Yesterday morning a very cheerful resident popped by my checkout to say thank you wearing her new bling… her sunflower lanyard, giving her the ability to shop with confidence.
Six weeks before, she’d paid her first visit to Tesco since lock down and appeared at the end of my checkout very out of salts. Breathless in her mask, she was very stressed and I encouraged her to remove it so she could actually breathe properly!
I did the packing and talked to her reassuringly, explaining that she didn’t have to wear a mask if she found it stressful and difficult… what she needed was a sunflower lanyard, which people identify with someone who has a hidden disability.
We’d run out after I did a promotion with Ross, which got over 11,000 views on Facebook and so she had to get her daughter to source one via the internet.
This experience, repeated on half a dozen too many occasions, led to me discussing my concerns with Tessa Lindfield, Strategic Director of Public Health for Berkshire and she agreed to the following wording:
You can’t rank protective measures in order of effectiveness, they all should be used together and are all important and the three key things – all done together – are:
1. Wash your hands regularly – to ensure you minimise the risk of self infection
2. Keep 2 metres apart – a germ fueled sneeze will struggle to travel further
3. Wear face coverings inside public buildings which are recommended but not mandatory for people who struggle to breathe wearing them – this is aimed at preventing you infecting others with a cough or sneeze.
Please respect those wearing sunflower lanyards and make their retail experience as enjoyable as possible.
Thank you.
Jon
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