Uplifting news: Making friends over the phone and brewing up hand sanitiser

Volunteers in one seaside town are befriending people in self-isolation over the phone, while residents of a care home have sent out touching messages to their relatives via Facebook.

Here is a look at some of the day’s more uplifting news stories that may have passed you by.

– Seaside town starts telephone befriending service

A group of volunteers in a seaside town have launched a telephone befriending service to keep their community together as increasing numbers of people self-isolate amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Hundreds of people in Eastbourne, East Sussex, have signed up to be friendly voices on the end of the phone for those shut in their homes.

Helen Burton, a local councillor who is in charge of the initiative, told the PA news agency: “People want to do something to help others, which is fantastic.”

– Beer company to make hand sanitiser

Beer company BrewDog has announced that it will now be making hand sanitiser at its distillery in Scotland.

The brewery said on Instagram that it wants to “try and help as many people as possible stay safe” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

– Care home residents send messages to relatives

One beaming pensioner at the Cramlington House care home in Northumberland is pictured holding a card saying: “Don’t worry I’m ok see you soon.”

Another smiling resident holds a message saying: “Take care everyone, we are safe.”

One elderly man sums up many people’s feelings with a message saying: “Corona virus can do one.”

– Twitter comes good after plumber loses job

A plumber who lost his job as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has been inundated with potential work after he went viral on social media.

Jake Moody took to Twitter looking for work in the East Midlands area, and was left struggling to keep track of all the responses after he was retweeted more than 5,000 times.

– Outdoor library converted into mini-food bank

Reddit user Zachary Pruitt posted a photo of the bank, which was filled with essentials like toilet paper and tinned food, calling the act of kindness “great to see”.

Mr Pruitt told PA: “It popped up over the weekend. It typically holds books for kids in the neighbourhood to read, but was converted into a food and supply bank by some of my neighbours.”