Lovely reaction to Harrogate woman's 'bluebirds for NHS' fundraising idea

Sarah Charneca, who lives at West End Avenue in Harrogate, said: "We don't hear much on the news about our amazing ambulance service, who must be facing some terrible situations and exposure to the Covid-19 virus.

"They should be supported and thanked.

"The reactions of the NHS workers on Facebook so has been so lovely. I think it makes them feel cherished."

Sarah, a private tutor who runs classes for adults and children, was inspired to come up with her 'bluebirds for the NHS' when rainbow paintings by children started to appear on the street where she lives.

She said: "I noticed that children in our area were painting rainbows to display in their front windows in support of the NHS.

"I loved that idea, so, as I have my art studio, Brunswick Studio, at the rear of our house, I painted a large rainbow for our window.

"From that, I decided to create bluebirds for my twin sister Emma, a clinical lead nurse for cardiology at Harrogate District Hospital, and another for my niece Laura Edgar who is doing her medical training in Birmingham.

Sarah then Sarah started to ask other family and friends to suggest people they knew in the NHS.

She said: "Once I'd started sticking the birds on our front window, it inspired people walking past the house to nominate their own NHS friends and families.

"Then they started to post the images of the birds on Facebook and everything just snowballed from there. "

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After she receives the nomination, she makes a bluebird with their name on, posts it on Facebook then tags the person who nominated them.

Sarah, who normally also takes 'Art for Fun’ classes to residential care and dementia nursing homes, soon realised there was the opportunity to fundraise for her own particular 'unsung' heroes of the coronavirus crisis - ambulance staff.

She created a Facebook fundraiser - 'Sarah's fundraiser for YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST CHARITIES' and set a target of £1,000.

Sarah said: "I like the fact that people are nominating loved one/colleagues/friends, then when the bluebirds are posted on Facebook they donate to the charity, and another lot of nominations come in.

"It's been amazing. We reached my target quite quickly so supporters have suggested I keep it going. I've set a new target of £2,000. "

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