It’s the start of a new month, and while we’ve had some sad news about Captain Tom, we’ve been reminded of all the incredible fundraising he did for the NHS. Here are some other inspirational stories from around the world that will restore your faith in the power of humanity.
A Great Big Art Exhibition
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If you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, then a walk tends to boost the spirits — and now it probably will even more, thanks to artist Anthony Gormley who has organised an art exhibition that everyone can take part in. The Great Big Art Exhibition calls on people to transform their front windows, gardens or patios into galleries, and the first theme is animals. You can download an information pack and find out more about the project here.
Ex-stink-t Footprint
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A four-year-old girl has discovered a 220-million-year-old dinosaur footprint while walking along a Welsh beach with her family. The fossil was found on Bendricks Bay in Barry and is thought to be the footprint of a Coelophysis dinosaur. The specimen has now been removed from the beach and has been taken to the National Museum Cardiff for more research.
Many Thanks
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A village in France has been rewarded for its kindness by a Jewish man who was hidden there during the Second World War. Eric Schwam, who died on Christmas Day, left Le Chambon-sur-Lignon around $2 million to spend on education and youth projects. During the war, local residents hid Jewish people in their houses and even helped them acquire new identification and smuggle them over the border to Switzerland.
Circular Fashion
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You might recognise these fashionistas from one of our favourite Instagram accounts of 2020 — that of Taiwanese laundry owners Chang Wan-ji, 83, and Hsu Sho-er, 84. Following the success of their Instagram shoots, the couple and their grandson have set up a crowdfunding campaign to try and kickstart a new circular fashion scheme. They hope to launch a platform where they can sell items that have been left in laundries in Taichung, host discussions with stylists and columnists, help people with disabilities find employment, and donate clothing to people in need.
Snowy Owl
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A snowy owl spotted in Central Park in New York is thought to be the first sighting of this species in the area since 1890! The visitor attracted quite a crowd, including wildlife photographers and even fellow birds. Several crows and a red-tailed hawk appeared to try and warn off the new and popular intruder. Snowy owls travel south from the Arctic tundra of northern Canada each winter, but they don’t usually settle far beyond the border, which makes this Central Park sighting particularly special!
Kidding Around
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A farmer in Rossendale in Lancashire has managed to keep her farm afloat through ingenious entrepreneurship. Dot McCarthy began hiring out her goats, Lola and Margaret, to liven up Zoom meetings and was quickly inundated with requests. She has made about £50,000 so far from charging people just £5 per appearance (many have gone on to donate much more). She plans to use the money to make the farm’s energy usage renewable.
Lead by Example
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February is LGBT+ awareness month, which is a time when the LGBT+ community is celebrated and the history of gay rights and civil rights movements is taught across the world to help shape a more tolerant future. A headteacher in a London school decided to lead by example by coming out as gay during a virtual assembly. Nicholas Hewlett, headmaster of St Dunstan’s College in Catford, said: “If by standing up and ‘coming out’ to my pupils, it helps one young person be more comfortable in their own skin, more empowered to be themselves, and further engenders a culture of respect, inclusion, and the championing of individuality, surely it is an act worth doing?”
And Finally…
A Rhode Island zoo took a well-known fable into their own hands when they tempted two of their residents towards a finish line using strawberries. Place your bets and watch the nail-biting race below…
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