Torbay vaccination volunteers celebrate a year on

300,000 injections delivered

Volunteers are celebrating after more than a year, helping deliver hundreds of thousands of vaccinations in Torbay.

Vaccinations began at the Riviera Centre in Torquay last January, and an army of marshals and chaperones were recruited to ensure the operation ran as smoothly as possible.

A short time later, vaccinations began at the Rugby Club in Brixham and later at the Scala Hall, also staffed by volunteers recruited through the Torbay Community Helpline. An incredible 300,000 injections have been delivered.

Latest figures show that 86 per cent of people over the age of 12 have had their first vaccination, 81 per cent have received their second dose and so far, 65 per cent have had their third dose or booster injection.

Volunteers have toiled tirelessly alongside NHS staff to keep the centres open, working three to five hour shifts inside and out whatever the weather, welcoming patients and making sure their visit is as quick and stress-free as possible.

Some have been with the team from the very beginning, others have joined more recently, but all now have something in common – the ability to smile their way through this crisis. 

Despite some record-breaking days when more than 2000 injections have been delivered and the walk-ins outnumbered the booked appointments, the whole visit from drive-in to drive-out has rarely taken more than 30 minutes.

“Every time we have appealed for volunteers to come down and help we have been inundated with offers. We have built up an incredibly dedicated team who have remained flexible and willing throughout, “ said Tracey Cabache, Torbay's community development trust’s operations director.

“On behalf of the people of Torbay, we cannot thank them enough, because without them, who knows what would have happened? We certainly could not have achieved what we have achieved so quickly,” she added.

Feedback from the thousands of people who have visited the vaccination centres has been consistent with lots of compliments and talk of big welcomes and smiles at every turn, putting even the most nervous at ease.