A new initiative to spread some festive joy will see people singing carols on the doorstep on Wednesday 16 December.
Carols on the Doorstep will encourage people to sing carols at their front door and raise money for mental health charity Mind whilst they’re at it.
It comes after the success of the Clap For Our Carers initiative which came during the national lockdown in the spring.
It is expected that thousands of people will join in this new initiative in London, but having started in Shropshire, it is now reaching all corners of the globe as people in Australia and Canada are expected to join in.
BBC Radio London will play the carols from 6-7pm on Wednesday and those who take part in the event are asked to donate £2 to Mind.
Director of Fundraising at Mind, Kathleen Miles said: “Carols on the Doorstep is a fantastic idea to bring about some fun and festive cheer to the year that everyone can get involved with.
“It continues to be a challenging time for all of us and the pandemic is having a huge impact on our mental health and wellbeing, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems.”
Mind ran a survey on the subject of coronavirus which found that since the start of the lockdown in March, mental health has significantly deteriorated in adults and young people in the UK.
Over half of adults and two thirds of young people said their mental health has worsened since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Miles added: “We are very grateful to the organisers for choosing to support Mind.
“Every donation we receive will help us to provide information and support services, such as our Mind Infoline and legal line, for as many people who need us as possible.
“We look forward to hearing the nation sing their hearts out together!”
