15 Million Acts of Kindness

How a man from Northampton went global

How a man from Northampton went global

Not many people will have heard of Peter Harper, but he’s a local hero in Northampton. 

I only found out about him because I was looking for a local success story for Elevate Northampton and discovered Action For Happiness and their calendars, which have gone global.

Peter is a consultant clinical psychologist who retired from the NHS after 25 years of working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Still, his Kindness Calendar has now touched millions of lives worldwide.

He initially designed the calendar to share with his local church community in Northampton. The calendar suggests a kind action for each day of December, encouraging people to find different ways of being generous during the festive season.

Harper's initiative then caught the attention of Dr Mark Williamson, Director of Action for Happiness, who saw its potential to create a happier, more caring society. The organisation produced graphics for the calendar and uploaded them to its website, expecting limited circulation.

However, the response was exponential. Thanks to social media, nearly 2 million people worldwide downloaded the calendar, which has been translated into several languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Lithuanian, and Icelandic.

"I've been amazed and delighted by how my original small action seems to have inspired so many," Harper shared. "I hope it has contributed to a kinder, happier, and more caring world."

Harper's work is grounded in research showing that practicing kindness can decrease stress, improve mood, and increase energy. "Starting each day with an intention to be kind has resulted in a decrease in my negative assumptions and an increase in my kind and compassionate behaviours," he explained.

Harper's Kindness Calendar is a shining example of how one person's idea can have a global impact. 

So, as I always say, learn heaps, love loads and then pass it on… (it's scientifically proven to be good for you!)