It’s been a tough summer for a lot of frontline workers. Wildfires and heatwaves have seen many of you putting even more of your heart and soul into your work over the last few months.
And it has not gone unnoticed… even by the man who runs the country.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently hosted a reception in the garden at Downing Street to thank frontline workers for the work they have put in to help the nation this summer. We were lucky enough to get an invite, because the PM wanted to make sure his message was specifically heard by Blue Light Card members, saying something we know to be true:
“Blue Light Card members are the very best of this country.”
The Prime Minister’s message didn’t stop there. He had plenty more to say about just how much he values what you do for Britain:
“You step forward when people are in danger. You stand with the most vulnerable. And when communities are going through the worst of it, you’re the ones who bring a bit of hope.
“And it doesn’t stop when the emergency does. The value you bring can be felt long afterwards. You give people reassurance. You bring people together. You show what it actually means to serve.
“It was a real privilege to welcome some of you to Downing Street today. You make this country stronger. Thank you for your heroics this summer, and for everything you do, day in, day out. The whole country saw it, and the whole country is grateful.”
Want to watch Andy Burnham’s message? Head over to our Instagram to see the clip.
Being able to represent Blue Light Card at Downing Street – rubbing shoulders with the PM and many of our members – was a special experience for Sophie Beckingham, Blue Light Card’s PR Manager.
It was also a bit eye-opening…
We asked Sophie to explain what a day at Downing Street looks like:
Of course, the building is something special. Before you even reach the garden, you pass through a corridor lined with photographs of every cabinet that has served. It’s an opportunity to walk back in time, with Winston Churchill staring back at you.
But what made the day wasn’t the building. It was the people in it.
The garden was full of emergency workers and volunteers who helped save lives at sea and tackled raging wildfires over the summer. All of them were there because of what they did this summer in particular, but also because of what they give every single day they show up for work.
A number of guests in that garden were Blue Light Card members, which made it all the more meaningful to be in the room alongside them.
Our moment with the Prime Minister took place up on the terrace, away from the main reception.
We had the chance to speak with Andy Burnham directly and ask him about the community he was there to celebrate. That’s when the PM shared his message for our members and told us just how important they are to the UK. Getting to hear that is not something we take lightly.
It was a special day, made even more special when we spotted Larry the Cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. But more than anything, it was a day to celebrate all of the brilliant work that the Blue Light Card community does, day in day out. The people in that garden were just a small portion of the people keeping our country running, and this day was for all of you.
