Government health secretary Matt Hancock has paid tribute to Newsquest's kind-hearted readers - including the Isle of Wight's - as the group reveals its fundraising efforts helped raise more than £500,000 for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

Scroll down to see his video message...

You were brilliant  - joining other Isle of Wight County Press readers in raising money through our #WightAngels campaign. We raised more than £4,000 for treats and wellbeing gifts for NHS staff.

Read more: Hampers handed out as County Press's #WightAngels fundraiser tops £3,000

With the country in lockdown and the urgent need for medical supplies, the County Press asked you to dig deep to support our heroes on the frontline.

Isle of Wight County Press:

You did not let us down. Over the course of the past four months, with generosity that has been both exemplary and moving, readers in their thousands have donated to local papers' appeals.

Across Newsquest’s network of local papers, our readers have raised more than £503,990 for hospital charities and trusts up and down the country.

Now Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, has issued a special message of thanks to our readers for their gargantuan efforts.

Scroll down to watch the video...

Isle of Wight County Press:

He said: “I am incredibly grateful to all the readers of the County Press for their generosity toward the Wight Angels during the colossal national effort to tackle coronavirus.

"As the nation takes small steps into the unlocking period and hopefully towards a new normal, we wanted to take the time to say thank you to our compassionate readers who have supported our NHS through this pandemic.

"In years to come, the difference you have made will not be forgotten."

County Press editor Alan Marriott said: “This appeal has been a huge success and we are thankful to everyone who has donated for these incredibly worthy causes.

“Local newspapers do so much more than delivering news for the communities they serve and this is a text-book example of regional news teams going above and beyond, at a time of crisis."