As a nation, we are humble. Brits are simply not a braggy people and have a tendency to downplay achievements, sometimes to the point of self-deprecation. Many of us are hopeless when it comes to self-promotion or celebrating our triumphs.

Following a national call-out for nominations, leading ready-to-drink protein shake brand, For Goodness Shakes, has identified eight unsung heroes worthy of the spotlight and is bringing them out of the shadows and into a dedicated ‘Portraits of Today’s Everyday Heroes’ exhibition to showcase their personal successes, whilst also helping to provide inspiration for those on their own journeys of growth.

Portraits of Today’s Everyday Heroes, open for one month only at the Mash Paddle Brewery in Bermondsey, London, from Friday 14 February–Thursday 13 March 2025, is an initiative inspired by a collaboration between For Goodness Shakes – fuelling everyone’s inner hero for over 20 years – and Marvel Studios, to mark its latest release Captain America: Brave New World, on 14 February.

Echoing the movie themes of resilience, perseverance, grit, strength and evolution, the For Goodness Shakes’ real-life Everyday Heroes selected to feature in the exhibition have shown determination, have achieved goals despite the odds, have demonstrated kindness, generosity or selflessness, or have worked hard to bring about change or help others. Their efforts and accomplishments represent those that are carried out every day by millions of Brits and serve as an inspiration to us all to persevere, do good, and be the best versions of ourselves (detail on the individual Everyday Hero stories is included below).

“Selecting our heroes was such a difficult task,” says Philippa Milburn, Brand Manager at For Goodness Shakes. “We received so many inspiring and heartening nominations, which, as well as triggering lots of emotion, brought a tangible sense of optimism and hope.

“Our Everyday Heroes’ stories are a true reflection of the incredible things Brits do every single day, and an important reminder of the power of humanity, of integrity, of courage, of determination, of kindness, and of community, at a time when our news feeds can feel overwhelmingly distressing.

“And that’s exactly what we wanted to achieve with this project; to demonstrate that we can all be heroes and can all make a difference to benefit or support others’ lives and experiences or our own.”

Alongside the Bermondsey exhibition, the portraits – shot by photographer, David Wren – and individual Everyday Hero stories will feature in a dedicated web gallery on the For Goodness Shakes website from 10 February. Visitors to the page can also donate to social action charity, Volunteering Matters, which brings people together to overcome some of society’s most complex issues through the power of volunteering.

“Our charity partner for the Everyday Heroes project, Volunteering Matters,” adds Milburn, “aligns so perfectly with the themes of the campaign. Helping individuals and communities thrive through the vital contribution of place-based volunteering, their work is proactively creating the Everyday Heroes of tomorrow.”

The framed portraits hung in the gallery will be gifted to the Everyday Heroes featured in them once the exhibition comes to a close on 13 March.