The theme of Values in Action had just been chosen for this year’s World Values Day (15th October) when the coronavirus crisis unexpectedly exploded and confronted us with a life-and-death issue that now threatens every community on the planet.

Times of crisis so often bring out the best in people, as our superficial concerns fall away and we rediscover what really matters to us: our most important values.

In Spain and France thousands of people stood on their balconies clapping and whistling to express their gratitude to heroic medical workers. In Italy people sang from their windows to let their neighbours know they are not alone. Volunteers are distributing food and necessities. Businesses large and small are offering their services. Everywhere people are coming together to support each other through whatever lies ahead.  They have dug down to their core values and are putting them into action by reaching out to their neighbours and communities.

Between now and World Values Day we want to recognise and applaud these Values Heroes all around us who are putting their values into action in all kinds of amazing ways.

Some inspiring stories have already been in the media, but so many more have not. In every neighbourhood unsung Values Heroes are quietly helping others. Join us in sharing stories of people and organisations that are living by their values at this time of crisis. No story is too big or too small.

Whether they are individuals, groups, or organisations, let’s show our appreciation and inspire others by posting about these heroes and their inspiring values in action on Twitter (or if preferred on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook) using the hashtag #valuesheroes.

Helpful tips for posting on #ValuesHeroes

Hashtag use: the main hashtag to use in every post is of course #ValuesHeroes, however, you may want to use other hashtags alongside it to help get the campaign noticed. On Twitter especially, you don’t want to overdo it, use 2-3 hashtags ideally – On Instagram you can use far more (up to 20 if you like) – on LinkedIn try 2-4.

So which additional hashtags to use? On Twitter, in particular, It’s often good to use one that is relevant and currently trending, so take a look at Trends 24 to see what’s trending at any one time (be sure to select the appropriate country or the world). The hashtags related to Covid-19 change very frequently, so watch for the latest trends. You may also want to use a hashtag that relates to your post specifically, such as a place name or topic (e.g. #foodbank). As this campaign is about values, you may also want to include a hashtag that relates to the specific value being demonstrated in your post, such as #kindness.  To decide which hashtags are going to get you noticed most, you can use free tools such as RiteTag for Twitter, or Display Purposes for Instagram.

@mentioning: you may want to @mention people in your post. It would be great if you can mention @ValuesDay in your Tweets/posts. It could also be great to @mention the person or organisation in the story you’re sharing to show them recognition and in the hope, they may share. You could also @mention a relevant org, for example, @NHS in a story about a UK hospital or a nurse perhaps.