Coronavirus: Christmas lights bring joy to locked-down neighbourhoods in bid to keep spirits up
LIGHTS are shining in the darkness of lockdown as the community pulls together to keep spirits up at home.
One of the many ways people are brightening up the neighbourhood mood is to decorate their homes and gardens with fairy and Christmas lights while most people are in self-isolation.
A Facebook group called #HitTheSwitch was started by Angie Kennedy from Waterlooville to encourage others to get involved with sharing some colour and love, and more than 400 people have joined.
The idea came about when 53-year-old Angie was walking her dog Kelsey with her 13-year-old neighbour Spencer Cartwright and his dog Bella, and they were inspired by the light-up collars the pets wear at night.
Mum-of-two Angie, who is self-isolating at home with her husband Mike due to having some coronavirus symptoms, said: ‘It’s just come from us laughing at the dogs’ lights and that’s it, it was off. It’s brilliant.
‘I can’t see my children at the moment but there’s a way of connecting with people, it just brings it to you.
‘I think for the majority it’s lifting people’s spirits and that’s what it’s about. What else can you do for someone if you can’t make them smile?’
Members as far away as Canada and Sweden have been getting involved with the idea in their own communities, and Angie said it is nice to connect with other people they have never met in this time of global crisis.
‘It’s really giving people some hope and connecting us to people we don’t know,’ she said.
‘People are coming together which, through the horrible stuff that’s happening, there’s some good.
‘It’s absolutely amazing, it’s making me so happy it is going so far.’
Jo Harris from Leigh Park is one of the keen community members who has joined in with the display, putting blue lights up around her house for reasons close to her heart.
She said: ‘We light up blue for the NHS including my mum - huge respect to you all. Also lighting up blue for autism, very close to our hearts with three little ones at home with autism.’
Angie is keen for more people to #HitTheSwitch and join in to brighten everyone’s day, which can be from something as small as posting a picture of coloured lights inside their home.
She said: ‘Regardless of financial status, we’re all in the same position. We have been levelled and it’s so important to come together and show that we’re all there for each other.
‘We will learn a lesson from this and that’s to be a little bit nicer to people. If we look out and see some lights going, it gives you a bit of hope. It’s just something to bring a little bit of light and love.’
To join in with the #HitTheSwitch movement, join the Facebook group for some inspiration on how you can get involved.