Children at a primary school have started a wave craze which has rippled around the world.
The idea at St Gabriel's Primary in Ormesby was to draw a hand, add positive messages and decorations to it, and post it online with your own photo as a virtual 'wave' and challenge someone to send a positive message back – complete with a new 'hand'.
The simple, fun project has been a huge success with children from schools in Australia, the USA, Thailand and Vietnam 'waving' back.
Now it has been taken up by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council's Health Improvement Team as a way of spreading positive messages across the borough and encouraging community spirit. Elderly people in care homes have also been taking part and the public are encouraged to get involved on the authority's 'feelgood' Facebook pages.
Headteacher at St Gabriel's, Lindsay Phelps, explained the project was inspired by the book, 'The Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse' by Charlie Mackesy. The book will now be the focus for a whole school project running through this lockdown. She said: “The idea was to simply spread some friendship during this time when we are apart. We have had an incredible response with other schools taking up the challenge, care homes have become involved and we have reached around the UK and beyond. We hope it continues and people get involved."
Councillor Alison Barnes, Cabinet Member for Children and Deputy Leader, explained council staff have also taken part as well as the public. She said: “It was such a lovely idea and so many people got so much pleasure out of it and it's just fun. However, there is a serious message too. We all need to take a moment to think about our own – and others - mental wellbeing as lockdown continues. This is part of that and I would urge everyone to look at our Facebook 'feelgood' pages for great ideas about how staying positive and engaging with other people."
Share 'waves' and photos on the council's feelgood pages on Facebook and spread the word. Go to Feel Good East Cleveland www.facebook.com/FeelGoodEastCleveland; Feel Good Greater Eston www.facebook.com/FeelGoodGreaterEston or Feel Good Redcar Area www.facebook.com/FeelGoodRedcarArea
Or, to share with the school, email your photographs to healthimprovement@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk and it will be shared with the school if appropriate.