Sophie is a volunteer in Lewisham.
I was rather ill in hospital over Christmas and New Year 2020/21. Nothing to do with Covid. I saw firsthand how stretched the NHS was. They somehow managed to look after me very well. Probably saved me from something nasty.
I am a fervent advocate of vaccinations. They have saved millions of people in the past from death and serious illness. As the Covid vaccination effort got going, I heard about the need for volunteers and got stuck in volunteering at clinics by mid-January. It was just what I had to do. To help the NHS and to help people avoid serious illness and death. No brainer. It still is.
My job is still very much on hold (I’m in tourism!) and I have lots of skills to share and contribute. It was strange initially but really wonderful and heartening to come into contact with so many people — patients, clinicians, and other volunteers — after a month of hard lockdown. It was great to be part of a team again. Thinking about it now actually is making me cry.
I learned a lot about how the health sector works. We just take it for granted, but there are people beavering away every day helping us to get and keep well. I think what sticks in my memory the most are a few really special patients and exceptional vaccinators. They will stay with me forever. Also the camaraderie and the sense that we were all working for something momentously important and good.
In spite of sometimes hilarious hiccups in the system and times when we were extremely stressed, I would end a 4-5-hour shift tired, terribly thirsty, and dying for a wee — but happy.