16:00, 08 November 2021
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
We should try to spread kindness every day of the year, but especially on World Kindness Day.
This year, Nahla Summers - the founder of community interest company Sunshine People - is inviting people to show they’re united by a need for a kinder society by making a heart on Strava.
That means, running, cycling, walking or jogging a route in the shape of a heart that can then be shared with your followers. And if you don’t yet have Strava, you can download it for free.
[Find out more about Sunshine People here]
Sunshine People was founded by Nahla Summers after the death of her partner. She wanted to start a conversation on the power of kindness and the need for us to put more emphasis on human connection in our communities rather than money to demonstrate our success as a society.
She cycled 3,000 miles across America in 2018 having bought the bike just six weeks before. She walked 500 miles from Swanage UK to Gretna Green in 2019 relying on the kindness of strangers. And in 2020, she rode an ElliptiGO (a stand-up bike) 5,000 miles making a world record whilst visiting every city in the UK and writing KINDNESS across England, the largest Strava art completed by a single person known in the UK.
Nahla asks people to show support by doing an act of kindness for a stranger, so far raising approximately 250,000 acts of kindness.
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Last year, after writing kindness across England and finishing that on World Kindness day, she went on to complete her 5007-mile world Record with her own heart as in the image below.
Whilst out training for her latest challenge she sadly broke her jaw and so with no chance of completing her yearly challenge for kindness, she opened it up to everyone to help her out.
Nahla is asking everyone on World Kindness Day - 13 November - to make their own heart for kindness and share it on the Strava group that has been set up.
"Never have we needed to show a united front for the need for a kinder society than we do now," she tells Smiley News. "This is about trust, integrity and empathy in all areas of our society that we know we need to see real change. It might be only one heart, but as we start to demonstrate what we all want to see more of, this is a brilliant way to share that whilst also connecting with our family or friends.”
The hope is to cover the UK in hearts. You can join the Kindness Strava club and the event to get involved. Route information, vlogs and inspirational acts of kindness are available to view on www.sunshinepeople.org.uk.
Find out how you can support Sunshine People to further its mission on its website.
