PIERS Morgan today praised The Sun’s “excellent” Jabs Army Campaign as 28,000 sign up to volunteer at Covid vaccination centres.
The Good Morning Britain host spoke to editor Victoria Newton this morning, as she explained how easy it is to get involved with the scheme.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
The Sun’s Victoria Newton appeared on Good Morning Britain to spread news on the Jabs Army campaignCredit: ITV
Piers Morgan called the newspaper’s campaign ‘excellent’Credit: ITV
She said: “The Royal Voluntary Service have been trying to recruit volunteers to be stewards at these huge vaccination centres – they need 50,000 of them.
“You don’t need any skills or training so anyone can apply. So, The Sun partnered with them and we’ve asked all our readers to sign up.
“So far we have 28,000 people who have gone through the whole process and signed up.
“I’m one of them, I will be volunteering on Friday.
“You’ll be going to carparks and helping people get in the right queues escorting them around the area, no training needed whatsoever.”
She explained volunteers are asked to do two six hour shifts, and told where they need to go on an app.
Susanna Reid dubbed the campaign “fantastic”, with Piers praising the British media for supporting the drive to get the country protected from Covid.
The stewards form a key part of the Covid-19 vaccination team by making sure the centres run smoothly and safely.
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN
So far, 1.5million Brits have been vaccinated as part of ambitious plans to give out 200,000 doses a day by next week.
The aim is to ultimately get 15million jabs into arms by March – which is a huge logistical mission.
That’s why Britain’s biggest businesses including BT, Morrisons, British Airways, PaddyPower, Sky TV and others have all backed our campaign.
The firms called on their collective 500,000 workers to sign up as volunteers to help the NHS achieve its historic victory over the pandemic.
Celebrities like Bear Grylls, Gordon Ramsay and Bake Off’s Matt Lucas have also thrown their support behind the campaign.
Retail giant Amazon is asking its 40,000 UK staff to join and tech firm Virgin Media encouraged 12,000 workers to follow suit.
Theme park giant Merlin and its 10,000 employees are also backing the rollout, taking potential recruits to 62,000 in one day.
How to sign up:
VOLUNTEERS for the Jabs Army are being asked to first register online at nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk.
You will then receive an email with login details to sign up online.
Finally, you will be asked to download the GoodSAM app on a smartphone which will match you to a role in your area.
Services will be opening in the coming days and weeks, with different areas up and running at different times, so you might not be required on site for some weeks. Not everyone who signs up will need to be called upon.
You need to commit to only two six-hour shifts a month at a vaccination service, and no prior experience or qualifications are required.
You will work as part of a team that will include NHS staff and volunteers. The Royal Voluntary Service will conduct appropriate background checks.
They join the likes of BT, Sky, BA, John Lewis, Waitrose, Santander, Tui and Capita who are already behind our campaign.
By last night, 28,000 readers had signed up to become Steward Volunteers after we launched Jabs Army on New Year’s Day.
You can join the effort to rollout the vaccines too, and you only need to commit to two six-hour shifts a month at a vaccine service.
Just sign up via the NHS volunteer responders’ app – full details of how to join are below.
“It is really busy and I absolutely love it. I’m delighted to be playing a small part,” says volunteer Fiona Pleasant, 61, who’s helping out at her local vaccination centre in Woodford, east London.
“It’s inspiring to see what the NHS is doing here. I am happy to give my time for as long as I am needed. It is very rewarding.”
Volunteer at nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk