How you can pay a massive tribute to all our key workers
The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive are creating a lasting record of their contributions
Jenny AmphlettHead of Events and Special Publications
Coronavirus has changed our society, including how we work, how we shop, how we learn and how we interact. But it has also changed how we perceive others.
Just two months ago our heroes wore a football shirt, sang to crowds of fans or entertained millions on a big screen. Today they wear uniforms, drive lorries, collect our unwanted waste and deliver supplies.
They protect and save lives during the pandemic, and in doing so risk their own. And now we're asking you to say thanks.
To pay your tribute, please complete the form below, attaching a photo of your hero key worker.
Previously we may not have considered the skill and determination of our health and care professionals, we may have cursed the early morning rumble of the refuse lorry or the revised timetable for our grocery delivery. Not any more.
Communities across the world now come together to recognise this special group of people. We applaud them, we display colourful pictures in our windows and we ensure social media feeds are rightly saturated with messages of gratitude and hope.
In truth, we can never say thank you enough. We will never forget their selflessness or their sacrifices.
The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive are planning to create a lasting tribute to our key workers - but we need your help to do it.
We want to collect your messages of thanks and appreciation, perhaps to an individual you know or someone who has helped you, or maybe you would simply like to say a heartfelt thank-you to the whole team working to keep our country safe.
Your messages will be compiled in a commemorative supplement, as a lasting record of a community's sentiment at a time the world will never forget.
Martin Tideswell, Editor-in-Chief of The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive, said: "The last two months are unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. The cost in terms of human lives has been tragic and overwhelming. If there is a light in all of this it's the community spirit that continues to shine through.
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"People continue to come together, supporting each other through these times. The need to say thank you remains as strong today as it ever has during this crisis. We understand the true value of our key workers and we admire their courage to continue doing their jobs, even though they are putting their own lives at risk for the sake of strangers.
"That is why we have decided to create this supplement as a mark of respect and thanks to all of these incredible people. We hope it will provide them with a sense of pride and understanding that our community holds them in the highest regard.
"They are true heroes of North Staffordshire and their actions during the darkest of times should never be forgotten."
You have until Monday, June 8 to get your messages in. Our supplement will be published in The Sentinel on Thursday, June 18.