Since 16th December 2020, Volunteer Centre Sutton’s volunteers have been helping to marshal the Nonsuch Vaccination site. After a fantastic response to our recruitment drive, approximately 40 volunteers from a pool of 190 have been on site each day, enabling the elderly and most vulnerable access the Covid-19 vaccine.  

When the site opened, the weather was a huge challenge, standing outside for so many hours, but the volunteers were incredible, despite the rain, snow and cold! Managing traffic, directing patient flow, pushing wheelchairs between carparks and the house, helping with consent forms, always ensuring everyone was fantastically well looked after. With their help, processes and volunteer numbers were adapted to allow for the eventualities of each day. It has truly been an immense team effort!  

The team has grown over time and many new friendships formed during shifts, with the volunteers coming together for the team briefings, followed by the many discussions and patient queries over the day and of course tea breaks! For the volunteers it has provided a sense of purpose, with extremely rewarding patient facing roles, as well as a new network of friends, seeing each other regularly during the week on site, over this most recent lockdown.  

We are very sad that site has now been shut. Nonsuch closed on the 23rd April. We hope to find more opportunities where we can, to use such fantastic teamwork once again, in the near future.  

A great many people are currently looking for work or are on furlough. Volunteering can provide a sense of fulfilment, a greater sense of belonging in your own community, a way to keep busy, a chance to meet new people and even ideas for new career paths.   

To find out more about volunteering in Sutton, you can sign up to receive our monthly newsletter with all the latest roles and opportunities, and browse the VOLUNTEER section of our website.