Local favourite Joe McElderry and Clive Jackson, frontman of glam rockers Doctor and the Medics, are encouraging us to get Walking on Sunshine in a dance guaranteed to cheer up people in lockdown.
The singers are lending their support to the Northumberland Communities Together initiative which is out to get everyone dancing along to Katrina and the Waves' upbeat eighties hit Walking on Sunshine.
And star Katrina herself is backing the challenge.
Residents are being urged to dance along to the track - however they want - and to record their moves for a video by the deadline of June 10.
The idea from the local council's NCT group is intended to "spread a little sunshine" among the community and show that, while separated, they can be part of something.
Northumberland Communities Together is a team of volunteers who have been busy delivering food parcels and keeping in phone contact with the residents throughout the county - around 18,200 of them - who are shielding during the coronavirus lockdown.
Local youth groups then voted on a suitable song for the dance-along and chose Walking on Sunshine which was a hit in 1985 for the band Katrina and the Waves whose long career includes winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 with Love Shine a Light.
Its lead singer Katrina Leskanich gave her blessing for the song to be used and then Clive Jackson launched the dance challenge during Mental Health Awareness Week, recording a message of support, saying: “So come on Northumberland, let’s get walkin’ on sunshine and lift everyone’s spirits up."
And McElderry joined in with his own message of support, with The X-Factor winner from South Shields urging: “Get your groove on, be creative and show us some of that Northumbrian spirit!”
The launch video offers up a few ideas of how to dance along and residents are encouraged to join in by copying some of the steps - or else they can make up their own moves - for a chance of being featured in the full follow-up video.
The idea is already catching on and Councillor Cath Homer, Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member responsible for the voluntary and community sector, said: “We’ve received dozens of entries so far and I can’t wait to see the final result.
“The volunteer community have been working so hard through this pandemic, and this video is a fun way to come together and show your support to communities across the county.”
Those wanting to get involved in the dance challenge are invited to record some moves as they dance along to the song and then share their video clip with Northumberland Communities Together by emailing unshine@northumberland.gov.uk by June 10.
Once all entries have been received, the full Walking on Sunshine dance video will be released.
