World Kindness Day: how you can get involved

This Sunday, 13th November, it is World Kindness Day. On this day, people all over the world attempt to make the world a better place by celebrating and promoting good deeds and pledging acts of kindness.

A History of World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day was first launched in 1998 by The World Kindness Movement, an organisation formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference of like-minded kindness organisations from around the world.

There are currently over 28 nations involved in The World Kindness Movement, which is not affiliated with any religion or political movement.

The mission of the World Kindness Movement and World Kindness Day is to create a kinder world by inspiring individuals and nations towards greater kindness.

In the UK, Kindness Day UK is organised by Kindness UK, a not-for-profit organisation. Kindness Day UK was launched on 13th November 2010, and the event has continued to grow in popularity every year with increasing numbers of individuals, schools, charities, institutions and businesses taking part.

Acts of Kindness

Princess Diana once stated “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”

Below are some examples of kind acts you can perform on Kindness Day, or for a longer Kindness initiative, but the possibilities are infinite:

• Write a thank you letter to your boxing coach
• Send a kind text to someone you know. This could be a thank you, well wish, compliment, remembrance of a kind deed or anything kind!
• Say good morning and good evening to everyone you see
• Hold the door open for those behind you
• Sign up to the organ donor register
• Give someone a compliment – it can make their day, week, or year!
• Surprise your colleagues with a kind post-it note on their desk
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Bring in treats for your colleagues
• Offer to buy a drink or some food for a homeless person
• Go through your possessions and donate items you no longer use to charity
• Take the time to get to know your colleagues
• Spend time with someone who might be lonely
• Send a thank you email to a friend or colleague
• Help an elderly person with their shopping
• Write a blog about kindness in society
• Support charities and good causes on your social media pages
• Give to a food bank
• Take the time to really listen to someone
• Donate coats and blankets to a homeless shelter
• Share positive posts on your social media pages
• Cook a meal for someone else – e.g. deliver a lasagne to a new mother
• Surprise a loved one with a kind note e.g. in their lunch box
• Offer to return someone’s shopping trolley in the car park
• Write a note of encouragement and place it inside a book or magazine in a waiting room
• Write positive online reviews for places you have visited or businesses you have gone to
• Pay someone a compliment (in person and via social media)
• Wash a friend or family member’s car or bike for them
• Spend time to get to know your neighbours
• Let someone go in front of you in the queue
• Pick out good causes on the internet and ‘like’ or ‘follow’ them
• Put your loose change in a charity box
• Undertake a litter pick in your local area
• Walk or cycle to reduce your carbon footprint
• Donate clothes to a charity shop, homeless shelter or offer them to friends
• Write a blog about kindness to nature
• Get involved with recording animals and plants where you live
• Donate old towels or blankets to an animal shelter.

More information

Anybody wishing to take part in World Kindness Day or Kindness Day UK can pledge a good deed and find a ride range of resources including ideas for random acts of kindness both large and small on the Kindness UK website: www.kindnessuk.com