While in lockdown, families are looking for ways to share messages of support and hope to the world around them – and to the NHS workers on the frontline – through colourful pictures displayed in living room windows.
Recently, there has been reports that the NHS Nightingale Hospital wants children to send in their rainbow drawings to help spread messages of hope to the staff and patients in the building. You may have seen pictures on social media with the hashtag #RainbowsForNightingale.
The new NHS Nightingale Hospital, opened last week to help support the expected increase in hospitalised coronavirus cases across the UK in the next couple of weeks.
Is the NHS Nightingale Hospital asking for children’s rainbow drawings?
The idea that NHS Nightingale Hospital wanted children's rainbow drawings originally came from a Facebook page called “Rainbows for Nightingale”. The page, which claimed to be from the hospital itself, was revealed to be a fake – and the hospital asked people not to send them drawings directly.
The Facebook page, which has now been removed from Facebook, was well-meaning in its intentions and originally asked for pictures to be sent to the hospital’s regional address with the intention of bringing “some colour and hope to patients and staff”, according to the post.
However, after such a brilliant response to the #RainbowsForNightingale call out from children across the country, the NHS Nightingale's official twitter account asked for rainbow drawings to be shared online instead. They said, “We love that so many of you have shared your amazing rainbow pictures, but please don’t send them in the post.” Instead, they asked that pictures be shared online using the hashtag #RainbowsForNightingale.
Through social media and via the help of a local Central London school, NHS staff and patients will now be able to see the rainbow pictures. Find out how to send yours in...
Why are people drawing rainbows for the NHS?
You may have spotted colourful rainbow drawings in house windows around the country, or via social media. The trend of drawing and displaying the pictures originally started in Italy, where people hung rainbow painted on banners from their balconies to show others that they were not alone.
These rainbow drawings are supposed to remind all those seeing them that there is still hope to had in these darker times. Rainbows are a symbol of peace and calm, as they appear in the sky after a rainstorm when the sun eventually breaks through the clouds.
How to draw a rainbow and download a colouring sheet
If you or your little one wants to learn how to draw a rainbow for #RainbowsForNightingale, check out this handy tutorial on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UArEBiDbKs
It's as easy as some paper, coloured pencils and a burst of creativity! Or to make it even easier, just colour between the lines of this rainbow colouring sheet by Little Learners. They come with motivational messages for passers by as well as easy-colour thank you slogans for our key workers.
How to send pictures to the NHS Nightingale Hospital
To help send pictures to the hospital, This Morning has created a new feature on their app, where you can upload your #RainbowsForNightingale pictures to be sent over to the hospital. You'll just need to...
- Download the app.
- Click on the icon at the bottom of the screen that says "Get Involved".
- Scroll down to "Pictures for Nightingale" and fill in your details to send the picture on behalf of your child.
- Take a photo of the artwork on your phone (but don't include any pictures of your child), filling the frame of the photo and upload it to the app.
Where else can you send rainbow drawings?
Originally, when NHS Nightingale Hospital confirmed they were not accepting pictures, a DLD college local to another London hospital agreed that children can send their pictures to them. The school is currently still open, as they have a number of boarding students stranded there.
The college is displaying the pictures in their windows, which can be seen by the hardworking staff St Thomas’ Hospital opposite.
- To send your pictures to them, use this address: Posters, DLD College London, 199 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7FX.
Get involved, create colourful pictures and send them to one of these to cheer up hardworking doctors and nurses at NHS hospitals!
