A new national awards scheme celebrating kindness in UK primary schools will launch on World Kindness Day, November 13th.

The Kindness Awards, created by award-winning charity 52 Lives, is designed to recognise outstanding kindness within primary school communities across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The Kindness Awards aim to shine a spotlight on the importance of kindness in primary schools and provide an opportunity to celebrate inspiring pupils, adults and classes that are making a difference in their schools and in their local communities. One school will also be named the overall ‘Kind School’ award winner.

Jaime Thurston, CEO and Founder of the 52 Lives charity, said: “We know there is so much kindness quietly happening in schools all over the country, and we want to shout about it by celebrating the people who are helping to create a culture of kindness in their schools and wider communities.”

“Kindness is often seen as something that’s a bit soft and fluffy, but it is absolutely essential for our wellbeing. Research has shown that kindness helps to improve both our physical and mental health, it strengthens our relationships and it helps to build strong, supportive communities. And at a time when more than 1 in 6 children have a probable mental health condition, we can’t think of a better time to encourage more kindness in our schools.”

Through the charity’s ‘School of Kindness’ project, 52 Lives runs free Kindness Workshops for almost 100,000 primary school children every year.

“We see kindness in action every single day, and we are so excited to see the nominations start to come in.”

The Kindness Awards are supported by The Week Junior, Scamp and Dude, Einstein Tax and NBB Recycled Furniture.

The Individual Pupil Award is supported by The Week Junior. Anna Bassi, Editorial Director at The Week Junior, said: “We're very pleased to support these awards and help spotlight and celebrate those who genuinely make the world a better place. At a time when the news so often seems bad, it's so important to promote positivity and encourage kindness in the hope of creating a better, kinder future for all of us.”

The Adult Award is supported by Einstein Tax. Dan Devonald, Director at Einstein Tax, said: “We're truly privileged to be backing the Kindness Awards. It's crucial that we champion kindness within our younger generation, as they are the architects of our future. Supporting the School of Kindness is our contribution to a brighter, more compassionate future for everyone."

The Collective Kindness Award is supported by Scamp & Dude. Jo Tutchener-Sharp, Founder and CEO Scamp & Dude, said: “Giving back and acts of kindness sit at the heart of Scamp & Dude, so we are thrilled to sponsor The Kindness Awards. We understand the importance of kindness in schools, it’s essential that kids of all ages look out for each other and understand that kindness really is a superpower.”

The Kind School Award is supported by NBB Recycled Furniture. Beth McKenna, Senior CX Manager at NBB Recycled Furniture, said: "At NBB Recycled Furniture, we're passionate about transforming recycled plastic into eco-friendly products and renewing human connections through kindness. Sponsoring the Kindness Awards is our way of saying that, just as we repurpose and recycle to benefit the environment, we wholeheartedly support initiatives that celebrate and inspire acts of kindness in communities."

For more information, visit (http://www.schoolofkindness.org/kindnessawards)

NOTES TO EDITORS

Media Contact: Jaime Thurston, CEO and Founder of 52 Lives, Email: jaime@52-lives.org

About 52 Lives

52 Lives is a charity that aims to change someone’s life every week of the year. 52 Lives harnesses the power of social media and its 100,000 supporters, to spread kindness. Each week, the charity shares a story of someone in need of help on its website and social media pages, request what the person needs, and its supporters offer help. It is a very simple, yet powerful way of charitable giving which has gained a huge amount of support and publicity since it launched in 2013.

Jaime Thurston is the founder and CEO of 52 Lives. In 2016, Jaime had an idea to bring the 52 Lives concept of spreading kindness and changing lives into the classroom. In the Summer of that year, Jaime was named Clarins Woman of the Year and the prize money from that award enabled the idea to come to life. 52 Lives began running free Kindness Workshops in primary schools all over the country. Word spread and demand grew, so the School of Kindness has expanded to offer schools a range of ways to get involved – whether it be by booking a Kindness Workshop, downloading lesson plans, or submitting an application to The Kindness Fund.

Jaime was named in the King's Birthday Honours List in June 2023, receiving a British Empire Medal for services to charity. She was awarded Clarins Woman of the Year 2016 and has also received a Points of Light Award from the UK Prime Minister and a Richmond Community Award for her work. She was named in The Independent's Happy 50 List in 2018, an alternative Rich List that celebrates people who make life better for others. Her bestselling book ‘Kindness – the little thing that matters most’ was published in 2017 and her second book, ‘The Kindness Journal’, was published in 2021.

www.52-lives.org

www.schoolofkindness.org

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