Today’s #FourForApril stretches around the world and we love it. From the Canadian students helping to spread some joy to the elderly who are isolated, to over 25,000 birthday cards sent to the hero that is Captain Tom Moore, goodwill gestures are never-ending.
In other good news, Germany has produced a record amount of solar power and Pescara Calcio, of Serie B, has announced a six-year-old, Luigi D’Agostino, as the winning designer of their new kit next season.
I hope these stories add even a little bit of joy to your day 💚
Canadian students create positive hotline for isolated elderly people
High school students in Calgary, Canada, are helping the elderly in isolation during the coronavirus crisis by giving them “a little joy” through phone calls.
The Joy4All Project, which launched earlier this month, is offering free calls with a series of prerecorded messages of positivity designed to lift up the spirits of some of the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are a range of options to listen to stories, motivational messages, poems, and even jokes.
The project is run by members of Ever Active Schools, an enrichment program for the Calvary Board of Education students.
The students participating in the initiative recognised that not everyone has access to smart phones, so bridged the gap by making it something that would be easily accessible to all.
I has already been a success. In its first week the project received 2,300 calls and 5,500 visitors to the project’s website.
One of the students involved, Jared Quinn, told CBC: “I think we can learn a lot of respect for each other and a lot of wisdom from our elders in the community.”
The project is also encouraging children and youth not connected to Joy4All to submit their own messages, written or recorded.
You can read more about this lovely story here.
Thousands send birthday cards to Captain Tom for his 100th birthday
Captain Tom, the famous war veteran who has now raised over £28m for the NHS, has been sent more than 25,000 birthday cards.
Captain Tom Moore, 99, raised more than £28m by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.
South Midlands Mail Centre, which has been dealing with the cards, said it has received over 25,000 for Tom, but that number could still rise ahead of his birthday on the 30th April.
There has been so many cards for Tom that staff have re-programmed sorting machines to re-route his mail into a dedicated collection box.
Gareth Eales, area representative for the Communications Workers Union, said workers expected to deal with hundreds of thousands of cards over the coming days.
Gareth told the BBC: “This is a time for heroes, which Captain Tom and all key workers certainly are.”
Royal Mail has said from next week it will be using a special postmark to appear on all stamped mail wishing Captain Tom a happy 100th birthday.
He recently launched a cover version of You’ll Never Walk Alone and a petition launched for him to receive a knighthood has also been signed nearly 900,000 times.
Plans for Tom’s 100th birthday party had been affected by the pandemic, but he said the national outpouring of love and support for him was “a party enough for me”.
You can read more about this lovely gesture for Tom here.
Germany producing record amount of solar power
Germany’s solar panels have produced record amounts of electricity smashing its previous record from last month.
Clear skies over central Europe are believed to have helped photovoltaic plants produce the 32,227 megawatts on Monday.
Coal, the fuel in which Germany’s economic and industrial prowess was built, is being cut by renewables.
Germany’s government forecast that green power will make up about 80% of its electricity mix by 2038, compared with just over 40% in 2019.
The government has agreed with coal plant operators in the country to gradually wind down power plants fed by the fuel by 2038.
Falling costs for solar energy could mean this happens much sooner as coal power is becoming increasingly unprofitable.
The recent sunny weather meant solar generated as much as about 40% of Germany’s power that day, compared to the 22% produced by coal and nuclear, according to Agora Energiewende.
Solar, wind and other renewables also accounted for 78% of Germany’s electricity output.
Fewer flights and lower air pollution due to the coronavirus lockdowns may have lifted the share supply coming from solar.
You can read more about this story here.
Pescara football club chooses six-year-old boy’s shirt design
A six-year-old boy in Italy has seen his football shirt design adopted by Serie B team Pescara.
A competition run by the club for young fans aimed at easing the boredom of lockdown, has been won by Luigi D’Agostino.
Luigi’s dolphin design will be worn by the Serie B team next season.
Pescara Calcio 1936, were most recently in the top flight three years ago.
The clubs mascot is a dolphin and plays in an Adriatic resort town famous for its beaches.
Italian sports kit supplier Erreà will make the shirts and has invited Luigi to spend a special day at its headquarters, to see the new team strip coming off the production line.
Originally launched as a children’s game, using Erreà graphics, its popularity on social media turned it into a business project.
You can read more about this lovely story here.
Bonus positive
This kind (and yummy) treat from a stranger for Blackpool Police.
Every day in April, we will be sharing four positive news stories in one post under the hashtag #FourForApril. Got any kindness stories? Send them in! We’d love the world to hear about these good deeds by good people 🙂
Thanks for reading one of our positive stories!
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