TAP (Thank and Praise) is a social enterprise offering the opportunity to send messages of appreciation to people working in healthcare, social care and education.
Described as a “social thanking platform”, available via app or website, the free service was created by a couple who were struggling to thank education and healthcare workers for the care received by their special needs son.
Before Covid arrived, TAP undertook research suggesting that 70% of people who would like to give thanks to educators and care givers do not have the chance to do so. Lockdown only exacerbated the issue.
Thus, the TAP platform.
“Our culture often seems driven to look for the worst, to highlight what is wrong, instead of giving thanks and praise for the good that can be found in so many, especially in unsung heroes in education and healthcare”, said Sandie Curtis, TAP co-founder.
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Uploaded messages are “checked for positivity” before being shared with the appropriate organisation, with hundreds of schools and education organisations said to have benefited from the initiative.
“The environment we work in can be emotionally challenging and it is important that staff have the resilience and resources to support some of the most vulnerable children in our community,” said Mandy Wilton, headteacher at Cranbury College.
“It’s not just the incredible outcomes we help our students achieve that make it worthwhile, but the positive feedback we receive from them, their parents and guardians. Our staff deserve to know how valued they truly are and that is why we are using TAP to make this happen.”
A finalist in the 2021 SME National Business Awards, TAP’s service is now expanding into territories including Australia, the UAE, and the US.
To send your own message of thanks to any keyworker, team or organisation, download the TAP app on iOS or Android (search for ‘TAP Thank and Praise’) or visit thankandpraise.com