Urgent Need for Vaccination and Winter Resilience Volunteers across the Borough
Posted on: December 14, 2021
With the proposed expansion of the Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations, Community360 are urgently seeking more volunteers to come forward and help with the rollout.
Volunteers are needed to help ensure the smooth running of the vaccination clinics that now include the roll out of the booster jabs. As furlough has ended and people are able to get out and about more, the number of volunteers has dropped. But the need is still very much there.
Rachel Durmishi, Head of Projects at Community360 said: “As winter approaches and with the need to boost the vaccination programme we are asking anyone who has a few hours to spare to come forward and help. There are a range of tasks on offer from sanitising seats to ensuring that individuals have waited long enough to be able to receive their next vaccine. We continue to cover a range of sites across Colchester including GP surgeries along with supermarkets and pop ups using the vaccination bus.”
She added: “This is also an opportunity to chat to people attending and to check on the welfare of those who attend and identify if they would benefit from any additional support. Other tasks involve answering questions on what will happen, guiding them or just giving a friendly smile and allowing them to share a story.”
“It feels like one of the greatest things I have ever done,” said Community360 vaccine volunteer Hazel Linscott.
She is urging more people to spare a few hours to help out.
“I have worked for many years in an office environment, but during lockdown I had no choice but to work from home. I felt I needed to do something outside my four walls and try and help people in the community.” Explains Hazel.
She added: “I heard about Community360 and the work they were doing helping the NHS with the vaccination programme at different locations around the local area. I wanted to play a part in trying to put an end to this awful time and so decided to put my name forward to help.
I started volunteering at the beginning of the year and haven’t looked back since. It is so fulfilling; you meet some wonderful people and I get great satisfaction of being part of an amazing group of volunteers. I feel that without the volunteers helping the NHS this vaccination programme would not have been as successful as it has been, we are making a difference to get this world back up and running again and that to me is what it’s all about.”
Community360 are also looking to recruit Winter Resilience Ambassadors. This role will help to support their winter work to ensure that Colchester residents remain safe, warm and well during the winter months. From supporting with preparation and distribution of winter packs, to getting out into the community to have conversations and offer signposting, advice and guidance to those who need it.
Winter resilience ambassadors will be able to attend events to increase awareness of the support available and have meaningful conversations with Colchester residents throughout the winter months.
Tracy Rudling, CEO at Community360 said: “This is an exciting opportunity to play your part in continuing to protect the community. Our volunteers have played such an important role in the vaccination rollout, but we now need more people to come forward. Our Winter Resilience Ambassadors also have an important part to play in our local community, to give practical help to local people in need of a little extra support this winter.”
For further information on how to enquire about becoming a Vaccination Marshall or Winter Resilience Ambassador Volunteer contact: 01206 505250
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