Bid to turn resort into kindest town in Britain

People at the resort’s Fairness Commission certainly think so, as they launched their new ‘100 Acts of Kindness’ campaign at the Winter Gardens’ unique Spanish Hall on Monday.

The campaign urges people to perform one random act of kindness each day, be it helping a neighbour with their shopping, buying coffee for a friend or simply shooting a stranger a friendly smile.

Dr Arif Rajpura, chairman of the Fairness Commission, said: “We are trying to become the first ‘culture of kindness’ town in the UK, and as part of that we are launching our 100 Acts of Kindness initiative.

“We’re trying to get everybody to be a little bit kinder to others, whether that be to family, friends or a stranger.

“We want to create a movement of kindness.

“This will impact all of us, and create a more positive future for our younger generations.

“We hope to continue this initiative for the next year”

The ‘Kindness Convention’, which is the first of its kind, was attended by representatives from Blackpool Council, young people’s outreach group Urpotential, Blackpool Carers Centre, and schools from across the resort, including Norbreck Primary Academy’s anti-bullying team.

Baron Maurice Glasman, senior lecturer in political theory at London Metropolitan University said: “Blackpool has got a very transient population and for many people it is hard to build a home.

“You can only build a home if you have got a supportive community, which is what this campaign is all about.

“There can only be change if it comes from the people, not the politicians.

“The first step is to support relationships and meet each other, and to not be afraid to say what we are thinking, and to find some common ground.”