Thank you FoR sticking #TOGETHER in 2020
It’s not been easy, but we couldn’t have done it without you
By emma elms and
hannah rochell
21 december 2020
When coronavirus reared its ugly head at the beginning of 2020, here at #TOGETHERBAND we wanted to do something positive during the unfolding pandemic. And so did you. So to anyone who’s bought a #TOGETHERBAND this year, posted a picture wearing a band on social media, donated money, or helped in any way at all: thank you.
Springing into action
In March we closed the #TOGETHERBAND offices and began, like many of you, working from home. By April, we had launched #TOGETHERFUND to help raise money to fight COVID-19. Since then, we’ve donated 100% of net profits from all #TOGETHERBAND purchases to the fund, with half the money raised being split equally between the UN COVID-19 Solidarity Fund for WHO and Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), and the other half given to life-changing programmes working to deliver the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals that are critical for a healthy planet.
Soon after, we launched our signature organic cotton #TOGETHERMASKs. For every purchase, we donate a medical-grade face shield to ensure that frontline workers are protected in areas of the world that MSF have identified as being most in need. So far, we have donated 30,000.
The second pandemic
In May the tragic killing of George Floyd by US police officers reignited the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement, calling to end systemic racism and discriminatory police brutality. In response we launched our global initiative - #TOGETHERFUND x WJSFF - to fight the two critical pandemics facing our world: COVID-19 and racism. We partnered with the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation to support organisations engaged in critical racial justice work.
We also launched our campaign for Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, when Game Of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel joined us as an ambassador after sharing her own experiences of racial bias within the TV and film industry.
Going live
By autumn, we were organising our largest ever global event #TOGETHERLIVE, in partnership with Harpic. The first socially-distanced concert starred legend Seu Jorge in Brazil and was watched by over 200,000 people on YouTube.
Next year, we’re hosting shows in Mexico, India and the UK to highlight Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and to provide long-term access to water for those in the most challenged communities of Brazil, Mexico and India. We’re already building five water stations in Brazil and are committed to raising funds to install as many as we can. Please donate here if you can.
Global support
From Princess Eugenie to Billie Jean King, our broad family of supporters has helped us spread awareness to every corner of the planet. We were thrilled when seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton joined us as an ambassador for Goal 4: Quality Education, while actor and activist Jameela Jamil stepped up to represent Goal 5: Gender Equality.
Another of our 2020 supporters was Brooklyn Beckham, whose father David Beckham is a long-standing #TOGETHERBAND ambassador. Brooklyn backed Goal 13: Climate Action by teaming up with filmmaker friend Louis Valentine Berry to interview one of the UK’s most influential, young climate activists Noga Levy-Rapoport.
Thank you!
So a huge thank you to everyone who has supported #TOGETHERBAND in 2020. We couldn’t have got this far without you.