Big thank you for Shropshire's hero PPE volunteers
Heroic volunteers during the pandemic have told how providing PPE to frontline workers gave them a sense of purpose.
To mark Volunteers' Week, leaders at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) issued a heartfelt thanks to its army of volunteers at the forefront of the Covid response.
Three NHS volunteers have played particularly important roles at Shropcom over the course of the pandemic. Chris Williams, David Blythe and Geraint Howells have volunteered as PPE logistics assistants at the trust since June 2020.
They have been responsible for collecting PPE stock from The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and delivering it throughout the county to ensure all Shropcom Community Services are kept well supplied and always able to access the correct PPE.
Liz Watkins head of infection prevention and control said: "The work they have done ensured that none of our staff experienced shortages and I thank them wholeheartedly for helping to make this happen."
Sense of purpose
Chris said: "Volunteering has given me an opportunity to work with some great people at Shropcom and provided me with a real sense of purpose during the Covid pandemic.
"It has been quite an active role over the last 12 months and so an unexpected benefit is that my waistline hasn't expanded too much during lockdown!'"
David added: "During lockdown volunteering gave me a sense of purpose rather than just sitting around at home. It was good to get out and about and be involved in a key role for the NHS during a challenging time."
Steve Gregory, executive director of nursing and operations said: "Volunteers play a key role in supporting the work of our trust.
"They can be found in many services across Shropcom, from enriching patients’ experiences at our community hospitals to shaping the future of services through our Patient and Carer Volunteer Group. We would like to thank every person who has volunteered at Shropcom for sharing their time, expertise and enthusiasm with us, we really appreciate everything you do."
Anyone who is interested in becoming an NHS Volunteer should visit nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/
