Vaccine volunteers needed

Torquay centre is shot in the arm for community

With covid immunisations underway at last, an appeal has been made for volunteers to give a helping hand at at Torquay's Riviera Centre.

The Torbay Community Helpline is looking for people to help with shopping, befriending, and prescription collections as well as to help marshall people arriving at the vaccination centre. 

Because the vaccines from Pfizer have to be kept in strictly controlled temperature conditions, they can't be done in people’s homes or at GPs' surgeries; only at the conference centre. The logistics make it a sizeable operation. Volunteers will give the whole process a shot in the arm.

St John Ambulance staff are helping administer vaccinations, but more volunteers are needed to help marshall people in and out as well as provide support services, particularly for those who are nervous.

“The latest lockdown has seen a surge in calls to the Helpline for people, particularly those that are shielding, in need of help and we once again need our fantastic volunteers to step up,” said a spokesperson. "We are also aware that help is needed at the Riviera Centre as the scale of vaccinations is ramping up from this week”

"We might well need to able to drive those without their own transport to the Riviera Centre and we will need people to help them whilst they are there, particularly chaperoning those that are nervous,” said a Helpline spokesperson

“For now, these vaccines are just for the extremely vulnerable and everyone eligible is being contacted by their doctors, so please do not just turn up,” they added.

If you can help with either vaccinations or with the Helpline please contact the Torbay Community Helpline on 01803 446022, from 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and Saturday’s 09.30 am  to 12.30 pm.