A tribute is set to be paid to the volunteers who helped give COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.
More than 62,000 jabs have been administered across the Keswick and Solway Primary Care Network – the vast majority at Wigton community hospital – with 161 volunteers manning 2,753 shifts so the scheme could swing into action.
The volunteers were recruited and organised by Simon Braithwaite, of the Northern Fells Group charity. They manned the car park and queues at the hospital in shifts from December 21, 2020 until January 9 this year.
As a thank you and to celebrate the work of the volunteers and health staff, a tree planting ceremony will take place on April 8.
It will be marked with a plaque which reads: “To celebrate and thank volunteers and NHS colleagues for all their tireless work to deliver the COVID vaccination programme”.
Dr Richard Massey, a GP at Caldbeck Surgery and the clinical lead for the primary care network, said: “Our vaccination rollout simply wouldn’t have happened as safely and as speedily without all the volunteers who took part.
“We cannot thank our community enough for the way they have supported the programme – the volunteers that turned up in all weathers to help us at our hub at Wigton hospital and every single person who turned up and waited in line and smiled and chatted with our vaccination teams and did their bit to make sure they and
their family and friends were protected.
“We are delighted there will be a permanent memorial to this brilliant collaboration – this traditional Cumbrian rowan tree embodies the strong roots our general practice teams have in our communities and we hope to see the tree thrive and show resilience against the Cumbrian weather. It is the perfect tribute to celebrate
this achievement.”
Mr Braithwaite said: “The response of the volunteers to the call for help was magnificent. Furthermore the volunteers carried on for over a year through all
the weather that Cumbria could throw at them.
“It is great to know that we still have such a strong community spirit.”
The primary care network is made up of seven practices:
• Aspatria
• Caldbeck Surgery
• Castlehead Medical Centre, Keswick
• Dalston Medical Group
• Silloth Group Medical Practice
• The Croft Surgery, kirkbride
• Wigton Group Medical Practice
