During this difficult period, the kindness and ingenuity of selfless individuals in our region has made a massive difference to those who may be struggling.

In the case of Carlisle’s Danielle Atkins, her idea to bring the local community together through the means of the Carlisle Rocks Facebook page, has provided some light relief to parents and children alike in Cumbria throughout lockdown, while helping her to feel less isolated in the process.

The activity, which involves inviting parents and children to hunt for her hand-painted stones, which she paints herself alongside her daughter, has helped so many families cheer up their daily exercise during the past year.

Members of the Facebook community can then share a picture of themselves with the stone via the page before re-hiding them.

Danielle Atkins originally started the page as an activity to keep her own daughter occupied during their daily walks. Eventually, this developed into the Carlisle Rocks Facebook page.

“We went to Alton Towers in 2019 and while we were there my daughter found a rock which had been decorated which had originally come all the way from Poole in Dorset,” she begins.

“I immediately thought it was such a cool idea to decorate stones, promote the place you live and just to see how far they can travel.

“I didn’t really think about it again until lockdown. I started doing it in April as I haven’t been able to work due to my job being a singer. I did a couple originally and it just snowballed from there, with friends getting involved, who then prompted me to start my own page.”

Danielle also explains that the establishment of the online community has been beneficial for getting parents talking during this period, particularly those who have felt isolated.

“It’s been a really nice way of bringing a community together. It gives me so much joy when I see pictures of the kids who have taken part enjoying themselves as well as receiving kind messages from parents.

“I had one stone that made its way all the way up Scafell Pike.

“Connecting with other parents so that has been a real unexpected positive that has come from it as well.”