A children’s party entertainer from Swindon who has been keeping the town entertained and in good spirits throughout the pandemic has received Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s daily Points of Light award.
Damian Pickett, who runs ‘Totally Crazy Party and Entertainment Services’ regularly hosted events for his community in Swindon, but with many businesses closed in 2020 due to Coronavirus restrictions, including his own, he has been active in using his professional entertainment skills to keep local people connected and boost the mental health of residents.
Damian has been running free online quizzes for families during Lockdown and hosting seasonal activities, such as Halloween pumpkin hunts and scarecrow trails and Christmas decorating, to support the wellbeing of communities across Swindon. Damian was also involved in supporting Swindon’s first-ever virtual Christmas Lights switch-on and hosting a free online event featuring a variety of pre-recorded performances from local acts.
In a personal letter to Damian, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “With your online quizzes, Halloween pumpkin hunts and your virtual Christmas event, you have not let the pandemic stop you from putting smiles on the faces of young people.
“You have kept local families entertained, brought cheer in challenging times and raised a superb sum for charity.”
Reacting to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Damian said, “I feel truly humbled that I have been nominated, let alone chosen for this award! I love where I live and have always tried to be an active member of the community and when all my work stopped back in March, at the start of the first lockdown, I knew that people would be desperate for something to do to keep them and their kids amused. As I own an entertainment company, I figured I was in the perfect position to step up and bring a little fun and laughter to my neighbours!
“I never organised any of these events expecting anything in return, I just wanted to help others get through this weird time and have a bit of fun in the process! I love my job and missed being able to entertain so all these events were also great for me! I’m so grateful to everyone who joined in with the crazy ideas I came up with and showed me so much support as without them, they wouldn’t have been the successes they were. I’m also massively thankful to my wife, Kimberley and my daughter Amelia who were a huge help in all of these events too.”
Damian is the 1567th person to receive the Prime Minister’s UK daily Points of Light award, which was first launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a difference where they live. Each day, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements, including hundreds of volunteers who have been recognised for how they have served their communities through the coronavirus pandemic.
