Today we celebrate the best of this country, its humble heroes.
This special edition of the Daily Mirror is our way of saying thank you to those everyday decent people who go out of their way to help others.
These are the unrecognised champions of the United Kingdom.
They are the volunteers, the charity workers and the fundraisers.
They are Cub or Brownie leaders, the coaches of the local sports team, the carers, the litter pickers and the community gardeners.
The Raven brothers and their mum Amy will be joining us live on the Mirror's Facebook page to talk about their touching acts of kindness. And we'll be asking you to get in touch to share your own inspiring stories. Join us at 10am at www.facebook.com/dailymirror/live
They are the people who work in foodbanks, volunteer with the WI.
They run youth clubs. During the pandemic they have done shopping for their neighbours, delivered food to hospitals and helped sew masks and scrubs for frontline workers.
They have held keep-fit classes on Zoom, fetched prescriptions, raised money for key workers and helped with the vaccination roll-out.
What is your view? Have your say in the comment section
In today’s paper and on Mirror.co.uk we draw attention to a thousand people who have made a difference – but there are hundreds of thousands more who also deserve our thanks and praise.
Their small acts of kindness have helped make Britain a better place.
There is a temptation to fall for the idea that the country has never been more divided, that communities are falling apart and people have become more selfish.
The reality is that people are not just rubbing along, they are actively looking out for each other.
Yes, there are problems in the UK from widespread deprivation, wealth inequality and rising crime.
The Mirror will never shy from demanding action to create a fairer, safer society. But we also want to tell the other story of this country, one that too often goes unreported.
It is of a nation of kind-hearted, generous and caring people who are passionate about making their parish, region, borough, city, town or village a better place.
It is schoolchildren who raise money for foodbanks by selling cakes or the volunteers who clean litter off the beach or the football or boxing coach who has turned around the lives of hundreds of kids.
These local heroes can be found across Britain, from Cornwall to Caithness. They are the glue that bonds neighbourhoods.
Through their kindness, they give people hope and happiness.
And they are a reminder that for all this country’s problems, it is filled with good people of whom we should be proud.
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