Portrait of St Leonards nurse who worked through Covid-19 crisis included in exhibition

Precious Nkomo, a nurse at Conquest Hospital, was painted by her neighbour and friend Alessandro Raho as part of a project to represent the key workers who have worked throughout the pandemic.

The painting has been erected across the Southbank Centre as part of the project Everyday Heroes.

It features more than 40 portraits of some of the remarkable people – among them health workers, bus drivers, faith workers and shop assistants – who have helped to keep this country going during the crisis, often working in extremely challenging circumstances and putting their own personal safety at risk.

Speaking of her time working during the crisis, Precious said: "The emergence of Covid-19 presented so far the biggest challenge in my career. With national and global statistics spiralling, there was, within the profession, a gripping fear of both fear and anxiety.

"Being exposed to Covid-19 was the biggest concern. My worry was how I was going to protect my family bearing in mind that I was at the front line.

"However challenging, I still enjoyed my job and proud to be a nurse."

Many of the contributing artists and writers of the project have chosen to portray family members, friends, or people in their local communities.

Together, they highlight the sheer scale of the collective response to this crisis, and the many different ways that people across the country have come together to support one another, and find a way through it.