Burnley musician's touching 'Don't Give Up' message to NHS and key workers

Alex Hall and friends foudn themselves with more time on their hands following the coronavirus lockdown and so decided to cover the Peter Gabriel song "Don't Give Up", creating a thank you video of loved ones at home and at work to go along with it.

The former St Theodore's RC High School pupil, currently self-isolating in Salford, used Zoom and WhatsApp to create the video which is now on YouTube.

Together with friends Lewis Anthony Davis and Christopher Andreou the group wanted to put their creative talents to work during the lockdown - their hope is that this tribute touches anyone working in healthcare, emergency services, supermarkets and any other sector that’s keeping our nation going.

The 38-year-old said: "I'm currently unemployed because of the pandemic which is why I have so much time to be creative. Before lockdown I was working in hospitality and did a bit of busking/open mic nights so I needed a different musical outlet to keep things ticking over which I why I decided to cover this beautiful Peter Gabriel song.

"What started off as an idea to say thanks a week ago, has turned into something truly moving and beautiful that has touched over 6,000 people and counting since it was first shared on Saturday.

"It all started by asking the community in our networks to submit photos and videos of themselves at work and their loved ones at home, and the response was overwhelming with over 200 submissions!

"Our sole goal is to say thank you to these workers and we felt Peter Gabriel’s 'Don’t Give Up' was the perfect anthem to spread a bit of hope, comfort and inspiration. So as many key workers as possible see this, we’re asking for your support by either giving coverage or sharing on your digital platforms.

“I found myself on my daily walks as the lockdown began and this song kept resonating in my head with it’s soothing chorus and amazing lyrics. I’d always wanted to cover it but the motivation came from realising that it would be such a beautiful way to thank our keyworkers while spreading some hope, comfort and inspiration to them."

The project started with a call to action on social media for photos and videos of key workers at their jobs and the current daily lives of loved ones at home. The response was overwhelming with over 200 submissions from nurses, store workers, patients and their loved ones from all corners of the UK.

Photographer and video editor Christopher Andreou said: “It was really touching going through the photos and videos we’d been sent. They conveyed a genuine sense of solidarity and hope - we set these alongside images I’d captured of increasingly empty streets and people in masks just as the country was going into lockdown.”