16/08/2026
There was something about the partial solar eclipse here in the UK that brought people together.
Families, friends, neighbours and complete strangers were looking up at the same sky, sharing the experience and the wonder of something bigger than ourselves.
And we’re seeing something very different, but perhaps just as powerful, in the way people come together when devastating fires are impacting communities.
In difficult moments, people reach out. They check on one another. They offer practical help, comfort, a listening ear.
There’s something about connection with others that hugely benefits our wellbeing.
Perhaps it’s because we’re not meant to navigate everything alone.
Sometimes, simply being alongside someone else sharing a moment, a conversation, a little kindness can remind us that we belong.
And maybe that’s something worth remembering, not just in the extraordinary moments, but in the ordinary ones too.
*image taken on Exmoor during the partial eclipse 12/08/2026
