TAMESIDE Community Champion Heather Berry has gone the extra mile in supporting people through the COVID pandemic by becoming a volunteer vaccinator.
Heather, 48, from Dukinfield, has been dedicating her time throughout the past year to help her local community and has found the Tameside Community Champions network a great platform to share her positive experiences.
Heather started as a COVID-19 support worker for Tameside Council last year, and when she saw they were looking for volunteer vaccinators as part of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout she was eager to put her training to good use.
She described the rigorous but rewarding selection process to become a vaccinator, which included needing experience in a care / advising role, and 21.5 hours of a mixture of both face to face and online learning.
The training culminated in a trip to Old Trafford for a final session, about which Heather said: “It was so nice to meet the other volunteers and I was signed off by a Health Care Professional (doctor) as ready to deploy for vaccination shifts. It was a long day, but well worth it.”
She has signed up to complete vaccination shifts at the Etihad Vaccination Centre and said: “I will be managed by a Health Care Professional and fully supervised for my first 10 injections and signed off to administer the vaccine on site, which is also very reassuring.”
“I have never even held a needle before, let alone given an injection, but the training and support is exemplary and I’ve got plenty of confidence in my new found skill. I’ve also had the first dose of the vaccine to minimise the personal risk.”
Cllr Eleanor Wills, Tameside Council Executive member for Adult Social Care said: “I’m thrilled to hear such a positive story. Our Community Champions have a vital role to play, acting as key message carriers and leading by good example – just like Heather who has really gone the extra mile.
“Heather is an exemplar of our Tameside community coming together to help and protect one another, supporting the vaccine roll-out. I can’t thank her enough for her efforts and wish her all the best in her new voluntary role!
