A new campaign sheds light on how the virus has affected real residents of the Bradford District.
Aiming to debunk some of the myths surrounding Coronavirus, the “behind the mask” campaign has been launched by Community Action Bradford and District, in partnership with Bradford Council.
The start of the campaign will see social media channels, billboards, buses and poster sites around the district filled with the mask covered faces of those who have bravely spoken out about the reality of living with the virus and its effects on family and friends.
The powerful campaign intentionally doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of how Coronavirus has changed lives. Behind each mask, lies true stories of Bradford resident’s own grief; loneliness; debilitating recovery; families torn apart; pain and suffering.
‘Behind the Mask’ aims to convince those who may think Covid-19 is not real, that it is. Lives have been seriously affected by the virus and life can get back to normal sooner rather than later if they follow the simple actions of hand washing regularly, wearing a face covering in public places if they are able to and keeping two metres apart where possible.
Sufyan, a Young Covid Ambassador for Bradford is one of the 12 case studies within the campaign. Sufyan has had to come to terms with the death of his Aunty to Covid-19. He also witnessed his parents becoming unwell when they contracted the virus, fearful too that they might also die. When his parents became ill, with no support, he became the main carer not only for them, but his younger brother.
Sufyan has experienced first-hand how tragic the virus can be on a family and he urges communities everywhere to come together, play their part and do the right thing by following the safety guidelines.
Soo Nevison, Chief Executive Officer of Community Action Bradford said: “There are still people who believe Coronavirus isn’t real and don’t want to believe the severity of the illness. The case studies prove otherwise and at a time when we have spikes in infection rates, now more than ever, we need to protect ourselves and those around us.
Simply put, if we do nothing, we’ll be hearing, seeing, reading more life stories like the ones in our campaign. No one wants that. We urge everyone to take responsibility to protect each other - ‘hands, face, space’ - three small actions that could make a huge difference.”
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy People and Places said: “We all know that we are going to have to live with this virus for many months to come. We all need to take responsibility for each other’s safety and we need to show determination and resilience, working together over the winter to keep the virus at bay.
I welcome this campaign which shows the real stories and experiences of Bradford residents and highlights why we should all follow the guidelines. I urge everyone in our district to follow the COVID code: regular hand-washing, wearing a face covering indoors, keeping two metres apart from each other and not shaking hands or hugging are all fundamental to preventing the spread of the virus, protecting our loved ones."
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