Coronavirus: News from our partners – Volunteers needed to join the battle to beat coronavirus and COVID-19

News from our partners Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP)

Local organisations have joined forces to call on local people across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to be a part of history by giving the gift of their time to help in the county’s fight against coronavirus and COVID-19.

Shropshire Rural Communities Charity (Shropshire RCC), Shropshire Youth Association (SYA) and Shropshire Council are working with the county’s health and care organisations to lead a volunteer recruitment campaign to support local rapid testing and vaccination services.

Testing and vaccination are the country’s best hope of a return to more normal life.

#BeAPartOfHistory

The people of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin can help by signing up to one of the available roles, including vaccination marshals, car parking marshals, results recorders and reception assistants.

In Shropshire, volunteers are needed to help with the county’s rapid testing programme.

Victoria Rankin, Executive Lead for People at the Shropshire, Telford and 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 Rural Communities Charity, said:

“This is a significant time in our history and one we’re likely never to forget.

“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, people can visit the Shropshire RCC website at www.shropshire-rcc.org.uk/covid19volunteers.

Partners involved include Shropshire Rural Communities Charity, Shropshire Youth Association, Shropshire Council, 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.