It’s the little things, and kindness, that matter

Now I don’t do football, never have, and probably never will. I don’t see what the attraction is. Mind you, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Lionesses’ triumph last Sunday. I confess to having watched the game. It was both entertaining, nerve-wracking but an easy way to spend a couple of hours. That said, in an increasingly turbulent and volatile world, a world of politicised tariffs, dreadful conflicts, devasting famines and natural and man-made disasters, the football match was a relatively small thing.

Okay, it was a small thing, but clearly for many it was a big deal. In the moment, it made a difference to the lives of many folk. People were happy; there was a sense of togetherness, a few moments’ respite from everyday life and all the challenges that that might bring. Going forward, that women’s European cup final and perhaps the entire tournament that led up to it, is also likely to be inspirational for many young people, particularly girls. Others have said it before me, but it bears saying again, sometimes it is the small things that can really be the big things when these get experienced by others.

Our award-winning in-patient facility, North View (take a look here) was developed and created in partnership with service users, carers, clinical colleagues, architects, designers and of course our estate colleagues. Each added their own unique input to the overall design of the building and the way it was to be used. Bringing together all this combined knowledge, experience and ideas ensured that everything down to the smallest detail was considered, and where appropriate, included in the final building outcome. The result is stunning. The environment is simply breathtaking; the culture it promotes enhances the services and care provided to our service users. Compared to where colleagues and service users were previously, this really is a big thing.

But back to little things for a moment. Have you any idea how big a weevil is? I didn’t, until last week. There are over 97,000 species of weevils known. The most common type really is tiny - just 1/4 inch long. They are generally viewed as a pest. For such a small creature, they can wreak enormous amounts of damage to crops, both standing crops and stored grain. Now you might be wondering what this has to do with either football or mental health services. Not a lot at face value, but what a great question to ask!

The surprising answer perhaps, is canals. Having recently acquired a 35-foot-long narrow boat, our maiden voyage was somewhat blighted by the huge amount of different types of weeds choking the canal, making travel even slower than normal and difficult. Cruising required much 'toing and froing' between forward and reverse gears, and clearing the propeller of weeds. The latter job isn’t especially pleasant to be frank.   

The unremitting sunshine, fertiliser ‘run off’ from the fields, and an atypical seasonal lack of rain have all combined to result in a surge in weed growth. The body responsible for our water ways and to whom we pay our licence fee - the Canal and River Trust (CRT) - have come up with a environmentally-friendly way to tackle this problem, weevils. These are not just any weevil, these are super weevils from South America. Unlike the common weevil, these Argentinian weevils are 1.2 inches long and have voracious appetites. What they love best to eat is the pennywort weed. This is a non-native invasive weed that is clogging up our rivers and canals. See here why it is such a menace.

This unassuming insect has been introduced into a growing number of sites across England since it was cleared for use in 2021. Their impact has been huge, with large areas of clogged rivers and canals being cleared. Just last week, these little creatures have been released by the CRT into our canal, the Lancaster canal, so whilst it may take time, we are looking forward to seeing them munch their way through this weed!

So yes, there is a connection between a football match, designing and running a new mental health service and canals. It is the little things that can often make the biggest difference. Saying please, thank you, holding a door open for others, being present, attentive listening, sharing a smile or a kind word, are all examples of little things that can make a big difference to others. We won’t always know what other folk might have going on in their lives, and we might never know what impact being kind might have on others, but kindness matters, always.