Portsmouth joins Claps for Heroes as residents rally the community during the Covid-19 crisis

A MORALE-BOOSTING round of applause has rung out across the area, as the Clap for Carers tradition returns with a new name.
By Richard Lemmer
Published 7th Jan 2021, 21:09 BST
Joanne White, her partner David, and her father, 98-year-old Gerald John Castleton, in their garden in Grosvenor Street, Portsmouth, celebrating Clap for Heroes. Picture: Habibur RahmanJoanne White, her partner David, and her father, 98-year-old Gerald John Castleton, in their garden in Grosvenor Street, Portsmouth, celebrating Clap for Heroes. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Joanne White, her partner David, and her father, 98-year-old Gerald John Castleton, in their garden in Grosvenor Street, Portsmouth, celebrating Clap for Heroes. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Earlier this week, Annemarie Plas – who founded Clap for Carers last year – announced the return of the event as Clap for Heroes, aiming to highlight the variety of people going above and beyond during the crisis.

At 8pm last night, residents took to their front steps, gardens, and balconies to once again rally the wider community.

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Southsea residents Joanne White and her partner David came out with a special Union Jack flag — bearing a message of thanks to NHS staff — to join the clap and ring hand bells

The 61-year-old said: 'They need all the encouragement they can get.

'As a full time carer, I know how carers are so important.

'We came out for every clap on Thursday's last year.’

Residents in Courageous Road in Gosport came out to show their support, following their own street-wide clap to show support for neighbours working in the NHS last Thursday.

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Ellen Mould, who has lived on the road since last February, said: ‘Last year, the claps really brought everyone together.

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‘Living on my own, they have been a real lifeline – they have given me something to look forward to and a sense of routine.

‘We actually started last week with a clap for our community as we have a few neighbours who are in the NHS.

‘They really appreciate it. This winter has been even tougher for them than compared with last year.

‘One of our neighbours had Covid-19 last year – he was in hospital for a few weeks and still gets panic attacks.’

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The community event comes after the chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Chief, Mark Cubbon, said that medical staff face ‘some of the most difficult weeks’ of their professional lives.

Last year’s Clap for Carers campaign saw hundreds of the city’s residents – as well as police, care home staff, and even hovercraft - make some noise from mid-March to the end of May.

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Related topics:ResidentsPortsmouth