Lockdown Latest: Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton lead the way in donating to find a cure for coronavir

Since the pandemic began we have seen both the best and worst of humanity, the worst displayed in the selfishness of panic buyers and the best displayed in the health care professionals and the kindness of people reaching out to those worst affected. Celebrities are leading the way with the latter and as medical researchers all around the World scramble to find a cure money is needed and is being provided by some of the music industries biggest stars. Recently P!nk told the harrowing story of how her and her son recovered from Covid 19 and upon her recovery donated $500,000 to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Fund, the hospital that her mother worked at and $500,000 to the City of LA Mayor’s Emergency Covid 19 Crisis Fund in order to support health care professionals on the frontline. Meanwhile as the Queen of Country Dolly Parton prepared for her new series Goodnight with Dolly, in which she reads a book from the imagination library, Dolly donated $1 million to Vanderbilt who are “making exciting advancements towards finding a cure” according to Dr Naji Abumrad a researcher and friend of Parton’s. The ever generous Taylor Swift who has been named the most charitable celebrity on a number of occasions by various outlets, has also got her cheque book out and tried to encourage others to do the same by sharing links to various charities on her social media. Most recently she donated an undisclosed amount to Nashville Record store Grimey’s to ensure it’s survival through these tough economic times, this package includes full pay for the staff and will cover their health care costs for three months. Prior to this she dropped a number of $3000 packages into various fans PayPal accounts who were struggling during this time. Across the World people are not only suffering with the health effects of this virus but the economic and psychological impact too. Here in the UK, I’ve seen this first hand from volunteering at the food bank, despite the governments schemes, companies are laying off workers who are then struggling to gain access to the benefit system due to ongoing delays and self employed people are facing even tougher times with little funding being available and around a two month delay. These kind gestures from celebrities and idols go a long way in giving hope to so many who are suffering in one way or another. It’s not just musicians that are donating to the cause, a group of premier league footballers have come together to launch a scheme donating a percentage of their wage to NHS charities which in turn has inspired fans to do the same. Manchester United Forward Marcus Rashford has also been raising money to help pay for food for those children who would usually rely on free school meals and has so far raised over £250,000. And it’s not just celebrities, 99 year old Tom Moore, a World War Two Veteran has raised £2 million for the NHS after setting a target of £1000 by doing a sponsored walk of his garden. These are just a few examples of how the people we look up to are stepping up and helping those in need in these uncertain times. Just remember, we are all in this together, find your place in the fight against Covid-19 wether it’s donating money or donating time to volunteering in your community or just staying at home and picking up the phone to check on a friend or neighbour, we all have a place!