Some of the incredible volunteers who have supported the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in North Devon were thanked for their contribution at a small awards event which took place in the garden of The Cedars Inn on July 22.
208 individual volunteers plus 17 local voluntary organisations have supported the delivery of the vaccination clinics via GP practices, North Devon District Hospital and North Devon Leisure Centre and all have had special certificates printed to recognise their support which will be distributed via the NHS co-ordinators of the clinic. Although it was not possible to plan a large event to thank everyone, every single person involved has made a difference and the Primary Care Network and North Devon District Hospital nominated 12 volunteers who had made a particularly significant contribution to attend a small presentation event on behalf of the wider group.
North Devon Voluntary Services (NDVS) hosted the event which was made possible by a donation from Devon & Cornwall Police. Volunteers enjoyed a delicious cream tea in glorious sunshine with Councillor Julie Hunt, Chair of North Devon Council and Superintendent Toby Davies presenting each of the nominees with their certificate. They also each received a voucher which had been generously donated by Lady Laura of the Castle Hill estate to allow these 12 volunteers one day’s free entry to Castle Hill gardens for themselves and a guest.
Chief Officer, Karen Evans of NDVS said: “This was a great opportunity to recognise the work of all the vaccination centre volunteers in North Devon, as well as saying a special ‘thank you’ to the volunteers nominated to attend this event. Volunteers have made an incredible contribution to their local communities during this pandemic and will be vital to our recovery. Thank you to everyone involved for a lovely afternoon and we look forward to celebrating the vital roles played by other volunteers at more local awards events in the autumn”
A special thank you also goes to Tim Lamerton who volunteered his time to take the photos.
If you are interested in volunteering then why not take a look at the local volunteer recruitment website, Volunteer Connect, which can be found at www.ndvs.org.uk
