The Prime Minister is planning on holding his own BB-Thank-Q on Sunday. The Prime Minister will be joined by volunteers, key workers and young people from the Scouts and the National Citizens Service. Dragon’s Den star Levi Roots will be helping to cook together with the PM.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

“I pay tribute to all those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the pandemic – it has been truly inspiring to view the astonishing national effort from people across the country.

“I look forward to hosting local community leaders, NHS workers, representatives from the Royal Voluntary Service and several of our Points of Light Award winners this weekend to celebrate Thank You Day and extend my personal and heartfelt thanks.”

Sir Keir Starmer said:

“Over the course of the pandemic we have seen the very best of Britain in every village, every town and every city. All of us have in some way been touched by the kindness, bravery and selflessness of those in our communities who have stepped up and kept our country going. To those people, we owe a debt of gratitude. Thank You Day is an important opportunity to recognise their incredible efforts.”

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland is holding a Tartan Tea party to mark the day with staff and families from the Scottish parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland said:

“It has been heartening to hear stories of people across Scotland who have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide support to friends, families and neighbours throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is important we pause to recognise their efforts.

Thank You Day gives us the opportunity to express in person our gratitude to those who go out of their way to offer their time and help – and I am hugely grateful to all those who have done so already and continue to do so. By heeding the various rules and public health advice and enabling others to do the same, you are protecting the vulnerable and helping suppress the virus.”

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, said:

“The last 15 months has been a tough time for us all. This is a great chance to thank those who have been supporting us during the pandemic. We have seen a heroic effort by NHS staff, key workers and volunteers to ensure that we get through this difficult period. It is so important that we take time to thank them for their work.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:

“In light of the events over the past 18 months, it is more important than ever for us to take opportunities like Thank You Day to show our gratitude to those who have selflessly helped others throughout the course of the pandemic. We have seen the value of having strong communities and dedicated volunteers, and it’s important that we take the time to say a simple thank you.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

“On Thank You Day, I’ll be saying ‘Thank You’ to everyone in the West Midlands for the resolve they have shown in fighting this pandemic over the past year. And I’ll be saying an especially big ‘Thank You’ to the many heroes of the past year – from NHS workers to the thousands of volunteers who have given their time so generously, to the community groups, faith groups and mutual aid groups who have run food banks and been there to support people when their communities needed them most. We all need a chance to say thank you sometimes, but never more so than now. That’s why Thank You Day is such a great idea and a great opportunity for all of us.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“We wouldn’t have got through the last 15 months of the pandemic without the hard work and dedication of our key workers and volunteers. Many went over and above what was expected and made great sacrifices whether in health, social care, our council staff, police, fire service, retail, transport workers and our VCSE sector. That’s why it’s really important to say Thank You and recognise what they’ve done for us through these local events across Greater Manchester. I also want to say a big Thank You myself and I hope they know how much we value and appreciate them.”

Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, said:

“Thank You Day is a fantastic idea which provides us all with a great opportunity to take a moment to say a very big Thank You to those amazing public servants who have helped us through what has been such a tough time. I will be saying Thank You to everyone in South Yorkshire for all the sacrifices that they have made, and in particular saying an extra special Thank You to all those key workers, frontline staff and volunteers to whom we will forever owe a massive debt of gratitude. I hope the public will get involved and take the opportunity to come together and say Thank you to those who are helping get us through this incredibly challenging period.”

As part of saying ‘Thank You West Yorkshire’, Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, will be visiting a local bus station to say thank you to those who kept local services going through the darkest days of the pandemic, and will present Thank You Day certificates to some of the community groups who have done so much to help over the course of the past year. 

A number of councils, including Gateshead and Wakefield among others, are lighting up key public buildings and monuments. For instance, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge will be lit up with rainbow colours as a message of thanks to mark Thank You Day. 

Like a number of other councils, Sheffield Council will be recording videos thanking the local community and another thanking their hardworking staff. And Sheffield will also see a banner flying above H&M on the high street with a message of thanks to all the people of Sheffield.

Bradford Council will be using the traditional white Yorkshire rose to send a message of thanks and allow for a moment of reflection. A wave of handcrafted roses in the city centre, each representing a sacrifice made in Bradford, will be passed to care homes, members of the public and key workers to thank them for their dedication to the community over the past 15 months. Real roses will be handed out across the district each one with a message for the recipient, thanking them and encouraging them to thank others for their sacrifices. 

Camden Council are using Thank You Day to tie in with their local We make Camden community recognition campaign, to recognise those who have made incredible contributions to their community during the course of the pandemic. So far Camden has received over 150 nominations for organisations and groups of people who deserve a big Thank You through the campaign. It will use Thank You Day a to say thank you to them.

Thank You Day is also being supported by the Local Government Association (LGA),  Solace and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the LGA said:

“The pandemic has highlighted the exceptional commitment of councillors and council staff who have been on the frontline in the battle against the virus, putting in a monumental effort to protect and support their communities. They’ve often done this hand-in-hand with local volunteers, charities and mutual aid groups in what’s been an embodiment of community spirit.

“Thank You Day gives us a moment to come together to celebrate and say thank you for all this. The LGA is encouraging local authorities to see how they can best get involved in Thank You Day, to use this as an opportunity to thank all those who deserve it and to celebrate that sense of community that has got us through.”

Graeme McDonald, Managing Director of Solace (the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers) said:

“Local government at its best is always a partnership between local authorities and their communities. Never has that been clearer than over the course of the past year. Local authorities have probably had closer contact with their communities than they ever had before, and have relied more on the community spiritedness of local residents than ever before. 

Those relationships and that renewed sense of community will now be as important in helping us through the recovery phase as it was in the pandemic. Thank You Day provides a great opportunity to capture some of this, to say a big thank you, and to celebrate our communities.”

Cllr Sue Baxter, chair, National Association of Local Councils, said:

“Thank You Day is a great idea which I’m delighted to support. It’s fantastic to think that across the country, in thousands of different ways, people will be coming together to celebrate that sense of community that has been so important over the past year and to say thank you to all of those who so richly deserve it including local (parish and town) councils. 

From community tidy-ups, to the Big Lunch, to neighbourhood barbeques, these are exactly the types of events which many local councils who are at the heart of their communities have hands-on experience of organising or supporting others to facilitate and make safe. The day itself and the message behind it is one I know that local councils will be keen to support, which is why I’m strongly encouraging all councils to take part in Thank You Day.”