Telegraph launches The Big Thank You campaign for Northamptonshire's key workers and volunteers

Two words have never been more important. Thank you.

It is a small gesture that we must never take for granted - and often it is the hardest phrase to say.

As a nation, we have faced one of the biggest challenges to test our resolve and resilience in the face of a silent killer we have never battled before.

Since March 23 - and even longer for some of our most vulnerable - we have been parted from our loved ones, shielded the defenseless and formed a protective ring around the National Health Service so that it can help those who need it the most.

It has come at a cost and there has been a tragic price to pay as coronavirus sweeps the country. Sadly thousands of loved ones have succumbed to the virus leaving many families struggling to compound their loss as they grieve alone.

It has been incredibly tough - we are living in extraordinary times. Yet it is during times of great crisis that human compassion truly comes to the fore.

And it is that community spirit, that compassion, that we want to celebrate this month with our campaign, The Big Thank You.

The Northants Telegraph, along with other JPIMedia titles across the country, want to showcase the astonishing lengths key workers and voluntary organisations have gone to over the last ten weeks...and will continue to do so as we find our way through the next phase of this crisis.

We want your help to do this. Over the coming weeks, we are asking you, our readers, to share your pictures and messages to those who have made such a difference to your lives during lockdown.

For those making the ultimate sacrifice on the frontline in our hospitals their decisions - under a pressure they have never faced before - have truly meant the difference between life and death.

Meanwhile, thousands of people across the country answered the call to join the nation’s volunteer army to support the National Health Service and become a lifeline to those who were unable to leave their homes.

For others it can be a simple remarkable act of kindness that has resonated with them: be it a trip to the shop, a friendly wave to a vulnerable neighbour or a rainbow in a window.

And titles like ours have been with you every single step of the way sharing those stories of resilience and brilliance in our communities.

We are surrounded by a nation of unsung heroes.

Quite simply, we want to say a Big Thank You to the army of volunteers, medics and other keyworkers across our towns and cities for their extraordinary selfless service.

Editor of the Northants Telegraph, David Summers, said: "The commitment and dedication and dedication shown by key workers, support teams and voluntary services during lockdown has been tremendous.

"Their efforts have literally saved lives and will continue to do so in the next phase of this pandemic.

"Our newspaper and website has been filled with hundreds of stories of how the community has pulled together at a time of crisis and it is these people we want to celebrate.

"From the NHS staff working across the town and our emergency services, to the staff at essential stores and the many hundreds of volunteers, The Big Thank You is our opportunity to say thank you...from the very bottom of all of our hearts," he added.