ITV will partner with NHS Charities Together as the official broadcast media partner on a brand new appeal urging viewers to donate to the NHS and send messages of support to their staff.

The NHS Charities Together Million Claps Appeal is asking anyone who can afford it to make a £5 donation, alongside a personalised message to NHS staff, simply by texting CLAP to 70507.

This comes as the broadcaster dedicates Thursday 16th April to all the NHS heroes on the frontline of the fight against COVID 19. Right across the day, ITV will be thanking and celebrating all the unsung heroes in our NHS in the most uplifting and most meaningful way we can, while also encouraging audiences to send their messages of support to their local hospitals.

The appeal is aiming to generate at least a million claps and raise £5 million to help support NHS staff.

The Million Claps campaign, which is aiming to generate at least a million claps and raise £5 million to help support NHS staff, launched live on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday 9th April. The full advert is premiering on Thursday at 7:28pm across all ITV channels (including STV).

This comes ahead of the channel’s second Clap for our Carers moment, which will see ITV pause once again on Thursday evening at 8:00pm in order to applaud the efforts and services of key workers up and down the country.

ITV are donating airtime across their network to help ensure millions of people will see the campaign, in an advertising campaign created by creative agency Open.

NHS Charities is a national membership body representing, supporting and championing 143 separate NHS Charities. They have been coordinating the NHS Covid-19 Appeal and have already raised over £16 million of their £100 million target. £2.6M alone was raised via the weekend’s virtual Grand National.

ITV also continues to encourage members of the public to extend messages of love, support and encouragement to family members, friends and frontline workers through their mental wellness campaign, Britain Get Talking.

Clare Phillips, Director of Social Purpose at ITV, said:

“This appeal is a vital way of helping people who work for the NHS when they need it the most. We’re delighted to partner with NHS Charities Together and put ITV’s full weight behind a campaign that will give back to the heroic NHS staff.”

“I’m incredibly proud that we've been able to put this together and play our part in helping the NHS in this difficult time.”

Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together said:

“Across the NHS, thousands of heroes leave the safety of their families every day and face the Covid-10 battle head on to save the lives of our loved ones. And I know they are grateful for the incredible public support over the last two Thursday evenings which have been wonderful in showing how much we all care for our NHS.

With this fantastic support of ITV, we’re asking everyone if they can, to join in #OneMillionClaps so we can raise at least £5 million for our cherished health service staff and volunteers and more if Gift Aid declarations can be made. Please help us to show every nurse, doctor and all NHS staff including vital volunteers and carers, that while they care for us, we care for them.

And this is more than money. Each thank you that we receive through #OneMillionClaps will be routed back to local hospitals to directly share with their staff. We hope this amazing gesture will lift their spirits and show them that while they fight for us, we have their back.”

James Briggs, Co-Founder of Open, said:

“It’s such a simple idea that, once we got moving, it just took on a life of its own. So many people have pitched in – both the team at Open as well as loads of wonderful folk outside the organisation who have done so much to help. Getting permission to use ‘We Will Rock You’ and – even more amazing – to rewrite it was obviously a special moment but it feels like every hour brings another brilliant surprise.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

"Our brilliant charities are already playing a crucial role in our national effort to fight coronavirus and the generosity already shown by the British people to support them has been remarkable.

"Initiatives like "A Million Claps", together with the £750 million package for charities we announced yesterday, will make sure those on the front line are able to reach people who need help most, support communities and take pressure off our NHS."