in any context, subject, discipline and then, well, turn them on their head. So, suppose you are thinking of starting a restaurant (obviously not possible right now!). The first assumption might be: "restaurants have menus". The reversal would be: "restaurants have no menus". This provokes the idea of a chef informing each customer what he bought that day at market, allowing them to select a customised dish. The point is not that this will turn out to be a workable scheme, but that by disrupting conventional thought patterns, it might lead to new associations and ideas. Please click here to read the full article. |
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How To *Actually* Be Kind During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Let's ensure this sense of community long outlasts the pandemic.
At one point or another in our lives, we have had to rely on the kindness of strangers. Maybe it was that girl in the club loos, who gave you a tampon when you ran out, maybe it was the bus driver who held the bus for you as you ran in the rain. Even tiny moments of kindness can make a huge difference. We made a recent rallying call for kindness after the tragic death of Caroline Flack, when #bekind went viral with over 7 million posts and counting. Yet, as we face the terrifying prospect of this pandemic, the kindness of strangers has never felt more vital and our ability to deliver on the call to #bekind has never been more tested. Please click here to read the full article. |
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Say 'Empathy and Kindness Is Indisputably Important' Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, are urging people to show “empathy and kindness” in the face of the pandemic.
The couple took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a statement. “This moment is as true a testament there is to the human spirit. We often speak of compassion. All of our lives are in some way affected by this, uniting each of us globally,” they said. Please click here to read the full article. |
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These schoolchildren have been commended for their acts of goodwill with Kind School of the Year award
East Boldon school children have been praised for their efforts in being kind to others.
Pupils at East Boldon Infants School were delighted to receive the Kind School of the Year award recently for their acts of goodwill. The accolade, awarded by Kindness UK recognises those children who have gone the extra mile to spread kindness both in and out of school. Only two primary schools and seven secondary schools have been given the title to date. Please click here to read the full article. |
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Newton Prep School Receive Accreditation
Newton Prep School have been hard at work promoting kindness in a variety of ways throughout the academic year, including the creation of message boards containing kind words and quotes, as well as holding a kind week.
A huge congratulations to all teachers, pupils and parents for their excellent work. Keep it up. Please click here to read more information. |
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Exemplary Kindness Programme From Coppice Valley Primary School
Coppice Valley Primary School have undertaken a wonderful kindness programme and set of whole school initiatives. Kindness UK is proud to issue Coppice Valley with Kindness UK‘s "Kind School 2020” accreditation. Congratulations to all pupils, teachers, parents and associates for setting such a beat example.
Please click here to read details of the work undertaken. |
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Stoke Row C.E Primary School Awarded "Kind School 2020"
Congratulations to Stoke Row C.E Primary School for being accredited with Kindness UK's "Kind School 2020” award. A big well done to all pupils, teachers, parents and everyone else involved for carrying out such fantastic work.
Click here for more information on the hard work carried out. |
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Congratulations to Riverside School Prague
Riverside School Prague is the only overseas school to achieve prestigious ‘Kind School of the Year’ accreditation for the FOURTH consecutive year. This sets a wonderful example and congratulations to all staff, students, parents and associates. Keep up the amazing kindness work!!
Riverside School Prague carried out the following activities during Kindness Week which was run by the Student Council:
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Strangford College Sets Record
Strangford College in Newtonards has set the Kindness UK record for achieving Kindness UK Kind School accreditation four times and three years in a row.
Well done to all students/teachers/parents and associates. What a great example and do keep up the great kindness initiatives. Strangford College - Kind School of Year 2019 |
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Why Being Kind Could Help You Live Longer
What can kindness do for you? Give you a warm glow perhaps, or a feeling of well-being? While that may be true, scientists and academics at a new research centre say it can do much more - it can extend your life.
The staff at UCLA's Bedari Kindness institute are ready for the jokes. "We look at the scientific point of view. We aren't sitting around in circles, holding hands. We're talking about the psychology, the biology, of positive social interactions," says Daniel Fessler, the institute's inaugural director. The notion of kindness has made headlines recently. Please click here to read the full story. |
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World Kindness Day: Why 2019 Is The Year Compassion Became Cool
“Kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome,” wrote nineteenth-century British novelist Amelia Barr.
Fast-forward to 2019 and, arguably, the concept of kindness is more in vogue than ever before. Surprising, considering we live in the time of online trolls or ‘haters’. Perhaps it’s exactly these types of people who have encouraged others to be kinder: Google Trends data shares there’s been a more than twofold in searches for the words “kindness” in the past five years. Please click here to read the full story. |
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Is the Answer to All Our Stress and Illness More Kindness?
It was one of those mornings. You know the kind, where you land at work stressed out with a blinding headache after a series of seemingly random, rude incidents.
After sleeping through our alarm, my husband and I both woke up cranky. Still in my PJs, scrambling to get the kids ready for school, I feel criticized for something I was unaware I did. Waiting for coffee at a local bodega, a woman cuts in front of me in line and then gives me the stink-eye. Looking at my phone, I spy a social media post of friends at a party to which I wasn’t invited. My email offers a nasty-gram written in all CAPS from a coworker upset over a minor matter. He cc’d our boss. Then, I notice a conference invite includes a panel of experts that is yet another “manel” without a single woman or person of color. Please click here to read the full story. |
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Moving Kindness “Off The Page”
There is a sense that something is happening around kindness. Whether it is in response to a political and media discourse that feels anything but kind, or the sense that public services are struggling to meet rising demand and levels of need: more and more people are talking about relationships and considering how a values-led approach could improve outcomes in communities and organisations.
So when we met at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 8th October to celebrate the work of the Kindness Innovation Network, the opening address from both Claudia Beamish MSP and Sarah Davidson focused on it being time to move kindness “off the page” – to go “beyond warm words” and ensure that kindness is a value that improves societal wellbeing in practice. Please click here to read the full story. |
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Francis Exhorts New Cardinals To Be 'Loyal' To Ministry Of Compassion, Kindness | National Catholic Reporter
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis Oct. 5 exhorted the world's Catholic cardinals to tend especially for those in need and to practice kindness with those in their care, lamenting what he called the "disloyal actions" of some clerics who only criticize their coworkers.
In a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica to create 13 new cardinals, including the head of the Vatican's refugee office and a number of prelates who have ministered in the world's most remote areas, the pontiff focused on the need for the Catholic Church's highest officials to experience and express compassion. Please click here to read the full story. |
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Social Relationships And Wellbeing - Why Kindness Matters
A must watch, well presented and coherent youtube video click here on the amazing work that Professor Robin Banerjee and Sussex University have been undertaking and which underlines the value that kindness has in creating a better world.
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Indian President Ram Nath Kovind Inaugurates World First Youth Conference on Kindness
Organised by the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development, over 27countries are to be represented by Youth Leaders.
Please click here to read the full story. |
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Gainsborough Primary School Achieve Prestigious Kindness UK ‘Kind School of Year’ Accreditation
Gainsborough Primary School have achieved the prestigious Kindness UK ‘Kind School of Year’ status for recognising the importance of kindness and placing it as one of their core values. Congratulations to all students, staff, parents and associates.
The following is how Gainsborough Primary School went about promoting kindness throughout the school:
Gainsborough Primary School - Kind School of Year 2019 |
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Time To Be Kind: Why Kindness Matters
An informative and interesting article by Positive News. Please click here to read the full article.
"It’s cool to be kind, but is it a trend or a real tool for transforming society? We uncover the role of kindness in being human and how to bring more of it into the world It was a quarter to midnight and Bernadette Russell was about to go to bed. But her hopes of an immediate date with the duvet were dashed when her partner asked a question: had she done her daily act of kindness? Weeks earlier, Russell, an author, had pledged to do something altruistic every day for a year because she didn’t know what else to do in the face of “all these troubles”. It was 2011 and she was referring, among other things, to climate change and the London riots, which had recently happened on her doorstep and left her deeply saddened." |
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Conversations With Young People About Kindness
Informative and interesting report compiled by the Carnegie Trust and entitled ‘Conversations with young people about kindness’. Written by Young Scot and based on a series of workshops that explored the experiences of young people in Scotland.
Please click here to read the full story |
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Congratulations Strangford College For Being Awarded Kindness UK Kind School Of The Year
Strangford College have been handed Kindness UK's ‘Kind School of Year 2019’ award. We would like to congratulate all students, staff, parents and associates.
Strangford College - Kind School of Year 2019 |
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Congratulations To All At Riverside School Prague For Achieving Kindness UK Kind Overseas School For The Third Year Running
Kindness UK is proud to announce that Riverside School Prague are the only school to ever achieve prestigious Kindness UK ‘Kind School of the Year’ status for a third year in the row. Well done to all students, staff, parents and associates for the hard work and for setting such a great example to others.
Riverside School Prague - Kindness Week 2018 - Document 1 Riverside School Prague - Kindness Week 2018 - Document 2 |
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Making Kindness a Core Tenet of Your Company
Scan the newspaper headlines, or switch on cable news for a few minutes, and it’s easy to conclude that we are living through harsh, mean, divisive times. But a recent column in the Washington Post reminded me of a truth that is even easier to overlook: Just as bad behavior tends to spread, so too does good behavior. Kindness, it turns out, is contagious. The column highlighted the work of Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki, who documents what he calls “positive conformity.” In his research, “participants who believed others were more generous became more generous themselves.” This suggests that “kindness is contagious, and that it can cascade across people, taking on new forms along the way.”
Zaki’s insight is vital for improving society, but it applies to companies too. Almost every leader I know wants his or her colleagues to go above and beyond normal standards of service, to impress customers with their kindness. Many of these leaders also believe that achieving this goal is largely a matter of policies and procedures — kindness as a directive. Actually, the way to unleash kindness in your organization is to treat it like a contagion, and to create the conditions under which everybody catches it. Consider one instructive case study. I recently immersed myself in the customer-service transformation of Mercedes-Benz USA, the sales-and-service arm of the German automaker. When Stephen Cannon became president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, he recognized that success was about more than just his vehicles. It was about how much the people who sold and serviced the cars cared and how generously they behaved. “Every encounter with the brand,” he declared, “must be as extraordinary as the machine itself.” And almost every encounter with the brand, he understood, came down to a personal encounter with a human being in a dealership who could either act in ways that were memorable, or could act the rote way most people in most dealerships act. Please click here to read the full story |
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How Kindness Means Good Business Year-Round
Our agency is frequently called upon to brand or rebrand organizations, which entails creating or defining their brand vision with the goal of creating brand loyalty. We've found that one of the easiest ways to increase brand loyalty is to be kind. I've found this to be so impactful that I recently directed a feature-length documentary called Kindness Is Contagious about the benefits of being nice.
Now, let’s back up a second. In our agency, the first thing we do when starting any project is to look for easy changes that will have a massive impact. It’s not because we are lazy (which we are); it’s more about good business. If we make simple, impactful changes, we come off as the hero, which increases our brand loyalty, and our clients make more money faster, which leads to more work. Our secret weapon? Make kindness a part of your brand vision. Many people think their logo is the foundation of their brand. That's not only wrong, it’s also short-sighted. Please click here to read the full story |
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World Kindness Day: 12 Amazing Random Acts Of Kindness That Will Warm Your Heart
In a world where the latest political drama always seems to dominate the headlines and the devastating effects of climate change are impossible to ignore, sometimes it can be worth remembering the capacity for love and generosity that human beings can have to renew your faith in humanity.
Acts of kindness don't have to be grand gestures. Showing someone that you care could take something as little as paying for their coffee order or wishing them a good day. From selflessly giving to the homeless to honouring fallen heroes, take inspiration from 12 of the most incredible random acts of kindness for World Kindness Day. Please click here to read the full story |
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Kindness - The Carnegie UK Trust
Kindness is at the very heart of our wellbeing. With the support of JRF, over 2016 and 2017 we worked with seven organisations to test what, if anything, could be done to encourage kinder communities, exploring ideas around the importance of places and opportunities to connect, and the intrinsic values underpinning our interactions and relationships.
We have seen powerful examples of where kindness and everyday relationships can affect change and support the wellbeing of individuals and communities. You can hear about some of these in our film. But there are major factors that get in the way of engaging and encouraging kindness both in individuals and organisations, including real and imagined rules relating to risk; funders and policy makers valuing the formal and organisational over the informal and individual; and modern definitions of professionalism and good leadership crowding out everyday kindness and intuitive human interactions. Please click here to read the full story |
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Leen Mills School Achieve Prestigious Kindness UK ‘Kind School of Year’ Status
Leen Mills School have achieved the prestigious Kindness UK ‘Kind School of Year’ status for the amazing kindness projects they have undertaken. Congratulations to all students, staff, parents and associates.
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The Warm Glow Of Kindness Is Real – Sussex Study Confirms
Psychologists at the University of Sussex have confirmed that the warm glow of kindness is real, even when there’s nothing in it for you. In their study, published in NeuroImage, they undertook a major analysis of existing research showing the brain scans relating to over 1000 people making kind decisions. For the first time, they split the analysis between what happens in the brain when people act out of genuine altruism – where there’s nothing in it for them – and when they act with strategic kindness – when there is something to be gained as a consequence.
Many individual studies have hinted that generosity activates the reward network of the brain but this new study from Sussex is the first that brought these studies together, and then split the results into two types of kindness – altruistic and strategic. The Sussex scientists found that reward areas of the brain are more active – i.e. use up more oxygen – when people act with strategic kindness, when there is an opportunity for others to return the favour. Please click here to read the full story |
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Kindness by Thor McIntyre-Burnie, Chloe Osborne & Kati Francis
In 2016, for the first time in our commissioning programme we partnered with a community group. As part of our 10 year anniversary, People United, in association with Newington Big Local commissioned an artist collaborative to create exciting and ambitious new work exploring the theme of kindness.
Throughout 2015/16 People United worked alongside local residents in Newington, Ramsgate in Kent to explore ‘the best of us’ through arts and creativity. We found stories of courage, hope and love and told these through a whole variety of art forms culminating in Newington’s first ever arts festival, Best Fest. During this first Best Fest, local people voted for the theme of the artist commission and they chose KINDNESS. Please click here to read the full story |
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Without Kindness, Where Would We Be?
The BBC’s chief international correspondent and honorary graduate of the University of Sussex, Lyse Doucet OBE, explains why kindness is so important to journalism.
Please click here to watch video |
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Kindness UK Reaches The 40,000 Mark
Kindness UK last week sent out it's 40,000 (forty thousandth) edition of the Kindness UK school pack for primary and secondary schools. Word has spread far and wide since the first publication and the pack has now reached the far corners of the world.
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Why Kindness Is Key To Living More Inclusively
Uber's Head of DI. Prior to Uber, Bernard led Hillary for America’s DI as the 1st ever Chief Diversity and HR Officer in U.S. history.
“Be kind, be safe and make good choices.” That is my four-year-old daughter’s preschool credo. Simple, yet powerful, and just as relevant in the workplace. It makes me wonder why a message we teach our children does not translate into adulthood. There really is beauty in such simplicity, it just requires consistency and intentionality. The same logic applies to effective inclusion, diversity and equity. A core purpose of every organization should be to create a safe, welcoming environment that embodies human kindness and fosters a culture of support and collaboration. It’s simple but it’s not easy. It’s about being deliberate. Please click here to read the full story |
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Congratulations To Whitefield Primary Luton For Achieving Kind School Status
Congratulations to all pupils, staff parents and associates at Callands Community Primary School for achieving Kindness UK Kind School of Year status through their wonderful and innovative kindness projects.
For more details click here |
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Callands Community Primary School - Kindness UK Kind School of Year
Congratulations to all pupils, staff parents and associates at Callands Community Primary School for achieving Kindness UK Kind School of Year status through their wonderful and innovative kindness projects.
For more details click here |
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The Cult Of Being Kind
Kindness is replacing mindfulness as the buzzword for how we should live. So are we becoming more compassionate? Or is it just a marketing gimmick?
One cold morning in Bristol, a man named Gavyn Emery tied a scarf to a lamppost, and on a cardboard tag wrote: “I am not lost.” It was 2016, and rough sleeping in Bristol had risen by more than 800% in seven years. As temperatures plummeted, more people were inspired to do the same, wrapping trees in coats, sticking hats on bollards, warmth for anybody who needed it. Scarves started appearing in Cornwall, Glasgow, London, Cambridge; across the UK through this very long winter it was possible to see a blossoming compassion, visible in wool. Kindness is not new. It’s old, pretty old. Aristotle said: “It is the characteristic of the magnanimous man to ask no favour but to be ready to do kindness to others.” Kindness is mankind’s “greatest delight,” said Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius. And yet, for a long time it has been seen as sort of… suspicious. As religion’s hold on our culture has weakened, and with it the insistence upon loving thy neighbour, a certain selfishness has come to be expected. To be kind is also to be weak, unfocused on achievement. Unsuccessful. Kindness is seen as a nostalgic throwback to simpler times, or worse, a con. A man who throws his coat over the puddle is a man who onlookers suspect must be protecting something valuable in the mud. To go out of one’s way to be kind suggests an ulterior motive – who has time to look up from their phone, let alone expose themselves to the discomfort of empathising with a stranger? Please click here to read the full story |
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Northern House PRU Wins Kindness UK Kind School Of The Year Award 2018
First prestigious Kind School of the Year Certification in 2018 awarded to Northern House PRU in Wolverhampton.
Congratulations to all pupils, teachers and associates for activating such an innovative and effective Kindness initiative. For more details click here |
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Can Kindness Be Taught?
Thanks to a challenge from the Dalai Lama, a number of preschools are trying to teach something that has not always been considered an academic subject: kindness.
“Can you look inside yourself and tell me what you’re feeling?” Danielle Mahoney-Kertes asked a class of prekindergarten students at P.S. 212 in Queens recently. “Happy,” one girl offered. “Sick,” said another. A boy in a blue T-shirt gave a shy thumbs down. “That happens too,” Ms. Mahoney-Kertes, a literacy coach, reassured him. The exercise was part of the Kindness Curriculum, developed by the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in which preschoolers are introduced to a potpourri of sensory games, songs and stories that are designed to help them pay closer attention to their emotions. Please click here to read the full story |
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This Morning - Download our Be Kind teachers' pack NOW!
Our Be Kind campaign was inspired by two mums whose children took their own lives as a result of the bullying they experienced.
Teachers and parents, we would like you to spread the word about the campaign in your school, which is where this pack comes in. Together with the charity The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign we have created a variety of resources for primary and secondary schools. These include posters, activity ideas and advice sheets to raise your students’ awareness about the Be Kind Campaign. Please click here to read the full story |
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Walney School Cumbria Achieves Kind School Of The Year Status
An amazing programme of kindness activities from the amazing students and teachers at Walney School.
Walney School Cumbria - Document 1 Walney School Cumbria - Document 2 |
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Riverside School Prague
Riverside School Prague achieves kind school status for the second time. This is the only overseas school to ever achieve this prestigious status twice. Below are the events and activities that the school took part in, during Kindness Week.
Riverside School Prague - Kindness Week 2017 - Document 1 Riverside School Prague - Kindness Week 2017 - Document 2 |
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How To Build The A-team: What I've Learned From Pitching New Business
So, you’d like to build a new company from the ground-up. Now what?
You could create a big swirl of activity, ask for advice from everywhere, and gorge on GrubHub into the wee hours. But if you cast the wrong set of characters, you’ll spend a lot of money and time without actually getting any closer to your goal. Please click here to read the full story |
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HSE Staff Urged To Attend 2-Hour 'Kindness' Workshops
Kindness costs nothing, as the saying goes — unless you are a HSE employee, whereupon it could cost two hours of your working day.
For an organisation with no real ratings on the warm and fuzzy scale, staff were left bemused by a recent internal circular inviting them to participate in ‘Kindness Workshops’. Please click here to read the full story |
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World Kindness Day 2017 UK: Here Are 9 Things You Can Do To Be Kind Today
Whether it’s towards your friends, co-workers, family or a stranger, here are some small acts of kindness you can do on World Kindness Day.
Without realising it, you probably do small acts of kindness every day. Whether this be texting your friend to see how they are, keeping to the right of the escalator on your morning commute or not playing your music really loud in a public place – all of these are considerate and worthy of a kindness badge. Please click here to read the full story |
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Kindness In The Workplace
World Kindness Day occurs on November 13; it’s a time to encourage random acts of kindness for friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers. However, showing kindness shouldn’t be limited to a single day. Some common benefits of benevolence, according to the Random Acts of Kindness organization, include increasing energy, happiness, and serotonin levels while lowering stress, anxiety, and blood pressure. While spreading kindness is good, it’s better to find simple ideas on a daily basis.
Please click here to read the full story |
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Why Is It Nice To Be Nice? Solving Darwin’s Puzzle Of Kindness
World Kindness Day is a global 24-hour celebration dedicated to paying-it-forward and focusing on the good. We are encouraged to perform acts of kindness such as giving blood, cleaning a communal microwave at work, or volunteering at a nursing home.
Of course, even without the encouragement of an international awareness day, kindness and selflessness are widespread among both humans and animals. Many people donate to charity and feel significantly happier as a direct result of doing so. In the animal kingdom, many species show kindness by refraining from violence when settling conflicts. Instead they may use comparatively harmless fighting conventions. Typical examples include male fiddler crabs fighting over a burrow but never crushing each other’s bodies with their huge pincers, rattlesnakes wrestling without ever biting each other or Bonobos helping strangers even without being asked. Please click here to read the full story |
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Loneliness is harming our society. Your kindness is the best cure.
Being lonely isn’t just a feeling. It is proven to be bad for you. Research shows loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic, that it’s as harmful as not exercising and twice as harmful as being obese.
When she went to university, Jo Cox was lonely. And while knocking on doors in Batley and Spen, Jo found herself speaking to people who were lonely, too. Once in parliament she sought out the Conservative MP Seema Kennedy and, together with 13 organisations working on loneliness, they set up a commission. After her murder in June 2016, I pledged to carry on Jo’s legacy and I now co-chair the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, alongside Seema. Please click here to read the full story |
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Lady Gaga Shares Messages About Kindness & Awareness on World Mental Health Day
In honor of World Mental Health Day on Tuesday (Oct. 10), Lady Gaga shared a series of messages about kindness and mental health awareness on Instagram. The singer also welcomed fans to join her in a live, but silent, meditation and prayer session earlier in the day.
Please click here to read the full story |
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After Great Loss, It’s Kindness That Sees Us Through
Brendan Cox’s good sense born out of bereavement as he talked about the Westminster attack shows how kindness can work wonders
‘When JK Rowling writes that love is Harry Potter’s secret weapon, she is spot on. A gas-covered rock encircling a nuclear fireball is all we are without it,” declares my friend Pete. “Adam understands the power and breadth of love better than any of us.” It’s that stage of the evening when wine loosens dinner guests’ tongues, and talk turns to house prices, schools or the meaning of life. We are languishing in the lounge, liberated from charging home after dinner at midnight by understanding babysitters or older children at home, so are able to talk absolute bollocks into the small hours. Please click here to read the full story |
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Kindness UK In Partnership With Kettering Hospital
Kindness UK in partnership with Kettering Hospital to deliver and celebrate a week of kindness. Kindness initiative is set to reach thousands of patients, staff and associates.
Kettering General Hospital (KGH) is celebrating RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS WEEK - 12th-18th February 2017
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Duchess of Cambridge: Teaching George And Charlotte Kindness And Respect Is As Important As Academic Success
The Duchess of Cambridge has said she wants to teach her children the importance of respect, honesty and kindness.
Kate said making Prince George, the future King, and his sister Princess Charlotte aware of the value of these qualities was just as important as academic or sporting success. The Duchess's comments came as she celebrated pupils with the "K factor", or kindness factor, during a visit to Mitchell Brook Primary in north-west London with her husband the Duke for the launch of Children's Mental Health Week. The annual event - which this year has the theme Spread A Little Kindness - is an initiative founded by the mental health charity Place2Be, which has Kate as royal patron, and runs counselling sessions at Mitchell Brook in Neasden. Please click here to read the full story |
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TWO EXCEPTIONALLY KIND SCHOOLS ACHIEVE KINDNESS UK SCHOOL AWARD
Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School in Martock, Somerset
Some of their kind ongoing work included 'a whole day of events including making friendship wands,kindness chocolates,cards and letters,poems,paper chains and kindness vouchers. Walney School ,Barrow-in-Furness,Cumbria Some of their kind ongoing work included a democratic vote for Kindness student,Kindness teacher and Kindness support staff. This is the winning poem from their Kindness poetry competition: What is Kindness? Kindness is caring for others, In whatever act it may be. For just being there for them Or helping them see… That kindness is not just an act, It’s a sign of faith and hope. To someone who may have nothing They now are able to cope… With all that’s bad in the world, Kindness helps people be free. After all, kindness is not just an act It is a cure for he or she. By Nancy Richardson, 8L |
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Kind School Of The Year Award
This status has been achieved by Strangford College, Newtownards. Well done to all the staff and students for their amazing kindness work that has had such wide impact and for all their terrific efforts in spreading kindness in the school and community. This really sets a great example to other schools. The following is how Strangford College went about promoting kindness throughout the school:
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First Kindness UK Overseas Prestigious Kind School Of The Year Award Issued
The award has be issued to Riverside Primary School, Prague, Czech Republic for amazing in-school projects. Kindness UK kindness packs have been sent around the world including Africa, America and Europe but Riverside Prague is the first to attain our highest award. Riverside School joined a growing number of schools participating in ‘Kindness Week UK’, where they promoted with the children the importance of doing good deeds. It is a further extension of Riverside's increasing PSHE curriculum. The week began with a Kindness Week assembly, and was followed by poster and card competitions. Student Council ran lunchtime activities and the children were encouraged to participate in ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ within the school community. Kindness Week culminated in a dress down day on Friday 18th November in conjunction with Anti-Bullying Day, where schools participated in the ‘Wear Blue campaign’ to unite and stand up to bullying. |
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Without The Power Of Kindness, Our Society Will Fall Apart
When we are vulnerable and estranged from each other we can be easily manipulated by demagogues, as can be seen in the US and Europe. Please click here to read the full story |
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Coolabi Readies #ClangerforKindness Campaign
The campaign has been developed to help kids and parents alike spread kindness through carrying out unselfish acts over its course. Coolabi is gearing up for the launch of its exclusive #ClangersForKindness campaign, an initiative billed as its biggest creative marketing run for the hit Clangers brand. The campaign has been developed to help kids and parents alike spread kindness through carrying out unselfish acts over its course. |
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Helping Others DOES Make Us Happier
We often say we are happy to help but it seems that helping also makes us happy.
An Oxford University analysis has found that performing good deeds, such as holding the door open for someone or donating to charity, gives the doer a warm glow. The effect is small and ‘will not change your life’ but ‘might help nudge it in the right direction’, said researcher Dr Oliver Scott Curry. Please click here to read the full article |
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Times Higher Education Article On The Importance Of Kindness
Amid the uncertainty and anxiety post-Brexit, we must be brave and reach out to and support each other, writes Rachel Moss. Please click here to read the full article |
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Lady Gaga And Dalai Lama Chat About Kindness
Lady Gaga will be promoting kindness with the Dalai Lama this weekend. The singer is set to join the revered Tibetan monk at The U.S. Conference of Mayors 84th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. |
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Leen Mill School
We received this great message from Leen Mill School regarding their kindness projects: "Our Head presented us with the kindness certificate in assembly. How proud we are of our wonderful children. Thank you for that. It is now in pride of place in the school reception for all to see. It has been really great promoting kindness. Something as Nurture leaders we truly believe in. It has been great promoting kindness and so happy we are involved with Kindness UK. Keep up the great work." |
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Culture of Kindness at Leen Mill School
Leen Mills School have been undertaking some amazing kindness projects. Here are some examples: "We are currently creating a Kindness Garden display board. We are growing sunflowers and tomatoes to share with our families and the school garden. Each child has come up with their own kindness challenge ie reading to younger siblings, helping mum clean the house. It's been fantastic." |
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What will you do? Orange County Seeking One Billion Acts Of Kindness
Pick up trash on the sidewalk. Join a beach clean-up – or volunteer at an animal shelter. Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to be kind, does it? On Thursday, the Orange County Department of Education launched a new initiative to encourage one billion acts of kindness. Please click here to read the full article |
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The Story Of Bailey's Kindness
Charming and informative video relating to Adhd/autism and kindness. |
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Kins Charter
Kindness UK has designed and launched an international kindness charter for businesses, NGO's, associations, partnerships and charities. Kins Charter is aimed at global solidarity of kindness values creating a global kindness community. Kins Charter is issued free to qualifying organisations. Apply here...
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The Simple Things, February 2016 - It's Cool to be Kind |
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Kindness UK School Packs
News has spread far and wide about the benefits of using Kindness Uk school packs for values and kindness ideas. Many non academic institutions are using the packs as well. In the last couple of weeks alone we have sent packs upon request to:
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St. Columbas College Achieves Kindness UK Kind School Of Year For Second Year Running
St Columbas College have continued their amazing kindness programme this year in Kindness Week 9th to 13th November and used suggestions from the Kindness UK pack throughout their entire curriculum.
Well done to everyone,teachers and students alike. The repercussions spilling out into family,associates and the whole community.
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Blacklands Primary School Wins Kindness UK Kind School Of The
Year Award For Second Consecutive Year
This is the first time that Kindness UK has ever given this
prestigious award to the same school for two years
consecutively. "The ongoing kindness work at this school is both amazing,inspirational and outstanding,” says David Jamilly Founder of Kindness UK, "and we are delighted to recognise this for the second time as it sets such a great example to others. Well done." "Dear Kindness UK, Each year we celebrate World Kindness Day and we were extremely proud to be named ‘Kind School of the Year, Scotland’ 2014. This year we have continued to promote Kindness not just through celebrating World Kindness Day, but through our whole school ethos each day. I wanted to give you an update of some of the activities and events that we have been doing in the past year. I have also attached some photographs of some of these events. Here are some of the activities we have taken part in.
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Kindness UK has developed a native app for IOS devices called
‘Kindness Weekly Quotes’
Kindness Weekly Quotes will send new quotes to your device on a
regular basis as well as offering a library of beautiful
imagery specifically designed for each quote. Please click here to visit the app store and download ‘Kindness Weekly Quotes’ now. |
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Are Londoners Horrible? (Kindness Experiment)
A recent heart warming kindness experiment shows just how kind
people can be. The video has been described as a “positive advert for things that truly matter”. The response to the video has been exceptionally positive. Are Londoners Horrible? (kindness experiment) from Action Productions on Vimeo. |
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10 Ways a Little Kindness Can Change Your Life
A recent article published by Time magazine claims kindness can
change your life. The article lists 10 reasons from kind music to being selfless as ways kindness can impact and change a person’s life. Please click here to read the full article. |
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We are still impacting schools across the United Kingdom with
our primary and secondary school packs. Harrietsham CofE
Primary School is an example of the incredible feedback
Kindness UK keeps on receiving. “There has been approval across the board from all teachers on the quality + relevance of activities in the booklet. As a school we plan a big input on the subject on Wold Kindness Day and then will hopefully be able sustain this momentum!" - Harrietsham CofE Primary School, Kent To see more endorsements or to find out more about Kindness UK’s school resources please visit our school section. |
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The University of Sussex is adopting a culture of kindness in
conjunction with Kindness UK
Jessica Cotney a researcher in the University’s School of
Psychology’s Children’s’ Relationships, Emotions and Social
Skills (CRESS) lab will be running numerous kindness projects
in association with Kindness UK. SussexKindness will begin with
a kindness competition on campus in Freshers’ Week in September
and the winners will be announced on Kindness Day UK in
November. Please here to find out more about how the University of Sussex are promoting kindness as a way of life. |
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The Kindness of Strangers: Why Do Human Beings Do Good Things?
An article published by the Huffington Post suggests that
kindness should be celebrated as one of the most fundamental
aspects of human nature. When an act of kindness takes place it is possible that another person’s motivation is simply an impulsive unselfish desire to alleviate another person's suffering. Please click here to read the full article. |
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8 Important Reasons For Teaching Kindness In Schools
Scientific studies have shown that kindness has a great number
of physical and emotional benefits, and that children require a
healthy dose of kindness in order to flourish as health, happy,
well-rounded individuals. Patty O’Grady, PhD, is an expert in the area of neuroscience, emotional learning, and positive psychology with special attention to the educational arena believes that “kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. Kindness is an emotion that students feel and empathy is a strength that they share.” Please click here to read the full article. |
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Why A Corporate Culture of 'Kindness' Is Great For Your Brand
Adopting a corporate culture of kindness can make work easier
and can create more opportunities. "Research suggests if you have a culture of kindness at your company you have employees who walk around with less baggage, freeing them up to focus on their jobs." Please click here to read the full article. |
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Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust encouraging Kindness
UK packs in local training and neighbouring schools
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust has been inventively
using Kindness UK’s school packs to devise training methods
surrounding primary relationships and sex education. The department of Health and Wellbeing Practitioner Specialist for Children and Young People have been corresponding with secondary schools around the Kent area making reference to the resources and then linking it to the PSHE Association Programme of Study. |
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Evolution made humans compassionate and kind before intelligent
Evolution led early humans to develop compassion and kindness
before intelligence, a scientist has said. Penny Spikins, from
York University, has said normally we think of human evolution
as being driven by intelligence – but this is not the case.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, she said three groups of early
human show behaviours relating to kindness and compassion, and
that these behaviours developed long before early man started
to show signs of intelligence and speech, which started as late
as 150,000 years ago. Please click here to read the full article. |
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Husband and father of four runs seven marathons on 7 continents
in 7 days to raise £160K for MS charity.
Devoted Ted Jackson has run 7 marathons in 7 days and travelled
around the world which took more than 45 hours to complete. He
has raised more than £160,000 for a small charity Overcoming
Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) which helps suffers with day to day
challenges that the condition brings as his wife and childhood
sweetheart has been diagnosed with the disease. He wants to
help her and raise awareness for the condition. To read more about Ted’s story click here. 
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Over £300,000 has been raised in 4 days for Alan Barnes, victim
to a mugging.
Katie Cutler set up a fundraising page for Alan Barnes after
hearing of his mugging and subsequent injuries. She decided to
raise money for Alan to help him towards his recovery and
support for the future with a £500 target, this has been
rapidly surpassed. This story is inspiring and heart-warming
and an excellent example of how a negative can be turned into a
wonderful positive. The donations and kind words from over
22,000 strangers around the world demonstrates great human
kindness and compassion as donations continue to be made
including offerings of furniture and services from carpet
fitters, plumbers, electricians! Click here to donate. Click here to read the full article. 
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Winter Kindness – Student repays homeless man’s kindness by
raising over £30,000
A homeless man offered to pay for a taxi for a student who
didn’t have money on her, in order that she would get home
safely. She didn’t take this man’s money but was so touched by
his act of kindness that she tracked him down and set up a
fundraising page to collect enough money for this man to put
down a deposit on a flat. Donations have flooded in and have
exceeded the fundraising goal of £30,000. Click here to read the full article. |
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365 Acts Of Kindness
British man spreads kindness with a year of good deeds in 2014
and tops the year off by handing out £5 notes to strangers on
the street totalling £365 of his own money. Luke Cameron has
shared all of his kind acts on his blog. Some of his good deeds
include giving clothes to charity, making cookies and cakes for
his colleagues, giving hot food to the homeless, doing his
father’s ironing, and helping an elderly lady cross the street.
Click here to read the full article. |
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Kindness UK award St Columba’s College, Co. Down (N. Ireland)
with Kind School of the Year Award
The abundance of kindness demonstrated at St Columba’s is
exemplary and they have been awarded with Kindness UK’s most
prestigious award; Kind School of the Year. Teachers have
incorporated kindness into their lessons using the resources
and activities in Kindness UK’s school booklet ‘Kindness Pack
for Secondary Schools; Promoting, Sharing and Uniting
Kindness’. The kindness demonstrated at St Columba’s is
exemplary. Projects included a Kindness Week to celebrate
kindness on a large scale and embraced the subject of kindness
in every classroom. Activities included; visit to local
residential home, ‘save the earth race’, short story
competition kindness song survey, fair-trade projects, creating
endangered species pamphlets, kindness in faith & culture,
compliment chain, ‘Power down day’, shortbread gift bags for
friends & family, selling cakes for charity, kindness
translations, making t-shirts, graffiti & street-art,
sustainability project, kindness posters and many more! Pupils
and staff responded with real enthusiasm, enjoyment and
commitment throughout a week packed with events. Kindness
permeates the school walls and out into the local community. We
highly commend the way the whole school has embraced the value
of kindness; it is an inspiration to others. |
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Free chocolates given out for Kindness Day UK!
Kindness UK volunteers handed out 10,000 chocolate bars to
volunteers at three London stations on 13th November 2014. The
chocolate bars had cards attached which encouraged recipients
to ‘spread the kindness’ by doing a kind act of their own.
Volunteers, including Kindness UK founder David Jamilly, stood
outside Willesden Green, Cricklewood and Kilburn stations
throughout the morning from 7:30am and gave out free treats to
commuters and passers which created a lot of smiles and got
peoples day off on a happy footing. Many people shared their
experiences on social media (check out facebook, instagram and
twitter #KindnessDayUK). Kindness was spread far and wide and
the kind ripples were felt across the UK and rest of the world. Click here to read the full article. 
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Edward Francis Community Primary School, Essex, celebrates
Kindness Day UK with school resources.
“We used many of the activities. Children in Year 5 wrote
fantastic poems. Years 3 & 4 wrote their compliment to a
friend and designed a bookmark. For Kindness Day UK, we had
posters and balloons up around the school. Each class had an
activity and a copy of all the resources. We held an assembly
at the end of the day which every class could share and talk
about what they had learnt. The children enjoyed singing along
to ‘Heal the World’ and ‘You’ve got a friend in me’. I brought
in cakes to ‘thank’ staff for their support. The PE co.
organised a football tournament between the year groups. Thank
you for the activities and resources.” 
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National Kindness Day UK: How Can Being Kinder To People Help
With Loneliness?
The Kindness UK team talk to the Huffington Post about the art
of being kind and how it can change our lives, even the small
acts can make a big difference. Click here to read the full article. |
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Nice one: being kind makes you happier, healthier and more
attractive?
Doing acts of kindness will make you happy. “Research tells us that having a strong sense of meaning and giving to others is the best way to find happiness. Being kind lowers our stress levels, which means loess cortisol running through our system, lower blood pressure, better sleep and stronger immune systems.” Click here to read the full article. |
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Lottery Winner Wishes To Keep A Small Fraction Of Her Millions
And Vows To Give The Majority Of The Money To Charitable Causes
Margaret Loughrey won £26 million in the EuroMillions jackpot
in December 2013. Margaret was living on benefits at the time
of her win but expressed her desires to use the money to help
others. Since receiving her winnings she has already given half
of the money to people in need. She wishes to benefit those who
live in her hometown. Margaret said, "I know what it's like to have nothing. That's why I'm giving it away – I can't miss what I never had. I spent half of my adult life unemployed and the other half on the minimum wage so I know only too well how hard things can be. As soon as I won the money I said it would go for the good of the town.” Click here to read the full story. |
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Army Of Unknown Strangers Rush To Mum’s Aid
Shelly Ruck got stuck in a 30-mile traffic jam with her 8 month
old son. She only had one bottle of baby formula left for her
son and started to worry. But as a crowd gathered around to see
what was going on, she told others about her situation. A group
of kind strangers travelled to a local shop and returned with
supplies for her baby and refused to accept any money for the
cost of the items. Shelly said, “It was the kindest thing that anyone could have done. It was absolutely unbelievable. Those people really saved us. My baby would not only have gone hungry but would have been very distressed if it were not for the amazing thoughtfulness and kindness of these people because it was 30 degrees and so hot. I had only one bottle of baby formula left and started to get very worried then these people I had never met came to my rescue. It has restored my faith in human nature. It was just astonishing. They saved us. My baby would have been hungry and distressed if it were not for their amazing thoughtfulness and kindness. Their reaction was amazing. I don't know who they were and I don't know the exact location of the bridge but thank God they were there to help. I want to give them a massive thank you because what they did was unimaginable.” Click here to read the full story. 
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Powerful: George Saunders 'Kindness' Commencement Speech at at
Syracuse University, 2013, goes viral.
Author discusses regrets on not acting kind when it would have
made a difference in his life. |
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Westhoughton High School celebrated a Kindness Week with an
abundance of kind activities in school and their local
community
“Our lessons have been based on a theme of Kindness - thanks to
your materials - and we have had lots going on! We have had
wellie walks and wellie wanging for Give Hunger the Boot and we
have been raising money with lots of activities like smoothie
making etc However, the best bit was the random acts of
kindness by our school council Kindness Army when we went into
town giving away sweets and flowers and washing cars for free! The reaction around school has been fabulous and so has our community reaction. We have also raised lots of money for charity but, as a school we have been immensely enriched. I have included some of the highlights below and my ode to kindness for our final assembly alongside our totals raised. Thank you so much for the support of Kindness UK - I can see this will be an annual event!” |
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Kindness: The Secret to Success!
Josephine Fairley discusses how kindness is a sign of strength
in the workplace. We would like to think that our Kindness Packs had an influence on the Primary School's Kindness Prize, as mentioned in this article. It is wonderful that so many schools across the UK have taken on kindness initiatives to incorporate kindness into teaching. Click here to read the full story. |
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Man rewards kind acts with $100 as he travels across the US
Tommy Lukrich wishes to ‘Pay Forward’ the kindness that he has
received in the past by walking from Seattle to Portland and
giving away $100 notes to people he comes across who
demonstrate kindness. Click here to read the full story. 
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English as a Foreign Language college enjoy Kindness UK’s
resources
Hilderstone College, an adult EFL (English as a foreign
language) college inventively used Kindness UK’s school packs
to devise a lesson centred around language and culture. “I had an EFL group of young adults – European and Asian. They were good intermediate level – B2 on the Common European Framework. I put the word ‘kindness’ on the board and elicited a definition. I then elicited some synonyms from the group. In groups, they were given a mix of the words from the Word Associations: Page 32. They had to look in a dictionary for any words they didn’t understand and then try to understand the situations in which the word would be used. E.g. Hospitality: being kind to a visitor. Selflessness: being kind with time (their definition of the word). Etc We then imagined examples of when and how we would use the word plus the families and collocations the words come from (mercy/merciful/mercifulness/ unmerciful/ (to) show mercy etc. Eg. “Thank you for your hospitality”, “He was magnanimous in defeat” Their homework is to find examples of these words in newspapers and magazines in the next 2-3 days. The students got involved with the words and the lesson produced useful vocabulary. It was also a perfect opportunity for cross-cultural awareness discussions. It was an enjoyable class.” |
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A father’s kindness and love, shared by thousands
A photo of James Geier and his son has been shared by
thousands. James hiked 3 miles with Jonah attached to him in a
specially built carrier to the Delicate Arch in Utah. James
went above and beyond to ensure that his son, who has cerebral
palsy and is a quadriplegic, was able to see and enjoy the
beautiful sights with him and the rest of the family. Click here to read the full story. 
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The power of kindness |
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Donations rush in for Stephen Sutton as the UK is touched by
his kindness and raising over £2.4 million for charity
Stephen Sutton has been battling cancer since the age of 15. On
January 13th 2013, shortly after finding out his disease was
incurable, Stephen made a Facebook page called “Stephen’s
Story”. On the page he outlined a bucket list of 46 things he
wanted to achieve in the near future. Number 1 on Stephen’s
bucket list, and by far the most important to him, was to raise
£10,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust- a charity that has supported
Stephen hugely these past couple of years in his own cancer
battle. Since creating the page Stephen’s following has grown
exponentially and he has inspired thousands of others with his
positivity and passion for life. He has achieved more than most
would in a lifetime; resulting in him winning countless awards
in recognition of his inspirational work, most notably he has
raised over £2.43 million for his chosen charity in just over
one year. Please click here to read more about Stephen’s
story. 
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Secondary School Kindness Packs Receive A Fantastic Response
Kindness UK have started to distribute their new Kindness Packs
to secondary schools nationwide. The response has been
extremely positive already. Westhoughton High School is an
example of the incredible feedback Kindness UK is receiving. “Thank you so much for your kindness pack - it really gave us a lift! We have had a look on the website too and found some great ideas. We are meeting our student council this morning with the intention of discussing a 'Kindness Week' - this will be held on the last week of term. The intention is for each year group to raise money for their own year charity on one set day with their own activities. The students will also engage in some fundraising with Sainsbury's at our local store with proceeds going to the 'Hand on Heart' charity: in this way each year group will have their own Kindness Day during Kindness Week. With regard to the resources pack, we intend to ask our staff to run one lesson each day, based on the theme of kindness so any additional packs or other ideas would be welcome. We’re also thinking about taking the student council out into town to do some random acts of kindness (armed with daffodils, sweets and sponges to wash car windows!). Many thanks for the pack and the website information. All the very best with Kindness UK!” Westhoughton High School, Lancashire To see more endorsements or to find out more about Kindness UK’s school resources please visit our school section. |
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Paralysed CrossFit Trainer Touched By The Kindness Of Strangers
A CrossFit trainer, who was paralysed from the waist down after
an accident, is overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers as
over $373,000 floods in from strangers all over the world
donating towards the cost of his growing medical expenses. To
read the full article please click here. 
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Animals Show Kindness To Each Other
Scientists have found that elephants console one another by
trumpeting sympathetic noises and use their trunks to give
physical caresses – like an elephant hug! "The nonhuman road to kindness appears to be reaching new lengths" says Joshua Plotnik, Behavioural ecologist at Mahidol University in Thailand. To read the article please click here 
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Kindness Is Contagious
Watch this short video clip made by David Gaz about the
contagious quality of kindness. Kindness is a ‘good virus’ that
is spreading and will change the world for the better. New Site Trailer from David Gaz on Vimeo. |
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Heart Warming Kindness Goes Viral
A dustbin lorry driver shows kindness to an autistic boy. The 5
year old boy, who loves to wait outside his house and watch as
the dustbin truck drives by, was given a toy version of the
truck by the driver and this made his day. 
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New Kindness UK Academic Paper Comissioned For 2014
Kindness UK has commissioned a new academic paper which is to
investigate how kindness effects well-being in society. This is
being researched and written by Dr Andrew Curtis and will be
published mid-2014. |
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Kind man donates his time and money to give strangers cash to
buy coffee In 30 minutes he gave away £36. He was met with a mixed response and some confusion as he sat on the pavement with a cardboard sign saying “I have a job. I have a home. I have a car. I have good health. Would you like a couple of pounds for a coffee?”, looking much like a beggar. His unusual approach to random kindness and generosity is refreshing, creative and inspiring. To read the article please click here. 
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Cocktonhill Infants School, County Durham I would just like to show you how proud we are of our certificate for Kindness. Our school council takes great pride in showing this on our notice board. We enjoy coming up with different ideas to encourage Kindness within our school and enjoy using your booklet. 
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Macduff Primary School, Aberdeenshire engage random acts of
kindness and demonstrate that the rewards are endless. For the past 8 months we have been running a “Random Acts of Kindness” scheme in our school. Children are actively encouraged to look out for opportunities to actively show kindness by the words they speak and the actions they carry out. The change in the ethos of the school has been amazing. Parents have even commented that their children’s behaviour has improved at home. I can honestly say that kindness counts for much in our school. |
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Good News Magazine 21/11/2013 |
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Oxley Park Academy, Milton Keynes, embraces kindness. Our plan is for all classes to create a kindness poster using the activities in the booklet and then collate them all to create one BIG display. A kind school certificate would be a fantastic component to the display. I have attached some examples of our work so far. One poster is from one of our Year 1 classes and the photograph of post-its is from a current Year 4 class. I hope to gage a difference in the understanding of kindness and what it means to each year group. We will certainly keep you updated regularly on our Kindness work. 
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Kindness Day 2013
Many wonderful kind acts happened on Kindness Day 2013. Josh
Warwick from the Telegraph wrote this fantastic article about
kindness and Kindness Day UK 13/11/2013. To read the full article click here. |
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Positive, inspiring and exemplary acts of kindness at Anstey
First School, Hertfordshire.
We had a great time using the kindness pack. We took the theme
of KINDNESS as our PSHE focus for the last 6 weeks of term. We
dipped into the suggested activities and developed Activity 8.
We decorated pot plants and planted each pot with 2 plants and
added a message card/decoration. We then delivered the pot
plants to elderly people in the village. The response was
lovely. We continue with our theme of kindness and last week we
looked at what we need to do to persevere. Some great ideas
were generated and I hope they all have a new mantra...keep
trying and don’t give up. Thank you, Miss Nixon and Class 3/4
(7 children). 
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Daily Express 1st November 2013 kindness articles about good
deed statistics for Britain. 
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Can Kindness Movements make a kinder society?
Can kindness make a difference to the problems in our society?
Do organisations encouraging acts of kindness make a
difference? To read the full article click here. |
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Kind Banner Spotted On Cricklewood Broadway
Kind banner was spotted on Cricklewood Broadway, London
18/10/2013. This guerrilla marketing is an example of how to
make people think about kindness on an everyday basis. 
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A Letter From Witton Church Walk CE Primary School, Cheshire
This is a letter to Kindness UK from Witton Church Walk CE
Primary School, Cheshire. It is a superb example of kindness in
practice. The work they have done is inspirational and
demonstrates how everyday kind acts can make a big difference
to community and society. "We have recently received your kindness pack for schools. We will certainly be using all your useful ideas. We encourage the children to try to make a difference to those less fortunate than themselves. Each class chose a way to help charity organisations and the local community. Just a few of the class projects involved; helping to clean up at the local dogs trust, going to all the local charity shops to say thank you to the staff and to let them know that they make a real difference and planting flowers at the local residential home. Some children went out with their parents to find homeless people to give them food, drinks and blankets. The whole school donated non perishable food to the local community food bank. The list is long and the children often come into school with a new idea to help those in need and together we will try to make a difference." |
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Random Act Of Kindness Gives Hope For Future
This is a story demonstrating how the kindness of a stranger
can really make an impact. Without the help of a kind stranger,
this man would have received a penalty for being a little short
when it came to paying his train fare. To read the full article click here. |
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Harrow Hero Demonstrates Incredible Community Kindness By
Dedicating His Days To Up Keeping His Local Community
Read this inspirational story about a man called Eugene
Callinan. Eugene has volunteered his services and money to
looking after his local recreation ground for more than ten
years. His kindness is overwhelming; he spends his time picking
up litter, tending to neglected allotments, welcoming visitors
and treating the park as an extension of his own garden. To read the full article click here. 
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Round-Britain cyclists in awe of people’s kindness
Read about how 2 charity cyclists found themselves "totally
dependent on the kindness of strangers and continually amazed
at people's generosity." 
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Maryland Primary School grasps kindness with both hands
We have been hearing from hundreds of primary schools across
the UK about how they are using our free kindness pack.
Maryland Primary School has been creating fantastic displays
and activities to promote kindness. We want to thank Maryland Primary School for sending through these images and for promoting kindness in education.        
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Two British teachers travel the world to promote education to
help the 61 million children without access to school
Powered by a tiny tuk-tuk, Nick Gough and Rich Sears, are
travelling around the world to promote education in
underdeveloped regions including Africa, Asia and the Americas. They are aiming to raise awareness of grassroots projects in parts of the world where there is poor access to education. To read the full article click here. Please click here for more information about Tuk Tuk Travels. |
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Psychology of Kindness
Among the most popular dimensions of positive psychology is the
science of kindness. For decades, scientists have studied
different structures in the brain and how they contribute to
the formation of emotions and feelings. Thanks to the
introduction of fMRI scan machines, looking at the activities
in the deepest parts of the brain has become incredibly
possible. Research suggests that kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. It is not something people learn by simply knowing what it is; listening to others, reading books, and watching TV shows that explain what it is. To be able to produce kindness, one has to feel it. Perhaps, this is the reason why majority of adults who experienced childhood abuse or trauma are more likely to engage in violent behaviours whereas those who were raised in a happy environment tend to have more satisfying life in adulthood. Through positive psychology, people began to understand what it takes to be happy. Decades of research tell us that empathy, compassion and gratefulness are among the important components of kindness. When we are thankful of what we have, know what it feels to be in the situation of others, and have deep sense of love and care to others, we exhibit kindness. In return of our kindness, we experience happiness. Showing acts of kindness gives people the following benefits:
To see the full article click here. |
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Popularity and Kindness Researchers at the University of California have found kindness to impact popularity in children and ultimately reduce the levels of bullying. Read about the study and how kindness can impact the dynamics of a classroom here. |
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St Peter's CE Primary School Promote Kindness St Peter's CE Primary School in London have taken on the spirit of kindness. They are using our Kindness Tree to post kind messages to others in their school. They have also created their own Kindness Book to document kind deeds and thoughts. Well done to them for promoting kindness!
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Joy of Giving Week Video
Our lovely friends at Kindness Unlimited Mumbai shared this
fantastic video with us for the Joy of Giving Week. Another
great opportunity to spread the kindness! |
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Photos from the 7th General Assembly of the World Kindness
Movement – Hosted by Kindness UK
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Kindness UK To Host 7th General Assembly of the World Kindness
Movement. Kindness UK are hosting the 7th General Assembly of the World Kindness Movement on the 18th-20th September 2012. Kindness movements from the following countries are confirmed: Australia, Dubai, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, UK, USA, China, Spain. The event strives to help make the world a kinder place. |
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Uniting the World with Kindness Kindness UK are hosting the 7th General Assembly of the World Kindness Movement which brings together Kindness Movements from all over the globe. The event which takes place on the 18th-20th September is to be opened by the Worshipful Mayor of the London Borough of Brent and will include a talk by world expert on Oxytocin (the ‘happy hormone’), Dr David R Hamilton. |
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Kindness in the Community Paper Commissioned By Kindness UK Doctor Andrew Curtis is producing a paper commissioned by Kindness UK on the subject of 'Kindness in the Community'. The paper will be published on the Kindness UK website in the coming weeks. |
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Doctor David Hamilton to talk at World Kindness Assembly Doctor David Hamilton to talk at World Kindness Assembly on Wednesday 19th September 2012. Limited amount of free tickets available on application to interested parties. The seventh general assembly of The World Kindness Movement is being hosted by Kindness UK at their Headquarters in Cricklewood London and at least 10 nations are expected to attend including Australia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, America, Italy and Nepal. Please contact us for more details. |
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Bhutan Kindness Uk recently visited the only country in the World where GNH (Gross National Happiness)as opposed to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is measured and was privileged to be able to help facilitate books and musical instruments for schools in the remote regions of Sakten and Tashigang. |
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Nepal Earth Society and Kindness UK Link Kindness UK are delighted to have recently met with fellow members of the World Kindness Movement the Nepal Earth Society at their base in Kathmandu. The kindness colleagues discussed their kindness initiatives and shared ideas to promote a kinder world. |
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United Nations to Implement Happiness on the Agenda
As from Monday 2nd April 2012 Resolution 65/309 will be
implemented in the United Nations placing “happiness” on the
global agenda. |
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Kindness UK to hold next World Kindness Movement General
Assembly Kindness UK are delighted to announce that they will be hosting the next prestigious bi-annual General Assembly for the World Kindness Movement at their offices in September 2012. Kindness UK will be welcoming kindness associates and friends from all over the world to develop strategy and strengthen the global kindness movement. |
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Bournemouth Foster Parents win a car in Nissan CARED4
Competition Andrew and Ann Jones, who have fostered hundreds of children and helped their local community in Bournemouth over the last 30 years, have been awarded a Nissan Qashqai for their kindness. Selected from hundreds of applications by the Nissan Qashqai team and Kindness UK’s David Jamilly, the couple intend to use their prize to continue supporting their local community and carrying out acts of kindness. To read the full article click here for the Bournemouth Echo. |
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Life Vest Inside Our amazing friends and kindness associates Life Vest Inside have produced this inspirational video Life Vest Inside – Kindness Boomerang – One Day about the power of kindness. Based in New York Life Vest Inside believes that by living kindly and believing in the inherent good of each individual, change is possible. To find out more visit www.lifevestinside.com
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Kindness at Christmas Kindness UK thinks that every day should be kindness day, especially during the festive period when the weather is cold and many people in our communities are vulnerable and isolated. Our new Kindness at Christmas page has some great ideas of how to give the best gift of all at Christmas – kindness. Take a look here. |
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Schools Pick Up The Kindness Baton
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Art on the Underground Celebrate Compassion, Generosity and
Kindness in 'Acts of Kindness' Campaign Art on the Underground and artist Michael Landy are celebrating everyday generosity, kindness and compassion on the Tube in the new campaign to be seen all over London. Acts of Kindness is a celebration of compassion and generosity, inviting us to notice acts of kindness however simple and small. The artist explains, ‘Sometimes we tend to assume that you have to be superhuman to be kind, rather than just an ordinary person.’ So, to unsettle that idea, Acts of Kindness catches those little exchanges that are almost too fleeting and mundane to be noticed or remembered. To submit your story visit http://art.tfl.gov.uk/actsofkindness/about/ |
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David Jamilly Asked to Help Judge Kindness Competition Kindness UK founder David Jamilly has been asked to come on board the panel of judges for a new kindness initiative by Nissan. The CARED4 competition is asking people to write in nominating caring and kind people in your community who deserve to win a CARED 4 Nissan Qashqai. |
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School of Life Teach Kindness The School of Life, who run programmes and services which explore questions of fulfilment and how to lead a better life are putting on a month of classes, events and activities relating to kindness and compassion throughout November. To find out more please visit theschooloflife.com |
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Art on the Underground choose Acts of Kindness Art on the Underground and artist Michael Landy are celebrating everyday generosity, kindness and compassion on the Tube in the new campaign to be seen all over London. Acts of Kindness is a celebration of compassion and generosity, inviting us to notice acts of kindness however simple and small. The artist explains, ‘Sometimes we tend to assume that you have to be superhuman to be kind, rather than just an ordinary person.’ So, to unsettle that idea, Acts of Kindness catches those little exchanges that are almost too fleeting and mundane to be noticed or remembered. To submit your story visit http://art.tfl.gov.uk/actsofkindness/about/ |
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Textwave for Kindness - 13th November 2011
Kindness UK will be asking the nation to send at least one
'kindness' text on World Kindness Day, to acknowledge the
importance of kindness. |
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Kindness UK Officially Launch First Nationwide Kindness Survey
Kindness UK will officially launch their Kindness Survey on
World Kindness Day, 13th of November. The survey will look into
current trends and perceptions of kindness in the UK and the
results will be gathered and analysed and brought to you here
at Kindness UK. |
