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Southeastern #ThankYou campaign for key workers as they commute to the frontline of the battle against Covid-19
07:40, 13 May 2020
updated: 08:41, 13 May 2020
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We all feel an immense sense of gratitude to our frontline workers - and now you can show key workers just how thankful you are with a personal message as they commute to the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.
Southeastern, which is running 1,331 services every day during lockdown to ensure key workers can get to and from work safely, announced the launch of its #ThankYou campaign last week, and it's active for just one more day.
Set to be displayed tomorrow, you can right now tweet a thank you to our hero key workers - or one special one - and Southeastern will post it on departure boards at stations across the network tomorrow so they can see their message as they board the train.
Do you have a loved one or a friend working hard providing key services or care to those who need it most right now? Or do you just want to say a big thank you to everyone working so hard in key services at this difficult time?
Whoever you want to thank, you can show your gratitude by tweeting Southeastern with your #ThankYou message.
The messages will then be collated and displayed on platform departure boards in London and 173 stations across Kent and East Sussex tomorrow, as well as being posted on Southeastern’s own Twitter feed during the day.
If your message is to a partner or loved one, you'll even be able to name a specific Southeastern service, so that they can see their message on the departure board as they get on the train.
People can tweet in their messages until 23.59pm tonight, ready for the morning.
Southeastern managing director David Statham said: “Throughout this difficult time it has been incredibly important to us as a company to find ways to show thanks and give back to the NHS workers and carers.
“With the majority of the country having been in lockdown at home for the past six weeks, we saw the opportunity to use our connection to the key workers to enable the public to share the messages they want to express.
“Whether we know them personally or not, we all want to be able to say a heartfelt "thank you" for all the NHS workers have done to keep us safe. And I am incredibly proud that we at Southeastern are able to provide the public with that opportunity.”
Southeastern’s social media team will select hundreds of messages to be posted or displayed tomorrow, including stations such as Canterbury East, Tunbridge Wells, Ebbsfleet International and Sevenoaks.
The new campaign comes two weeks after Southeastern also launched a Toot for Carers where drivers used the horns on 23 trains to ‘toot’ NHS in Morse code to coincide with the 8pm Clap for Carers.
Cameron Butler, a Southeastern train driver: “While my job itself hasn’t changed drastically during the lockdown, you can see the massive impact of the current situation all around. So it’s great to know that as a company we’re trying to say thank you to all those going above and beyond.
“My job is one I love doing, and always have, but now I feel great pride knowing I am transporting our key workers who are doing such an incredible job.”
Adam Downing, station supervisor at Ramsgate Station, added: “Right now we have a crucial responsibility of providing a lifeblood service to the frontline workers – ensuring the NHS can get where they need to be. It’s a great feeling knowing I am doing my bit to make that happen and hopefully we can help the public show their appreciation as well.”
For tweets to be compatible with the departure boards, and to be seen by Southeastern for possible retweeting and display, you'll need to tweet @SE_railway, using #Thankyou and write your message in a maximum of 96 characters including spaces, and then list the train departure time and station.
* Here are some of the major stations across Kent where departure boards can display messages: Ashford; Bromley South; Canterbury East; Dartford; Dunton Green; Ebbsfleet International; Falconwood; Hayes; Kemsley; Orpington; Otford; Ramsgate; Sevenoaks; Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
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