Let us clap now for Britain’s Unsung Heroes

He said: “We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must.

We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”

It was a speech that got a mixed reception, to say the least, but the Channel 4 documentary Unsung Heroes is here to remind us that some people were still going into work to carry out vital roles, even before there was any talk of easing the lockdown.

Understandably, much of the attention has been focused on our brave NHS workers – every Thursday, the nation has come together to acknowledge the part they are playing in the fight against the virus with a round of applause – or in some households by hitting a pan with a wooden spoon or playing a musical instrument.

This documentary is turning its attention to some of the other people who have been doing their bit. They include refuse collectors, bus drivers, carers, cleaners, supermarket staff and teachers, along with many others.

They have been putting their lives at risk – and there have been some stark news reports about the fact that men in lower-paid jobs have a higher death rate – to keep the country fed, clean and moving, or to care for other key workers’ children so they can continue doing their jobs.

And while it may sometimes seem easy to take some of them for granted, without them life would have been very different and a lot more difficult over the past few weeks.

Britain’s Unsung Heroes is made by ITN Productions, and their director of TV, Ian Rumsey, says: “Alongside the NHS, these are stories from our coronavirus heroes, the key workers who are essential to keep the country functioning during this unprecedented time.

“For the millions of us living in lockdown, they provide a lifeline and vital service who despite the threat of the deadly virus, are helping people day-in and day-out. We simply wouldn’t be able to function without them.”

Unsung Heroes follows a small group of frontline workers who will share their own experiences, filming themselves – and their family and friends – to give us an insight into what their lives have been like during the crisis.

For many viewers, it will show us a different side to the pandemic and the huge impact it has made on the way we live.

For others, it will reflect their own experiences of going out to work every day during a pandemic.

Some of the stories will be inspiring and others emotional, as some of the contributors share the difficult circumstances they are dealing with.

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