Campaign for ‘thank holiday’ launched to recognise people’s service to country

The holiday would also recognise the Queen’s contribution to the country.

There are calls for an extra bank holiday (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Archive)

A campaign for a permanent “thank holiday” to recognise people’s service to their communities has been launched by organisations including charities and businesses.

The campaign is calling for both the UK and Scottish governments to create a new annual bank holiday from 2023 as a way of recognising the service of millions of people across the country, especially over the last two years.

The idea would also recognise the Queen’s “extraordinary service” and comes ahead of the 70th anniversary of her taking the throne on Sunday.

Organisations supporting the initiative include the Scottish Retail Consortium, CBI Scotland, UKHospitality, the Scouts Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and the Trades Union Congress.

The Queen deserves our thanks for her incredible lifetime of service, and so do millions more across the country for their own daily acts of sacrifice, love and support

Bear Grylls

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “The Thank Holiday campaign is a great idea that would be welcomed by Scotland’s retail sector.

“Shops would relish the chance to help people plan local celebrations, and it would be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to all those who have gone above and beyond and supported their communities so magnificently during the past two years.”

Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said an extra public holiday every year would be “a great way to thank workers across the UK for getting us through these tough times”.

Tracy Black, CBI Scotland director, said the proposal for a new Thank Holiday to “recognise the Queen’s selfless service and to extend that notion of service across communities is a really exciting one”.

Meanwhile Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: “The Queen deserves our thanks for her incredible lifetime of service, and so do millions more across the country for their own daily acts of sacrifice, love and support.”

This year in Scotland the late May Bank Holiday will be moved from Monday May 30 to Thursday June 2 and an additional bank holiday has been created on Friday June 3.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is appropriately recognised with an extended bank holiday in 2022 in Scotland.

“The people of Scotland will have access to this long weekend in early June to enjoy community-led celebratory events.”

A UK Government spokesman said: “Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be a unique national celebration to mark her remarkable, dedicated and continued service to the United Kingdom.

“To mark this special occasion, the spring bank holiday in 2022 will move to Thursday 2 June 2022 and there will be an additional, UK-wide bank holiday on 3 June 2022.”