People have become kinder during the coronavirus pandemic, study finds

‘Our research also shows that kindness is contagious,’ says study organiser

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People have been nicer to one another since the pandemic began, a new study has found.

A survey of 2,000 people conducted by Travelodge found that people been more friendly to one another in the last year, made more of an effort to stay in touch with their relatives and donated more to food banks and other charitable organisations.

The survey also found that people have been talking to strangers more frequently and surprised friends with gifts.

The research found that one third of people believe random acts of kindness to be contagious.

Meanwhile, one in four respondeds said they were inspired by the actions of the Captain Sir Tom Moore to be kinder and more generous to others.

Sir Tom, who died earlier this month, famously raised more than £33 million for NHS Charities after walking laps around his garden, a feat that earned him a knighthood.

As part of the survey, Travelodge shared some of the random acts of kindness that its staff had done in recent months.

For example, one hotel manager in Milton Keynes helped a homeless person restart their life by offering them a job as a receptionist.

Meanwhile, a Warrington Central Travelodge offered rooms for 40 flood victim families who were forced to evacuate their homes in the wake of Storm Christoph last month.

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokeswoman, commented: “One key thing that we are experiencing across our hotels is that kindness is prevailing in these challenging and tumultuous times.

“Our research also shows that kindness is contagious and has been spreading far and wide across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are so proud of our 563 UK hotel teams that go the extra mile every day for their guests and for their local community.

“Their kindness is making a real difference to people’s lives, whether it is helping flood victims, making goody bags for NHS guests or helping a homeless person with a new start in life.”