Shropshire Star

'Be a part of history': Call for volunteers to aid Shropshire's Covid vaccination and rapid testing programmes

Volunteers are needed to help with Shropshire's rapid testing and vaccination programmes.

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Residents are being urged to help with the "mammoth task" and give up their time in a number of roles, including vaccination marshals, car parking marshals, results recorders and reception assistants.

Numerous partner organisations working to deliver the health initiatives have joined forces to issue the appeal, including Shropshire Rural Communities Charity (Shropshire RCC), Shropshire Youth Association (SYA) and Shropshire Council, along with the county's health and care organisations.

Victoria Rankin, executive lead for people at the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, said: “We have a mammoth task ahead of us and we need all our people, our health and care workforce and our local communities to work together.

“This is an amazing opportunity for people from all over the county to be a part of history by giving their time to volunteer alongside our health and care teams in the fight against this virus.”

Julia Baron, chief executive for Shropshire RCC, added: “This is a significant time in our history and one we’re likely never to forget.

Positive impact

“People have the chance to be involved in something which will have such an incredibly important and positive impact on every thread of our community.

“You don’t need to be a healthcare professional to volunteer. As long as you feel well and are not shielding, self-isolating or in a high-risk group, you just need the time and a desire to help.”

Everyone who registers their interest to volunteer will be risk assessed and before starting their role will receive the appropriate training and induction.

To sign up, visit the Shropshire RCC website at shropshire-rcc.org.uk/covid19volunteers

Other partners involved include Telford & Wrekin Council, NHS Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust.

This volunteer recruitment campaign is part of the local campaign #BeAPartOfHistory which is also looking to recruit current and retired healthcare professionals, but also non-clinical staff in a range of administrative, reception and other front-of-house roles to support the vaccine rollout.