Today we meet Marion and Beverly who volunteer with the British Red Cross. The British Red Cross help anyone in the UK or around the world in the event of a crisis and here in Orkney the organisation has been a vital part of Orkney’s emergency response team during the pandemic.
Since January volunteers Marion and Beverly have been marshalling at the vaccination centres at the new and old Balfour hospitals and at the Picky mass clinics. Their role has been helping people with directions on arrival, providing a reassuring friendly welcome and ensuring everyone is kept safe on their visit, both physically and emotionally.
Beverly volunteers to make a positive difference to people’s lives. “I enjoy helping others, chatting to them, and easing their fears. I also enjoy the social side of getting to know other people and the local community. I feel proud of having been able to be part of the vaccine delivery during this very challenging time and being able to support all those involved in the process in some way.”
Marion had some free time and wanted to do something useful for the community during the pandemic. “Volunteering gave me a focus and social opportunities when life was otherwise very restricted. It was a good experience, and I would encourage others to take part in some form of community volunteering.”
Samantha Payne is British Red Cross Services Co-ordinator for Orkney. She supports a team of 20 Emergency Response and Community Response volunteers who since January 2021 have delivered nearly 1,400 hours of volunteer marshalling and worked on 359 shifts. This is a truly amazing effort and commitment, and without voluntary organisations such as the Red Cross, the Orkney community response would not have been possible. To Samantha, Beverly, and Marion and all the Orkney Red Cross team we say THANK YOU for supporting our community.
If you have been inspired to volunteer with the British Red Cross in Orkney or want to find out about the work they do, please get in touch with Samantha Payne on 875372 or visit https://www.redcross.org.uk/
