Jack’s 24-hour clapathon for our carers

NHS medics could do with a hand right now.

That’s not exactly what the country has been giving them every Thursday night at 8pm – although the applause has been very welcome.

Streatham resident Annemarie Plas devised #ClapForOurCarers, but a Streatham film-maker has taken it one step further.

Rather than just paying tribute to medical staff for a few seconds on his doorstep on Thursday, he will still be giving them a round of applause 24 hours later, at 8pm.

Jack Peagam, 25, from Kirkstall Gardens, Streatham Hill will embark on a solo 24-hour clapathon tomorrow, outside his house when the whole nation begins its weekly clap for carers.

Jack is aiming to raise money for NHS workers and carers, and has established a Go Fund Me page, with all proceeds going to the NHS Charities Together fund.

And as well as two very raw hands, he might find himself in the Guinness Book of Records if he pulls it off.

Jack, who runs a production company making sport and fitness videos, said: “Like everyone, I am in total awe and have great admiration for our doctors, nurses and health professionals who have put themselves on the front line to treat those infected by the coronavirus. I just wanted to do something to say thanks.

“I’ll be doing a lot of clapping over 24 hours and they deserve a lot of praise.

“I won’t wear gloves because it would reduce the noise and make my hands sweaty. I thought of trying to devise a contraption which would enable me to move my hands with my foot, but ran out of time.

“I have not been eating any fibre, so I hope I don’t need the toilet it’s been like a pasta diet people do before marathons.

“The Guinness World Record for applause is about two hours so I will beat that – but they might need an inspector if I am to set the record.

“It will be live streamed but I am a film-maker so they might be suspicious that I would cut it together.

“At the end of it, I’ll have some hand cream ready and a beer.”

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