There has been a lot of bad news this year, but there have also been some truly uplifting, beautiful, funny and inspiring moments too. We’ve rounded up our favourite positive news stories from 2020 and will be sharing them every day on our social media channels or you can catch up below.
97-year-old's 'crazy' eight-mile charity dog walks
97 years old Grace Know from Wrexham, is profoundly deaf and took part in a series of long walks in order to raise money for Hearing Dogs. She managed to raise over £1,000!
Read Grace’s full story on the BBC website.
Villagers in Suffolk raise money to buy a dog wheelchair
Villagers in Stanton, Suffolk, clubbed together to buy a special wheelchair for Max, a 7 year old spaniel who lost the use of his back legs after falling off a bed. With the help of is new wheelchair, Max can now enjoy walks again!
Read Max’s full story on the BBC website.
Taiwanese grandparents become Instagram superstars!
A Taiwanese couple in their 80s who have been quietly running their laundry business for 7 decades have become surprise Instagram hits. They decided to start modelling some of the garments that have been abandoned over the years, and have now racked up hundreds of thousands of followers!
Read the full story about their surprise success on the BBC website.
Dancing gran, 88, goes viral on TikTok
From Instagram to Tik Tok! Ruth Rudd of Kidderminster went viral on the video sharing app when her granddaughter, Jess, filmed her dancing during lockdown.
Watch the full story on the BBC website.
Care home residents receive a visit from Alpacas!
Residents of this West Lothian care home received a surprise visit from alpacas. They were able to wave at them from their windows, bringing much needed cheer during their Coronavirus isolation.
Watch a video of the alpacas on the BBC website.
Model railway enthusiast's big break
A steampunk model railway enthusiast has had his work patented and endorsed by leading model railway brand Hornby. He described it as a "dream come true".
Find out more about his steampunk rail models from the BBC website.
Dementia patient's rendition of My Way is a chart hit!
Dementia patient Margaret Mackie, 83, performed Frank Sinatra's My Way at a Christmas party last year. After it went viral they recorded a studio version for charity, which saw chart success this year.
Hear what Margaret had to say about the experience on the BBC website.
Woman born in a pub returns 18 years later for first pint
A teenager who was born in a pub in Cambridgeshire, but now lives in Canada, has travelled almost 5,000 miles to have her first legal drink in the very same pub. She opted for a pint of Greene King IPA!
Read the amazing full story on the BBC website.
Lifelong football fan leaves £100 in his Will for his favourite players to buy a drink
Norwich City-mad football fan Barrie Greaves left £100 in his Will - with the specific purpose of buying a round of drinks for the players of his favourite team. The club posted a photo of the players enjoying their drinks after his passing.
See the photo of the players with their drinks on the BBC website.
Teapot found in lockdown clear-out, sells for a fortune!
A construction worker from Derbyshire bagged himself a considerable fortune by selling off a tiny "teapot "he found during a garage clear-out. It ended up selling for £390,000 at auction.
Read more about why it was so valuable on the BBC website.
80-year-old finds new lease of life as a Peaky Blinders-inspired model
An ex-joiner has become a model after taking part in a Peaky Blinders-based photoshoot. "What else do I do - sit in a flat?" he jokingly asked while explaining his new hobby.
Check out his photos on this video from the BBC website.
This nonagenarian isn't finished being mayor yet!
94-year-old Andre Trigano looks to continue his 49 year reign as mayor of Pamiers, a small town in France. Age is just a number after all!
Discover more about his fascinating life from the BBC website.
'Speedo Mick' completes charity walk from John O' Groats to Land's End
Mick Cullen, from Liverpool, completed the cross-country charity walk in February this year. Dubbed 'Speedo Mick' for completing the winter walk in nothing but swimming trunks, he raised over £300,000 for charity.
Find out about Mick’s freezing walk from the BBC website.
Lola the dog is adopted after 400 days waiting for a new home
Lola spent over 400 days in an animal shelter before finally securing a new home.
The UK unites to thank our carers
In May, the people of the UK came together to show their appreciation for the work being done by our NHS and frontline workers. Clap for our Carers was one of the largest acts of united support seen in decades.
Look back on a video of the first Clap for Our Carers on the BBC website.
73 years old? 1,000 mile run? No problem!
In June, 73-year-old Dic Evans completed one of the most remarkable sporting feats of 2020. He set himself the target of completing 1,000 miles of running during the lockdown - but in the end he ran a total of 1,011 miles - with no days off!
Read the full story about Dic’s run from the BBC website.
Italy's oldest graduate
At the spritely age of 96, Giusseppe Paterno became Italy’s oldest graduate. After life got in the way for most of a century, he eventually graduated from the University of Palermo with top honours in philosophy.
Read about Giuseppe’s amazing story on the Guardian website.
Falmouth woman's #ViralKindess postcards prove a huge help
Becky Wass, from Falmouth, created the Viral Kindess postcard - allowing neighbours to offer support to older people in a socially-distanced way. People used them to buy food, get letters posted, or just request a phone call when feeling lonely.
Read more about Becky Wass’ work on the BBC website.
100-year-old raises funds with Ramadan walk
Dabirul Choudhury initially set out to walk 100 laps of his 80-metre community garden during lockdown in April - with the intention of raising £1,000 for vulnerable people disproportionately affected Covid. By May, he had smashed that target: raising £420,000 for vulnerable people in the UK and Bangladesh.
Find out more about Dabirul’s amazing achievement on the BBC website
Care home resident's homemade Christmas cards are a hit
David Handford, a care home resident in South Gloucestershire, helped brighten over 600 lives with his homemade Christmas cards this year. Throughout lockdown the retired GP has been hand-drawing his cards and selling them to help raise £350 for the British Legion and the Willow Trust.
See his cards and hear David’s thoughts on the BBC website.
Joe Wicks becomes the nation's PE teacher
Joe Wicks used his celebrity status to focus on an issue affecting the elderly this year - the difficulty in looking after physical health during lockdown. He devised low-impact and easy-to-follow exercise routines specifically for seniors to follow along with at home. He also provided routines for kids who were missing PE at school!
British woman is first in world to receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Grandmother Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Margaret, who has since turned 91, described the vaccine as the "best early birthday present".
Read more about Margaret and the vaccine from the BBC website.
