Events and entertainment industry has come together to show their support to brave NHS Staff risking their own health to take care of citizens during the ongoing COVID-19 Crisis. The industry has launched a #LightItBlue and #MakeItBlue campaigns to show their emotional support to the healthcare workers in the UK.
Music legends Liam Gallagher, Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp along with three Superbike brothers, Andrew, Glenn and Graeme Irwin were amongst the first to raise their hands to support the #MakeItBlue campaign from their homes.
21 Event venues across the UK have participated in a movement #LightItBlue in a moving show of support to the NHS workers. Apart from this, in all over 60 theatres, bridges and cathedrals, castles, sports stadiums, venues and national landmarks were contacted by the #LightItBlue campaign to show their faith in NHS staff across the UK. This included 20 Association of Event Venue (AEV) member venues who joined hands in this campaign in the last week.
As a part of this campaign, on Thursday, 26 March at 8 PM, the blue lights were switched on nationwide, coinciding the activity with the public campaign to #ClapForOurCarers.
#LightItBlue Campaign representatives said, “The events and entertainment industry finds itself in an unprecedented state of enforced inaction. The best thing we could do, apart from staying home and looking after our families, was to send out a massive thank you to all of the healthcare professionals who are risking their own health to save people made seriously ill by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
AEV member venues who participated in this noble cause included; ACC Liverpool, The Brighton Centre, Business Design Centre, Event City, ExCeL London, Farnborough International, Harrogate CC – Royal Theatre, ICC Wales/Celtic Manor, Liverpool Convention Centre, Manchester Central, NEC, The O2, Olympia London, The QEII Centre, Ricoh Arena, The Royal College of Physicians, SEC – Hydro and Armadillo, Stadium MK, Telford International and The Yorkshire Event Centre.
Following the AEV initiative, Rachel Parker AEV director said that they are proud to have been a part of the #LightItBlue project team, and we are delighted to see so many AEV members showing their faith in the healthcare workers.
She further added, “Dozens of other members wanted to join in too, but social distancing and travel guidelines made this impossible. Nevertheless, the NHS has the wholehearted thanks and support of our entire membership, and this was an imaginative and spectacular way of demonstrating it.” You can view further details on #LightItBlue Campaign at the official #LightItBlue website.
