'You can’t see people smiling because of the masks, but everybody is': Joy as Covid jabs given in Stafford
Smiles and laughter are not what you would normally expect at a medical clinic – but that is what volunteers at a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Stafford are seeing as they help residents get protected against the virus.
The rollout, which started in December, is the largest mass vaccination programme the NHS has ever carried out in its 72-year history. And in Staffordshire hundreds of volunteers are helping health workers to administer the jab to as many people as possible.
Stafford Borough Council members Jonathan Price and Marnie Phillips are part of the army of volunteers assisting at a vaccination centre in Holmcroft operated by Cornwell’s Pharmacies. More than 170 people have offered their services on vaccination days at North End Community Centre, which is being supported by Stafford Lions.
The Holmcroft Road venue is currently carrying out 1,000 jabs a week. This number could increase, depending on availability does, and Councillor Phillips said the process was “running like a well-oiled machine”.
She added: “You can’t see people smiling because of the masks, but everybody is. They know they are doing something to help and they are part of history.
“Everyone has their own personal story of lockdown and how it has affected their family. They want to help other people.”
Councillor Price, the lead member for the borough council on Staffordshire’s Covid Outbreak Control Board, has been on marshalling duties on the days the Holmcroft vaccination centre is open.
The nearby Holmcroft pub and the community-run library are providing additional car parking for the centre, so that its own parking facilities can be prioritised for those with mobility issues.
Councillor Phillips said one man has been working tirelessly to keep the entrance clear and safe for visitors, while many other volunteers help to point the way round the centre.
“I have been taking people’s temperatures on the door, so we know everyone who walks inside is well” she said.
“You are there to put them at ease and make them feel welcome and relaxed about the experience they are about to have.
“I find it really uplifting, because I have missed doing things like this. I used to work in a spiritualist centre and I volunteered there for years before I started working there.
Freedom
“Some of these people have been self-isolating or have seen very few people, then all of a sudden they’re greeted by all these people. It’s heartwarming and we’re all just happy to be there.”
People are advised to arrive 10 minutes before their vaccination appointment and they are not able to enter the centre if they turn up too early. They are also asked to go in alone, unless they need the assistance of a family member or carer.
Councillor Phillips said: “If there is anything that anybody needs there are people everywhere to help.
“Every single volunteer has had their temperature taken and everybody is gelled up and wearing masks.
"They are very conscious they don’t want anybody to come from a safe environment into an unsafe one.
“We have amazing volunteers in Stafford. Everyone talks about being kind and it’s at times like this you realise how much people do to help.
“Everybody is so grateful and thankful to the staff and people who are volunteering. We are starting to get to a point now where people feel they can have some sense of freedom again.”
For more information about volunteering at a vaccination centre visit the Do It volunteering platform at doit.life.
