Volunteers Week 1st-7th June
1st-7th June is volunteer’s week and as we look around at the fantastic roles that volunteers undertake every day to support people within our communities it’s time to stop and take a minute to say thank you.
The last year has put an unprecedented demand on voluntary organisations, placing them at the forefront of the pandemic response in roles such as shopping and pharmacy runs, befriending and, since the beginning of the year, at vaccinations centres across the area helping to ensure a friendly welcome alongside an efficient, safe experience.
Groups who would have traditionally been offering activities and support in person or through face to face meetings have had to be inventive and agile, changing their model around changing restrictions.
For larger charitable and community organisations there may a small number of paid staff who have become experts in wearing many hats and who have taken on the challenges that other organisations may have a whole team to deal with, ensuring they keep things running as best they can. For other volunteer led organisations this has all be carried out by those offering their time for free.
Within the geography of Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System we have a number of councils of voluntary services (find your local service HERE) all striving to support local organisations often taking a coordinating role alongside local authorities throughout the pandemic, to support the most vulnerable.
Local volunteer efforts at vaccination centres have received royal, political and national news attention for their fantastic efforts whilst having a little fun at the same time.
So to those volunteers supporting Carers and to the carers themselves;
To the Cubs and Brownies leaders who tirelessly took it all online;
To the volunteers painting rocks and creating trails for the kids to enjoy on their daily exercise outing;
To those on the phone being a listening ear;
And to those who set up street groups just to check in on neighbours, walk dogs and grab a pint of milk with their own shop we want to say THANK YOU.
Read more about the thanks volunteers and staff have received at vaccination centres below:
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex paid a special visit to the Royal Windsor Racecourse local covid-19 vaccination site. Click HERE to read more
National recognition for local vaccine effort - Alongside the many kind words of thanks and appreciation our vaccination teams are receiving from their patients, we've been getting plaudits from the very top. The Prime Minister mentioned the great performance of the Yateley vaccination team in one of his daily coronavirus briefings, Rt Hon Theresa May MP made a visit to the local vaccination service in Maidenhead and said “I was pleased to be able to visit the local vaccination service in Maidenhead and see the fantastic work being done by NHS staff with support from a great team of volunteers. I know from people who have been vaccinated here that the process was very smooth and they were well looked after. Thank you to everyone involved in this important work. If you are contacted by the NHS to get the vaccine I urge you to do so – the vaccine is safe and will give you vital protection.” A few days later Dr Gareth Robinson, the Yateley vaccination lead, took a call from the Duke of Cambridge.
From the Palace to the Queen Vic - Ross Kemp, aka Grant Mitchell from Eastenders, wanted to highlight how important the selfless, unpaid workers were to the success of the vaccine delivery.
Read more HERE
Photo courtesy of Berties Photography and Rushmoor Voluntary Services
