An appeal has meen made for volunteers to help with the Rutland vaccination programme.

Volunteers are also needed to help support the vulnerable in Oakham.

Julie Coleman, founder of the Oakham Neighbours Covid-19 Support Group says the Rutland vaccination centre at the county council offices in Oakham has been quietly vaccinating those in the highest support groups since before Christmas.

Julie continued: "As soon as there's a dependable volume of vaccine available to them, they'll be gearing up to work at full speed. Until the end of January, they'll have to carry on stopping and starting in line with the availability of the vaccines.

"If you'd like to volunteer to support the vaccination centre, here's what you need to know:

the centre will be open 8am-6pm and volunteers will be needed for 3 shifts each day

the roles are mostly outdoors (in all weathers)

none of them involve sitting down

until the end of January, volunteers will need to be flexible in response to last-minute requests

from February onward, the work pattern will settle down and volunteers should be able to go in for regular slots each week

"Here's how to volunteer

Send an email to [email protected]

Include the following information (you may be able to copy and paste the list into your email)

Name

Date of birth

Address

Phone numbers (landline & mobile)

"Other information (e.g. Any preferences as to shift pattern. Do you have any first aid training or marshalling experience? Are you DBS checked? Anything else you want to say or ask.)

"If there's a high volume of volunteers, it may take a while for them to get back to you, so please be patient.

"If you've already volunteered through other routes, it shouldn't be necessary to send in your information again."

Julie added: "I'll post updates whenever I'm able to."

In the meantime, the support group has issued a fresh appeal for helpers to help it support vulnerable members of the community.

July said: "We're starting to get more requests for help now that we're in lockdown again, and there are still a few zones without coordinators. We are still able to support people in these zones, but we'd be able to do it more quickly (and better) with coordinators who live in them.

"Most zones include a group of volunteers for the coordinator to work with, so the job of coordination could be done without leaving your home if you're shielding.

"If you live in any of these streets and would be willing to be the first port of call for requests for help in two or three streets around your own house, please let me know by messaging me, commenting below or emailing [email protected].

"Here are the currently uncoordinated bits of Oakham*:

Braunston Road

Chaffinch Close

Graffham Drive

Griffiths Close

Horseshoe Court

Kestrel Road

Partridge Way

Robin Close

Suthern Close

West Road

Willoughby Gardens

Withers Close

Barleythorpe*

Horseshoe Close

Main Road

Manor Lane

Pasture Lane

• Some streets are split across zones, so a few of these are only partially uncoordinated."